Prime Minister of Aspen

The Prime Minister of Aspen (Espenische: Statsminister, which directly translates to "Minister of State") is the head of government of the Kingdom of Aspen. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the monarch and the Riksdag. The Prime Minister must have the confidence of the Riksdag to form a government, at which point the monarch shall appoint them to the office.

The Prime Minister is directly vested with power over the executive branch by the constitution of the Kingdom of Aspen. Unlike most parliamentary systems, the Prime Minister of Aspen may not sit in the Riksdag, however, they are vested with the power to propose and vote on legislation. As of 2021, The Prime Minister of Aspen is Robert Smith of the Aspen Labor and Monarchist Union.

Should a Prime Minister lose the confidence of the Riksdag, they must resign and if a new government cannot be formed within sixty days the monarch may dissolve the Riksdag.

Appointment
The Prime Minister is proposed by the King but requires the consent of the Federal Assembly before he can form a government. In the election of the Prime Minister, the proposed candidate is chosen by a secret ballot by the members of the Federal Assembly, however, if the candidate proposed by the king does not secure a majority of the votes cast, the Federal Assembly may propose a different candidate within ten days of the initial vote. If no candidate receives a majority, then the Federal Assembly is dissolved and new elections are called.

In practice, the candidate for prime minister is almost always the leader of the majority party or coalition in parliament and thus is guaranteed a majority of votes cast.

Removal
The Prime Minister may be dismissed by the King at any time at the King’s discretion. The Prime minister may also tender his resignation to the King on his initiative. The King may dismiss the entire government, or just the prime minister, retaining the government.

The Prime Minister and government may also be removed by a motion of no confidence, in which case the Federal Assembly must propose a new candidate for Prime Minister along with the motion of no confidence. Additionally, either the Federal Assembly or Federal Council may pass a censure motion urging the King to order the resignation of the government, however, unlike a motion of no confidence, a censure motion does not result in the immediate removal of the Prime Minister or Government.

Role
The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Aspen is the de facto chief executive of the Kingdom of Aspen and thus has several duties unique to that position. The Prime Minister proposes the members of the Council of Ministers and chairs the government except in cases when the King chooses to preside. The Prime Minister also nominates deputy prime ministers, however, the position of deputy prime minister does not require parliamentary confirmation and does not immediately succeed to the office of Prime Minister if the Prime Minister dies, resigns, is removed from office, or is rendered incapable of performing the duties of his office.

In addition to administrative roles, the Prime Minister sets the legislative agenda of the Federal Assembly and directs the foreign and domestic policies of the state. The Prime Minister’s signature is also required on royal decrees concerning the organization of state institutions.

The Prime Minister also serves ex officio as a permanent member of the National Security Council and the Council of State.