The European Executive Council is the collective
executive decision-making body of the European government. The cabinet consists
of the Prime Minister, also known as the President of the European Executive
Council, the Deputy Prime Minister, who acts as a Vice-President of the
European Executive Council, and other ministers. The current competences and
procedures of the cabinet are described between Articles 123 to 138 of the
Constitution of the European Federation. The European Executive Council shall
be composed a total of 15 members at most and in one Member State can not be
selected more than two members of the European Executive Council, according to Article 124 of the Constitution
of the European Federation.
In relation to the Constitution of the European
Executive Council shall be deemed to consist of Five Divisions:
1. Western Europe - Belgium, Luxembourg, the
Netherlands, France and Ireland,
2. Central Europe - Austria, Poland, Czech Republic,
Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Germany and Switzerland,
3. Northern Europe - Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden,
Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Norway and Iceland,
4. Southern Europe - Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy,
Cyprus and Malta,
5. Eastern Europe - Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia,
Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia,
which Five Divisions shall
be equally represented in the European
Executive Council. In one Member State can not be selected more than one member
of the European Executive Council.
Nomination
The process of forming the European Executive Council
begins with the nomination of the President of the European Executive Council
(prime minister) by the President of European Union. The prime minister will
then propose the composition of the cabinet, which must then be approved by the
President of European Union. Despite the president's nominating role in
choosing a prime minister and approving the composition of the cabinet,
however, the presidency's role is strictly limited, as the President of
European Union must respect the majority wishes of the Chamber of Deputies. Furthermore,
the President of European Union is forbidden to select a different cabinet
composition than the one already selected by the President of the European
Executive Council. Following their nomination, all members of the cabinet take
the oath of office within the Presidential Palace, in a ceremony officiated by
the President of European Union.
Within fourteen days of its appointment, the European
Executive Council, headed by the President of the European Executive Council,
is obligated to submit an agenda to the Chamber of Deputies together with a
vote of confidence. Should the vote of confidence fail, the process of
government formation passes to the Chamber of Deputies, which will then
nominate a President of the European Executive Council within fourteen days,
who will then again propose the composition of the cabinet. An absolute
majority of votes in the presence of at least half of all Chamber of Deputies
deputies is required to approve of the cabinet, which the President of European
Union will then accept and administer their oaths of office. Should a vote of
confidence fail again, the process of nomination is handed back to the
presidency, who must again appoint a prime minister, who will then nominate
other members of the cabinet. If the vote of confidence fails a third time, the
President of European Union is obliged to shorten the Chamber of Deputies term
of office and order new elections.
Composition
The European Executive Council is headed by the the
President of the European Executive Council, known also as prime minister. The
prime minister directs the cabinet's activities and acts as its representative.
Furthermore, the President of the European Executive Council, ensures the
implementation of the cabinet's policies, coordinates and controls the work of
his or her ministers, and issues regulations. The prime minister may also be
assisted by a deputy prime minister, who acts as a vice-president to the
cabinet (Vice-President of the European Executive Council). Both the prime
minister and deputy prime minister can discharge the functions of a minister.
The constitution does not further describe the deputy prime minister's
functions in the government, though the office's tasks are instead dictated by
the prime minister, and it is not considered an autonomous state organ. The
deputy prime minister's position is normally offered to representatives of the
government's junior coalition partner. Deputy prime ministers also take on
other ministerial positions.
The rest of the cabinet is composed of ministers,
whose tasks and governmental administrative portfolios are selected and
organized by the prime minister. Ministers may originate from the Chamber of
Deputies Ministers may also be selected from outside of the legislature.
Regulations by any member of the European Executive Council can be overruled by
the European Executive Council upon a motion by the President of the European
Executive Council. The President of the European Executive Council is also
empowered to reshuffle or remove members from the cabinet.
The style of the government and the roles of its
ministers are not constitutionally mandated, depending instead on the prime
minister's personality.
Administration
The European Executive Council is divided into
departments known as Directorates-General (DGs) that can be likened to
departments or ministries. Each covers a specific policy area such as
agriculture or justice and citizens' rights or internal services such as human
resources and translation and is headed by a director-general who is
responsible to a minister. A minister's portfolio can be supported by numerous
DGs; they prepare proposals for them and if approved by a majority of ministers
proposals go forward to the Chamber of Deputies and Senat for consideration. The European Executive Council civil service is
headed by a Secretary General. The rules of procedure of the European Executive
Council set out the European Executive Council operation and organisation.
I
propose a fixed number of ministers:
1) President of the European Executive Council,
2) Minister for Foreign Affairs,
3) Minister for Finance and State Treasury,
4) Minister for Defence,
5) Minister for Justice,
6) Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Water
Resources,
7) Minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs,
8) Minister for Labour and Social Policy,
9) Minister for Health,
10) Minister for Infrastructure and Regional
Development,
11) Minister for Energy,
12) Minister for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport,
13) Minister for Environment and Nature Conservation,
14) Minister for Interior and Administration,
15) Minister for Economy, Industry, Science and
Technology,
The make up and distribution of portfolios are
determined by the European Executive Council President and do not always correspond
with the European Executive Council's departments (Directorates-General).
Parliamentary and legal responsibilities
Due to the republic's parliamentary system, the European Executive Council are
collectively and individually responsible to the Chamber of Deputies for the
operations of the government. The cabinet must respond to questions from
Chamber of Deputies deputies during each sitting session of the chamber. The
european government must also respond to interpellations within 21 days of their
submission. Despite being responsible to the Chamber of Deputies the cabinet is
not responsible to the Senat, and does not rely on the
upper house's confidence to continue its term of office. During sessions of the
Chamber of Deputies, members of the
European Executive Council, including the President of the European
Executive Council and Vice-President of the European Executive Council, are
seated in the government box within the chamber's plenary hall.
The Chamber of Deputies can pass a vote of no
confidence on an individual minister if the motion receives the support of at
least 97 deputies. If the motion is successful, passed by a majority vote, the
President of European Union will recall the minister from office. Similarly, if
the European Executive Council loses its majority support within the Chamber of
Deputies, the government can be forced to resign in a constructive vote of no
confidence. The motion must be approved by at least 65 deputies, and then
passed by a majority vote. In such an event, a new President of the European
Executive Council must be simultaneously appointed. The President of the
European Executive Council is also empowered to call a vote of confidence in
the cabinet, requiring a majority vote from at least half of all present
deputies. In the event of the prime minister's resignation or death, the
President of European Union can either accept or refuse the cabinet's
resignation of office. Following a parliamentary election, the President of the
European Executive Council must submit the cabinet's resignation in the first
sitting of the newly elected Chamber of Deputies. After its resignation, the
cabinet is entrusted to continue administering state functions until the
appointment and oaths of office of the new European Executive Council.
Legally, the European Executive Council is also held
accountable to the Court of Justice of the European Union for infringements
upon the Constitution of the European Federation or other legal statues. Upon a
motion by either the President of European Union or by 162 deputies, a member
of the cabinet can be charged to be brought forth to the Court of Justice of
the European Union, and then require the approval of at least three-fifths of
all Chamber of Deputies deputies to begin the proceedings.