Prime Minister of Greece
Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic | |
---|---|
Πρωθυπουργός της Ελληνικής Δημοκρατίας | |
Style | His Excellency[1] (formal and diplomatic) Mr Prime Minister (informal) |
Status | Head of government |
Member of | |
Reports to | |
Residence | Maximos Mansion |
Appointer | President of Greece |
Term length | Four years, renewable |
Inaugural holder | Spyridon Trikoupis |
Formation | 13 January 1822 |
Deputy | Deputy Prime Minister |
Salary | €99,420 annually[2] |
Website | Prime Minister's Office |
This article is part of a series on |
Politics of Greece |
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The prime minister of the Hellenic Republic (Greek: Πρωθυπουργός της Ελληνικής Δημοκρατίας, romanized: Prothypourgós tis Ellinikís Dimokratías), colloquially referred to as the prime minister of Greece (Greek: Πρωθυπουργός της Ελλάδας, romanized: Prothypourgós tis Elládas), is the head of government of the Hellenic Republic and the leader of the Greek Cabinet.
The officeholder's official seat (but not residence) is the Maximos Mansion in the centre of Athens. After the Presidency of the Government (Προεδρία της Κυβερνήσεως) was established, the office is referred to either as Prime Minister or President of the Government (Πρόεδρος της Κυβερνήσεως).[3]
Election and appointment of the prime minister
The prime minister is officially appointed by the president of Greece.
According to Article 37 of the
If this possibility cannot be ascertained, the president shall give the exploratory mandate to the leader of the second largest party in Parliament, and if this proves to be unsuccessful, to the leader of the third largest party in parliament. Each exploratory mandate shall be in force for three days.
If all exploratory mandates prove to be unsuccessful, the president summons all party leaders, and if the impossibility to form a cabinet enjoying the confidence of the parliament is confirmed, the president shall attempt to form a cabinet composed of all parties in parliament for the purpose of holding parliamentary elections. If this fails, the president shall entrust the president of the
Therefore, the election of members of a certain party to parliament is the equivalent to a vote for that party's leader for prime minister.[4]
Oath of office
Religious oath of office
Before taking office, the prime minister is sworn in at a religious ceremony inside the
I swear in the name of the Holy, Consubstantial and Indivisible Trinity to safeguard the Constitution and the laws and to serve the general interest of the Greek People.
The archbishop then recites a few more blessings, and the participants make the sign of the cross three times. The archbishop then congratulates the new prime minister, who then shakes hands with the president before the pertinent documents are signed.
Civil oath of office
In 2015
Mr President, I would like to assure you, on my honour and conscience, that I will follow the Constitution and the laws and will always serve the general interest of the Greek People.
He then shook hands with the president, who congratulated him, before proceeding to sign the official documents as normal.
When Tsipras assumed the premiership again, on 21 September 2015, President Prokopis Pavlopoulos decided that the affirmation had to be more formal, as it follows:
I affirm, on my honour and conscience, that I will follow the Constitution and the laws and will serve the general interest of the Greek People.
Official seat of the prime minister
The Maximos Mansion (Greek: Μέγαρο Μαξίμου) has been the official seat of the prime minister of Greece since 1982. It is located in central Athens, near Syntagma Square. Although the building contains the offices of the head of the Greek Government, it is not used as the residence of the prime minister.
History of the office
During the revolution (1821–1832)
During the
The Executive continued to govern Greece until 1828, when Ioannis Kapodistrias assumed the governance of the state as "Governor of Greece"—simultaneously head of state and of the government.[6] Kapodistrias was assassinated in 1831 and his government, presided over by his brother Augustinos, collapsed the following year. It was replaced by a series of collective governmental councils, which lasted until 1833, when Greece became a monarchy.
Under Otto's absolute monarchy (1832–1843)
In 1832, Greece's nascent experiment with democracy was ended and a
Constitutional monarchy (1843–1910)
King Otto's reign as an absolute monarch came to an end when agitators for a constitution (as had been promised when the monarchy was established) rose up in the 3 September Revolution in 1843. Otto was forced to grant a constitution and Andreas Metaxas took power; he is credited with being the first Greek to formally serve as "Prime Minister."[8]
Once the office of prime minister was established, the responsibility for self-government again fell to the Greek people. However, two factors maintained significant power for the crown: the Greek party structure was weak and client-based and the monarch was free to select any member of parliament to form a government.[7]
In 1862, Otto was finally deposed and the Greek people chose a new monarch in the person of King
The Nationalists were later led by
Upheaval, revolts and war (1910–1946)
In 1910, military officers sparked the fall of civilian government when they issued the
The Liberal Party was eventually opposed by the more conservative and pro-royalist People's Party, initially led by Dimitrios Gounaris. The antagonism between the two parties, and the supporters of monarchy and republicanism, would dominate the political landscape until after the Second World War.
See also
References
- ^ "ΣΥΓΧΡΟΝΟ ΕΓΧΕΙΡΙΔΙΟ ΕΘΙΜΟΤΥΠΙΑΣ - PDF". docplayer.gr. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
- ^ "IG.com Pay Check". IG.
- ^ primeminister.gr https://www.primeminister.gr/en/the-prime-minister/the-office.
The Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic (PM) is the President of the Government, presides over the Council of Ministers and is the second-in-class state institution following the President of the Republic.
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(help) - ^ "Constitution of Greece". hri.org.
- ^ "Πρωθυπουργός της Ελλάδας - Πολιτική ορκωμοσία του πρωθυπουργο". primeminister.gov.gr.
- ^ a b Brewer, David. The Greek War of Independence. (Overlook Press, 2001).
- ^ a b Petropulos, John A., Politics and Statecraft in the Kingdom of Greece. (Princeton University Press, 1968)
- ^ ISBN 0-521-32837-3