Prime minister

Top minister of cabinet and government

This article is about the governmental position. For other uses, see Prime Minister (disambiguation).

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Prime ministers of the Nordic and Baltic countries in 2014. From left: Erna Solberg, Norway; Algirdas Butkevičius, Lithuania; Laimdota Straujuma, Latvia; Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, Iceland; Alexander Stubb, Finland; Anne Sulling, Estonia (trade minister); Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Denmark; Stefan Löfven, Sweden. Part of a series on

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A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but rather the head of government, serving as the chief of the executive under either a monarch or a president in a republican form of government.

In parliamentary systems of government (be they constitutional monarchies or parliamentary republics), the Prime Minister (or occasionally a similar post with a different title, such as the Chancellor of Germany) is the most powerful politician and the functional leader of the state, by virtue of commanding the confidence of the legislature. The head of state is typically a ceremonial officer, though they may exercise reserve powers to check the Prime Minister in unusual situations.

Under some presidential systems, such as South Korea and Peru, the prime minister is the leader or the most senior member of the cabinet, but not the head of government. As such, in South Korea, the prime minister is equivalent to that of a vice president which is the second in-command and assumes the presidency in the absence of the president.

In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime minister is the presiding member and chairman of the cabinet. In a minority of systems, notably in semi-presidential systems, a prime minister is the official appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives of the head of state.

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Today, the prime minister is often, but not always, a member of the legislature or its lower house, and is expected with other ministers to ensure the passage of bills through the legislature. In some monarchies the monarch may also exercise executive powers (known as the royal prerogative) without the approval of parliament.

As well as being head of government, being prime minister may require holding other roles or posts—the prime minister of the United Kingdom, for example, is also First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service.[note 1] In some cases, prime ministers may choose to hold additional ministerial posts (e.g. when the portfolio is critical to that government's mandate): during the Second World War, Winston Churchill was also Minister of Defence (although there was then no Ministry of Defence). Another example is the Thirty-fourth government of Israel (2015–2019)[update], when Benjamin Netanyahu at one point served as the prime minister and minister of Communications, Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation, Economy, Defense and Interior.

## Etymology

[edit]

The term "prime minister" is attested in 17th century sources referring to Cardinal Richelieu,[1] after he was named premier ministre to head the French royal council in 1624. The title was used alongside the principal ministre d'État ("chief minister of the state") more as a job description. After 1661, Louis XIV and his descendants refused to allow one of their Ministers to be more important than the others, so the term was no longer in use.[2]

In the 18th century in the United Kingdom, members of parliament disparagingly used the title in reference to Sir Robert Walpole (whose official title was First Lord of the Treasury). During the whole of the 18th century, Britain was involved in a prolonged conflict with France, periodically bursting into all-out war, and Britons took outspoken pride in their "Liberty" as contrasted to the "Tyranny" of French Absolute Monarchy; therefore, being implicitly compared with Richelieu was no compliment to Walpole. Over time, however, the title became honorific[where?] and remains so in the 21st century.[3]

## History

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See also: History of parliamentarism

### Origins

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Further information: Chief Minister of England, Chief minister of France, and Grand vizier

The position of a head of government separate from the head of state, or as the most important government administrator or minister after the monarch in rank developed in multiple countries separate from each other. The names given could be "prime minister", although other terms were also used such as "chief minister", "grand chancellor", "chancellor", "grand vizier", "counselor", and others.

The literal title itself can be traced back to the Abbasid caliphate and the Ottoman Empire . They both had an official title of Grand Vizier simply the Head of the Government which is called Prime Minister nowadays. The Grand Vizier was the most powerful person after sultan but sometimes the Grand Vizier of Ottoman Empire was more powerful than sultan himself.[4][5][6] The position of Chancellor is the same or comparable in some countries as a prime minister, even if the label is different. The term goes back to ancient Roman times as head of the chancellery. This title as head of government or the administration existed in ancient China as Grand Chancellor (Chinese: 宰相; pinyin: Zǎixiàng), sometimes translated as "prime minister", existed since 685 BCE and ancient Japan Chancellor of the Realm (太政大臣 Daijō-daijin) since the 7th century CE. In the Holy Roman Empire the position of Archchancellor was the highest dignitary and traces to 860 CE, out of which later derived the positions of head of government such as the modern Chancellor of Germany, who is head of the federal government and an executive prime minister.

The power of these ministers depended entirely on the personal favour of the monarch. Although managing the parliament was among the necessary skills of holding high office, they did not depend on a parliamentary majority for their power. Although there was a cabinet, it was appointed entirely by the monarch, and the monarch usually presided over its meetings.

The monarch could dismiss the minister at any time, or worse: Cromwell was executed and Clarendon driven into exile when they lost favour. Kings sometimes divided power equally between two or more ministers to prevent one minister from becoming too powerful. Late in Anne's reign, for example, the Tory ministers Harley and Viscount Bolingbroke shared power.

### Development

[edit]

The examples and perspective in this section deal primarily with the United Kingdom and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this section, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new section, as appropriate. (May 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

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The prime ministers of five members of the Commonwealth of Nations at the 1944 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference.

In the mid 17th century, after the English Civil War (1642–1651), Parliament strengthened its position relative to the monarch then gained more power through the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and passage of the Bill of Rights in 1689.[7] The monarch could no longer establish any law or impose any tax without its permission and thus the House of Commons became a part of the government. It is at this point that a modern style of prime minister begins to emerge.[8][9]

A tipping point in the evolution of the prime ministership came with the death of Anne in 1714 and the accession of George I to the throne. George spoke no English, spent much of his time at his home in Hanover, and had neither knowledge of, nor interest in, the details of British government. In these circumstances it was inevitable that the king's first minister would become the de facto head of the government.

From 1721, this was the Whig politician Robert Walpole, who held office for twenty-one years. Walpole chaired cabinet meetings, appointed all the other ministers, dispensed the royal patronage and packed the House of Commons with his supporters. Under Walpole, the doctrine of cabinet solidarity developed. Walpole required that no minister other than himself have private dealings with the king, and also that when the cabinet had agreed on a policy, all ministers must defend it in public, or resign. As a later prime minister, Lord Melbourne, said, "It matters not what we say, gentlemen, so long as we all say the same thing."

Walpole always denied that he was "prime minister", and throughout the 18th century parliamentarians and legal scholars continued to deny that any such position was known to the Constitution. George II and George III made strenuous efforts to reclaim the personal power of the monarch, but the increasing complexity and expense of government meant that a minister who could command the loyalty of the Commons was increasingly necessary. The long tenure of the wartime prime minister William Pitt the Younger (1783–1801), combined with the mental illness of George III, consolidated the power of the post. The title "prime minister" was first referred to on government documents during the administration of Benjamin Disraeli but did not appear in the formal British Order of precedence until 1905.

The prestige of British institutions in the 19th century and the growth of the British Empire saw the British model of cabinet government, headed by a prime minister, widely copied, both in other European countries and in British colonial territories as they developed self-government.[10][11][12] In some places alternative titles such as "premier", "chief minister", "first minister of state", "president of the council" or "chancellor" were adopted, but the essentials of the office were the same.

### Modern usage

[edit]

Royal decree appointing the Prime Minister of Cambodia in 2023

In the late 20th century,[13][14] many of the world's countries had prime ministers or equivalent ministers, holding office under either constitutional monarchies or ceremonial presidents. The main exceptions to this system include Switzerland and the United States, as well as the presidential republics in Latin America, such as Chile and Mexico, modelled on the U.S. system in which the president directly exercises executive authority.

Bahrain's former prime minister, Sheikh Khalifah bin Sulman Al Khalifah, occupied the post for about 50 years, from 1970 to November 2020, making him the longest serving non-elected prime minister.

## Overview of the office

[edit]

### In monarchies and in republics

[edit]

Mahathir Mohamad, the Prime Minister of Malaysia for over 24 years (1981–2003, 2018–2020), is known for his role in modernizing the country's economy.

The post of prime minister may be encountered both in constitutional monarchies (such as Belgium, Denmark, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Malaysia, Morocco, Spain,[note 2] Sweden, Thailand, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom) and in parliamentary republics, in which the head of state is an elected official (such as Bangladesh, Finland, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia (1945–66), Ireland, Nigeria (1960–66), Pakistan, Montenegro, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Turkey (1923–2018) and Italy). See also "First Minister", "Premier", "Chief Minister", "Chancellor", "Taoiseach", "Minister of State (Statsminister)", "President of the Government", "President of the Council of Ministers" and "Secretary of State": alternative titles usually equivalent in meaning to, or translated as, "prime minister". Both Indonesia and Nigeria lost their positions as prime ministers in 1966. Brazil, Iran, the Philippines and Turkey also lost their positions as prime ministers. Chile, Mexico, Switzerland and the United States never had positions as prime ministers.

This contrasts with the presidential system, in which the president (or equivalent) is both the head of state and the head of the government. In some presidential and all semi-presidential systems, such as those of Algeria, Argentina, China, France, Poland, Russia, South Korea or Ukraine, the prime minister is an official generally appointed by the president but usually approved by the legislature and responsible for carrying out the directives of the president and managing the civil service. The premier of the Republic of China (Taiwan) is also appointed by the president but does not require any approval by the legislature.[citation needed]

Appointment of the prime minister of France does not require any approval by the parliament either, but the parliament may force the resignation of the government. In these systems, it is possible for the president and the prime minister to be from different political parties if the legislature is controlled by a party different from that of the president. When it arises, such a state of affairs is usually referred to as (political) cohabitation.[citation needed]

### Entry into office

[edit]

In parliamentary systems a prime minister may enter into office by several means.

* The head of state appoints a prime minister, of their personal choice: Example: France, where the president has the power to appoint the prime minister of their choice, though the National Assembly can force a government to resign, they cannot nominate or appoint a new candidate.

While in practice most prime ministers under the Westminster system (including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Malaysia, India and the United Kingdom) are the leaders of the largest party or coalition in parliament, technically the appointment of the prime minister is de jure exercised by the head of state.

* The head of state appoints a prime minister who has a set timescale within which they must gain a vote of confidence: Example: Italy, Romania, Thailand
* The head of state appoints a formateur from among the members of Parliament, who then has a set timescale within which they must form a cabinet, and receive the confidence of Parliament after presenting the Cabinet Composition and Legislative Program to Parliament, and the formateur becomes prime minister once approved by parliament: Example: Israel
* The head of state appoints the leader of the political party with the majority of the seats in the parliament as prime minister. If no party has a majority, then the leader of the party with a plurality of seats is given an exploratory mandate to receive the confidence of the parliament within three days. If this is not possible, then the leader of the party with the second highest seat number is given the exploratory mandate. If this fails, then the leader of the third largest party is given it and so on: Example: Greece, see Prime Minister of Greece
* The head of state nominates a candidate for prime minister who is then submitted to parliament for approval before appointment as prime minister: Example: Spain, where the King sends a nomination to parliament for approval. Also Germany where under the German Basic Law (constitution) the Bundestag votes on a candidate nominated by the federal president. In the Philippines under the 1973 Constitution as amended after martial law, the prime minister was elected by the Batasang Pambansâ (Legislature) upon nomination by the president. In these cases, parliament can choose another candidate who then would be appointed by the head of state (or, in the case of the Philippines, outright elect that candidate).
* Parliament nominates a candidate who the head of state is then constitutionally obliged to appoint as prime minister: Example: Ireland, where the president appoints the Taoiseach on the nomination of Dáil Éireann. Also Japan.
* Election by the legislature: Example: Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Also the Philippines under the unamended 1973 Constitution, where the prime minister was supposed to be elected by the Batasang Pambansâ; these provisions were never used because the Philippines was under martial law at the time.
* Direct election by popular vote: Example: Israel, 1996–2001, where the prime minister was elected in a general election, with no regard to political affiliation.
* Nomination by a state office holder other than the head of state or his or her representative: Example: Under the modern Swedish Instrument of Government, the power to appoint someone to form a government has been moved from the monarch to the speaker of the parliament and the parliament itself. The speaker nominates a candidate, who is then elected to prime minister (statsminister) by the parliament if an absolute majority of the members of parliament does not vote no (i.e. the candidate can be elected to the post even if more MP:s vote no than yes).

### Exit from office

[edit]

The examples and perspective in this section deal primarily with British Commonwealth countries and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this section, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new section, as appropriate. (November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

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In older, convention-based parliamentary systems, prime ministers are not appointed for a specific term in office and in effect may remain in power through a number of elections and parliaments. For example, Margaret Thatcher was only ever appointed prime minister on one occasion, in 1979. She remained continuously in power until 1990, though she used the assembly of each House of Commons after a general election to reshuffle her cabinet.

Newer parliamentary systems that operate based on a codified constitution, however, do have a term of office of the prime minister linked to the period in office of the parliament. Hence, for example, Latvian prime minister Krišjānis Kariņš, who was first appointed in 2018, had to be reappointed as head of a new government following the 2022 Latvian parliamentary election.

The position of prime minister is usually chosen from the political party that commands – whether by itself or as the largest member of a coalition – the majority of seats in the lower house of parliament, though this is not a requirement either; for example, following the 2018 Latvian parliamentary election, after two failed attempts by larger parties to form a coalition headed by them, the leader of the smallest party in parliament – Krišjānis Kariņš – was eventually appointed as a compromise candidate. Italy has seen several emergency technocratic governments, such as Carlo Azeglio Ciampi's and Mario Draghi's governments, where the prime minister was a non-partisan expert backed by the confidence and supply of a broad cross-section of the parliament.

In parliamentary systems, governments are generally required to have the confidence of the lower house of parliament (though a small minority of parliaments, by giving a right to block supply to upper houses, in effect make the cabinet responsible to both houses, though in reality upper houses, even when they have the power, rarely exercise it). Where they lose a vote of confidence, have a motion of no confidence passed against them, or where they lose supply, most constitutional systems require either:

1. a letter of resignation or
2. a request for parliamentary dissolution.

The latter in effect allows the government to appeal the opposition of parliament to the electorate. However, in many jurisdictions a head of state may refuse a parliamentary dissolution, requiring the resignation of the prime minister and his or her government. In most modern parliamentary systems, the prime minister is the person who decides when to request a parliamentary dissolution.

Older constitutions often vest this power in the cabinet. In the United Kingdom, for example, the tradition whereby it is the prime minister who requests a dissolution of parliament dates back to 1918. Prior to then, it was the entire government that made the request. Similarly, though the modern 1937 Irish constitution grants to the Taoiseach the right to make the request, the earlier 1922 Irish Free State Constitution vested the power in the Executive Council (the then name for the Irish cabinet).

Some systems, such as Germany and Spain, require motions of no confidence to be constructive: i.e., they must include the name of an alternative prime minister; if the motion of no confidence is successful, the alternative prime minister automatically takes office in place of the incumbent government, which cannot appeal this replacement to the electorate.

In Australia, the prime minister is expected to step down if they lose the majority support of their party under a spill motion as have many such as Tony Abbott, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull.

### Organisational structure

[edit]

Main article: Cabinet department

The prime minister's executive office is usually called the Office of the Prime Minister or Cabinet Office. The U.K.’s Cabinet Office includes the Prime Minister’s Office. Conversely, some Prime Minister's Offices incorporate the role of Cabinet, while Australia’s Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet joins them at par. In Israel, the prime minister's executive office is officially titled the "Prime Minister's Office" in English, but the original Hebrew term can also be translated as the Prime Minister's Ministry. The Prime Minister's Department is also used, as is Cabinet Department.

### Description of the role

[edit]

Wilfried Martens, who served as Prime Minister of Belgium, described his role as follows:

First of all the Prime Minister must listen a lot, and when deep disagreements occur, he must suggest a solution to the matter. This can be done in different ways. Sometimes during the discussion, I note the elements of the problem and think of a proposal I can formulate to the Council (cabinet), the Secretary taking notes. The Ministers then insist on changing game ages. The Prime Minister can also make a proposal which leaves enough room for amendments in order to keep the current discussion on the right tracks. When a solution must be found in order to reach a consensus, he can force one or two Ministers to join or resign.[citation needed]

## Cross-country comparative details

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### Titles

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French Prime Minister Michel Barnier in Paris, 2024

In many cases, though commonly used, "prime minister" is not the official title of the office-holder. In the Russian constitution, the prime minister is titled Chairman of the government. The Irish prime minister is called the Taoiseach (which is rendered into English as prime minister), in Israel the prime minister is Rosh HaMemshalah, meaning "head of the government", and the Spanish prime minister is the President of the Government (Presidente del Gobierno). The head of government of the People's Republic of China is referred to as the Premier of the State Council.[15]

Other common forms include president of the council of ministers (for example in Italy, Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri), President of the Executive Council, or Minister-President. In the Nordic countries the prime minister is called Statsminister, meaning "Minister of State". In federations, the head of government of a federated entity (such as the province or territory of Canada, the province of Argentina or the  state of Brazil) is most commonly known as the premier, chief minister, governor or minister-president.[citation needed]

It is convention in the English language to call nearly all national heads of government "prime minister" (or sometimes the equivalent term "premier"), except in cases where the head of state and head of government are one position (usually a presidency), regardless of the correct title of the head of government as applied in his or her respective country. The few exceptions to the rule are Germany and Austria, whose head of government's title is Federal Chancellor; Monaco, whose head of government is referred to as the Minister of State; and Vatican City, for which the head of government is titled the Secretary of State. A stand-out case is the president of Iran, who is not actually a head of state, but the head of the government of Iran. He is referred to as "president" in both the Persian and English languages.

In non-Commonwealth countries, the prime minister may be entitled to the style of Excellency like a president. In some Commonwealth countries, prime ministers and former prime ministers are styled Honourable or Right Honourable associated with their position (the prime minister of Australia or the prime minister of Canada, for example). In the United Kingdom, the prime minister and former prime ministers are also often styled Honourable or Right Honourable; however, this is not due to their position as head of government, but a privilege of being current members of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council.[16]

In the UK, where devolved government is in place, the leaders of the Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh Governments are styled First Minister. Between 1921 and 1972, when Northern Ireland had a majority rule Parliament, the head of government was the prime minister of Northern Ireland. In Bangladesh, the prime minister is called Prodhān Montrī, literally meaning "the head of ministers" or "prime minister". In India, the prime minister is called Pradhān Mantrī, literally meaning "the head of ministers" or "prime minister". In Pakistan, the prime minister is referred to as Wazir-e-Azam, meaning "grand vizier".

### Constitutional basis for the position in different countries

[edit]

John A. Macdonald (1815–1891), first Canadian prime minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike (1916–2000), former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and the first female prime minister British prime minister William Pitt (1759–1806), the youngest head of government at the age of 24.

The position, power and status of prime ministers differ depending on the age of the constitution.

Entity | Title

|

Albania | Albanian definite form: Kryeministri
Algeria | Arabic: الوزير الأول الجزائري
French: Premier ministre d'Algérie
Australia | English: Prime Minister of Australia
Austria | Bundeskanzler
Bangladesh | Bengali: প্রধানমন্ত্রী, Prodhān Montrī
Bhutan | Lyonchhen
Buganda | Katikkiro
Bulgaria | Министър-председател, Ministar-predsedatel
Cambodia | នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី, Néayuŏk-roătmôntrei
Canada | English: Prime Minister of Canada
French: Premier ministre du Canada
China | Chinese: 国务院总理, Guówùyuàn Zǒnglǐ
Denmark | (Kongeriget) Danmarks statsminister
Estonia | Peaminister
Eswatini | Ndvunankhulu
Faroe Islands | Faroese: Løgmaður
Danish: Lagmand
Finland | Finnish: Suomen pääministeri
Swedish: Finlands statsminister
France | French: Premier ministre de la République française
Germany | Bundeskanzler
Georgia | პრემიერ-მინისტრი, Premier-Ministri
Greece | Prothypourgós tis Ellinikís Dimokratías
Greenland | Greenlandic: Naalakkersuisut siulittaasuat
Danish: Landsstyreformand
Hungary | Miniszterelnök
Iceland | Forsætisráðherra Íslands
India | Hindi: प्रधान मंत्री, Pradhān Mantrī
Israel | Hebrew : רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה, Rosh HaMemshala
Ireland | Taoiseach
Italy | Presidente del Consiglio dei ministri
Japan | 内閣総理大臣, Naikaku-sōri-daijin
Latvia | Ministru prezidents
Lithuania | Ministras Pirmininkas
Malaysia | Malay: Perdana Menteri Malaysia
Jawi: ڤردان منتري مليسيا
Malta | Prim Ministru ta' Malta
Mongolia | Prime Minister/Ерөнхий сайд Л.Оюун-эрдэнэ/L.Oyun-erdene
Montenegro | Premijer Crne Gore
Norway | Statsminister
Nepal | Nepali: प्रधानमन्त्री, Pradhān Mantrī
Netherlands | Minister-president van Nederland
Pakistan | Urdu: وزیر اعظم, Wazīr-ē-Āzam
Poland | Prezes Rady Ministrów
Portugal | Primeiro-Ministro
Romania | Prim-ministrul Guvernului României
Russia | Председатель Правительства Российской Федерации, Predsedatel' Pravitel'stva Rossiyskoy Federatsii
Singapore | English: Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore
Malay: Perdana Menteri Republik Singapura
Chinese: 新加坡共和国总理, Xīnjiāpō gònghéguó zǒnglǐ
Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் குடியரசின் பிரதமர், Ciṅkappūr kuṭiyaraciṉ piratamar
South Korea | Hangul: 국무총리
Hanja: 國務總理
RR: Gungmuchongni
Spain | Presidente del Gobierno
Sri Lanka | Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය, Śrī Laṅkā agrāmātya
Tamil: இலங்கை பிரதமர் Ilaṅkai piratamar
Sweden | Statsminister
Tanzania | Waziri mkuu
Thailand | นายกรัฐมนตรี, Nayok Ratthamontri
Turkey | Başbakan
Ukraine | Прем'єр-міністр України
Premier-ministr Ukrainy
United Kingdom | Prime Minister
Vietnam | Thủ Tướng

Algeria's constitution (1962) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Algeria.

Australia's constitution makes no mention of a prime minister of Australia and the office only exists by convention, based on the British model.

Bangladesh's constitution clearly outlines the functions and powers of the prime minister, and also details the process of his/her appointment and dismissal.

The People's Republic of China constitution set a premier just one place below the National People's Congress in China. Premier read as (Simplified Chinese: 总理; pinyin: Zŏnglĭ) in Chinese.

Canada has a 'mixed' or hybrid constitution, partly formally codified and partly uncodified. The codified part originally made no reference whatsoever to a prime minister[17] and still gives no parameters of the office. Instead, their powers, duties, appointment and termination follow uncodified conventions. The Constitution Act, 1867 only establishes the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, to which all federal ministers (among others) are appointed and with Members[note 3] of which the Monarch or their Governor General normally performs executive government (as King- or Governor-in-Council).[18] The Constitution Act, 1982, adds passing reference to the "Prime Minister of Canada" [French: premier ministre du Canada] but as detail of conferences of federal and provincial first ministers.)[19]

Czech Republic's constitution clearly outlines the functions and powers of the prime minister of the Czech Republic, and also details the process of his/her appointment and dismissal.

Finland's constitution (1917) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Finland.

France's constitution (1958) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of France.

Germany's Basic Law (1949) lists the powers, functions and duties of the federal chancellor.

Greece's constitution (1975) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Greece.

Hungary's constitution (2012) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Hungary.

India's constitution (1950) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of India. In India, prime ministerial candidates must be a member of parliament, i.e. of either the Lok Sabha (Lower House) or Rajya Sabha (Upper House). No parliamentary vote takes place on who forms a government.

Ireland's constitution (1937), provides for the office of Taoiseach in detail, listing powers, functions and duties.

Israel's constitution (1948) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Israel.

Italy's constitution (1948) lists the powers, functions and duties of the president of the Council of Ministers.

Japan's constitution (1946) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Japan.

The Republic of Korea's constitution (1987) sections 86–87 list the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of the Republic of Korea.

Malta's constitution (1964) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Malta.

Malaysia's constitution (1957) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Malaysia.

Norway's constitution (1814) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Norway

Pakistan's constitution (1973) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Pakistan.

Poland's constitution (1918) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Poland.

Spain's constitution (1978) regulates the appointment, dismissal, powers, functions and duties of the President of the Government.

Sri Lanka's constitution (1978) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Sri Lanka.

Thailand's constitution (1932) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Thailand.

Taiwan's constitution (1946) lists the powers, functions and duties of the president of the Executive Yuan.

The United Kingdom's constitution, being uncodified and largely unwritten, makes no mention of a prime minister. Though it had de facto existed for centuries, its first mention in official state documents did not occur until the first decade of the twentieth century. Accordingly, it is often said "not to exist"; indeed there are several instances of parliament declaring this to be the case. The prime minister sits in the cabinet solely by virtue of occupying another office, either First Lord of the Treasury (office in commission) or more rarely Chancellor of the Exchequer (the last of whom was Balfour in 1905).

In such systems unwritten (and unenforceable) constitutional conventions often outline the order in which people are asked to form a government. If the prime minister resigns after a general election, the monarch usually asks the leader of the opposition to form a government. Where however a resignation occurs during a parliament session (unless the government has itself collapsed) the monarch will ask another member of the government to form a government. While previously the monarch had some leeway in whom to ask, all British political parties now elect their leaders (until 1965 the Conservatives chose their leader by informal consultation). The last time the monarch had a choice over the appointment occurred in 1963 when the Earl of Home was asked to become prime minister ahead of Rab Butler.

During the period between the time it is clear that the incumbent government has been defeated at a general election, and the actual swearing-in of the new prime minister by the monarch, governor-general, or president, that person is referred to as the "prime minister-elect" or "prime minister-designate". Neither term is strictly correct from a constitutional point of view, but they have wide acceptance. In a situation in which a ruling party elects or appoints a new leader, the incoming leader will usually be referred as "prime minister-in-waiting". An example or this situation was in 2016 in the United Kingdom when Theresa May was elected leader of the Conservative Party while David Cameron was still prime minister.

Russia's constitution (1993) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Russia.

Ukraine's constitution (1996) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Ukraine.

## Lists of prime ministers

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, see List of current prime ministers.

Countries with prime ministers (blue), those that formerly had that position (dark red) and those that never had that position (gray).

The following table groups the list of past and present prime ministers and details information available in those lists. [needs update for Syria, Sudan, Kenya, and the Republic of the Congo]

Government  | List starts  | Parties
shown  | Term given by
years or dates  | Incumbent

|
|
|
|

Abkhazia | 1995 | - | dates | Vladimir Delba
Afghanistan | 1927 | - | years | Hasan Akhund (acting)
Albania | 1912 | - | years | Edi Rama
Algeria | 1962 | yes | years | Nadir Larbaoui
Andorra | 1982 | - | years | Xavier Espot Zamora
Angola | 1975 | - | dates | (Post abolished)
Anguilla | 1976 | yes | dates | Cora Richardson-Hodge
Antigua and Barbuda | 1981 | - | years | Gaston Browne
Argentina[note 4] | 1993 | yes | dates | Guillermo Francos
Armenia | 1918 | yes | dates | Nikol Pashinyan
Aruba | 1986 | - | dates | Mike Eman
Australia (List) | 1901 | yes | dates | Anthony Albanese
Austria (List) | 1918 | yes | years | Christian Stocker
Azerbaijan | 1918 | yes | dates | Ali Asadov
Bahamas | 1967 | - | dates | Philip Davis
Bahrain | 1970 | - | years | Crown Prince Salman
Bangladesh (List) | 1971 | yes | dates | Muhammad Yunus
Barbados (List) | 1953 | yes | dates | Mia Mottley
Belarus (List) | 1919 | - | dates | Alexander Turchin
Belgium (List) | 1831 | yes | dates | Bart De Wever
Belize | 1973 | yes | years | Johnny Briceño
Benin | 1957 | yes | dates | (Post abolished)
Bermuda | 1968 | yes | dates | Edward David Burt
Bhutan | 1952 | - | dates | Lotay Tshering
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1945 | - | dates | Borjana Krišto
Botswana | 1965 | yes | dates | (Post abolished)
Brazil | 1847 | yes | dates | (Post abolished)
British Virgin Islands | 1967 | yes | dates | Natalio Wheatley
Brunei | 1984 | no | dates | Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
Bulgaria | 1879 | yes | dates | Dimitar Glavchev
Burkina Faso | 1971 | - | dates | Apollinaire de Tambèla
Burundi | 1961 | yes | dates | (Post abolished)
Cambodia | 1945 | - | years | Hun Manet
Cameroon | 1960 | - | dates | Joseph Ngute
Canada (List) | 1867 | yes | dates | Mark Carney
Cape Verde | 1975 | yes | dates | Ulisses Correia e Silva
Cayman Islands | 1992 | yes | dates | Julianna O'Connor-Connolly
Central African Republic | 1958 | - | dates | Félix Moloua
Chad | 1978 | - | dates | Allamaye Halina
People's Republic of China (List) | 1949 | - | dates | Li Qiang
Comoros | 1957 | yes | dates | (Post abolished)
Congo (Brazzaville) | 1957 | yes | dates | Anatole Collinet Makosso
Congo (Kinshasa) (List) | 1960 | yes | dates | Judith Suminwa Tuluka
Cook Islands | 1965 | yes | dates | Mark Brown
Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | 1957 | yes | dates | Robert Beugré Mambé
Croatia | 1939 | - | dates | Andrej Plenković
Cuba | 1940 | - | dates | Manuel Marrero Cruz
Curaçao | 2010 | - | dates | Gilmar Pisas
Northern Cyprus | 1983 | yes | dates | Ünal Üstel
Czech Republic (List) | 1993 | - | years | Petr Fiala
Denmark (List) | 1848 | - | years | Mette Frederiksen
Djibouti | 1977 | - | dates | Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed
Dominica | 1960 | - | dates | Roosevelt Skerrit
Egypt (List) | 1878 | - | years | Moustafa Madbouly
Equatorial Guinea | 1963 | - | dates | Manuela Roka Botey
Estonia | 1918 | - | dates | Kristen Michal
Ethiopia | 1942 | yes | dates | Abiy Ahmed
Faroe Islands | 1946 | - | years | Aksel V. Johannesen
Fiji | 1966 | - | dates | Sitiveni Rabuka
Finland (List) | 1917 | yes | years | Petteri Orpo
France (List) | 1589 | - | years | Francois Bayrou
Gabon | 1957 | yes | dates | Raymond Ndong Sima
The Gambia | 1961 | - | dates | (Post abolished)
Georgia | 1918 | yes | dates | Irakli Kobakhidze
Germany (List) | 1871/1949 | yes | dates | Friedrich Merz
Ghana | 1957 | - | dates | (Post abolished)
Gibraltar | 1964 | yes | dates | Fabian Picardo
Greece (List) | 1833 | - | dates | Kyriakos Mitsotakis
Greenland | 1979 | - | years | Múte Bourup Egede
Grenada | 1954 | - | years | Dickon Mitchell
Guernsey | 2007 | - | dates | Lyndon Trott
Guinea | 1972 | - | dates | Bah Oury
Guinea-Bissau | 1973 | - | dates | Rui Duarte de Barros
Guyana | 1953 | - | dates | Mark Phillips
Haiti | 1988 | - | dates | Garry Conille
Hungary (List) | 1848 | - | dates | Viktor Orbán
Iceland | 1904 | - | dates | Bjarni Benediktsson
India (List) | 1947 | yes | dates | Narendra Modi
Indonesia | 1945 | yes | dates | (Post abolished)
Iran (List) | 1624 | - | years | (Post abolished)
Iraq | 1920 | - | years | Mohammed Al-Sudani
Ireland | 1937 | yes | dates | Micheál Martin
Israel (List) | 1948 | - | years | Benjamin Netanyahu
Italy (List) | 1861 | - | years | Giorgia Meloni
Jamaica | 1959 | - | years | Andrew Holness
Japan (List) | 1885 | - | dates | Shigeru Ishiba
Jersey | 2005 | - | dates | Lyndon Farnham
Jordan | 1944 | - | dates | Jafar Hassan
Kazakhstan | 1920 | - | years | Oljas Bektenov
Kenya | 1963 | - | dates | (Post abolished)
North Korea | 1948 | - | years | Kim Tok-hun
South Korea (List) | 1948 | - | years | Han Duck-soo
Kosovo | 1945 | yes | dates | Albin Kurti
Kuwait | 1962 | yes | dates | Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah
Kurdistan | 1992 | - | years | Masrour Barzani
Kyrgyzstan | 1924 | - | dates | Akylbek Japarov
Laos | 1941 | - | years | Sonexay Siphandone
Latvia | 1918 | yes | dates | Evika Siliņa
Lebanon (List) | 1926 | - | dates | Nawaf Salam
Lesotho | 1965 | yes | dates | Sam Matekane
Libya | 1951 | - | dates | Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh
Liechtenstein | 1921 | yes | dates | Daniel Risch
Lithuania | 1918 | yes | dates | Ingrida Šimonytė
Luxembourg | 1959 | - | years | Luc Frieden
Madagascar | 1833 | - | dates | Christian Ntsay
Malawi | 1963 | yes | dates | (Post abolished)
Malaysia | 1957 | yes | years | Anwar Ibrahim
Mali | 1957 | yes | dates | Choguel Kokalla Maïga (interim)
Malta | 1921 | yes | years | Robert Abela
Isle of Man | 1986 | - | years | Alfred Cannan
Mauritania | 1957 | yes | dates | Mokhtar Ould Djay
Mauritius | 1961 | yes | dates | Pravind Jugnauth
Moldova | 1990 | - | dates | Dorin Recean
Monaco | 1911 | n/a | dates | Pierre Dartout
Mongolia | 1912 | yes | dates | Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene
Montenegro | 1879 | yes | dates | Milojko Spajić
Montserrat | 1960 | yes | dates | Easton Taylor-Farrell
Morocco | 1955 | yes | years | Aziz Akhannouch
Mozambique | 1974 | yes | dates | Adriano Maleiane
Myanmar (Burma) | 1948 | yes | dates | Min Aung Hlaing
Namibia | 1990 | yes | dates | Saara Kuugongelwa
Nepal | 1803 | yes | dates | KP Sharma Oli
Netherlands (List) | 1848 | yes | dates | Dick Schoof
New Zealand (List) | 1856 | yes | dates | Christopher Luxon
Newfoundland and Labrador (List) | 1855 | yes | dates | Andrew Furey
Niger | 1958 | yes | dates | Ali Lamine Zeine
Nigeria | 1960 | yes | dates | (Post abolished)
Niue | 1974 | - | dates | Sir Dalton Tagelagi
Norfolk Island | 1896 | 2015 | dates | (Post abolished)
North Macedonia | 1943 | yes | dates | Hristijan Mickoski
Norway | 1814 | yes | years | Jonas Gahr Støre
Pakistan (List) | 1947 | yes | dates | Shehbaz Sharif
Palestine | 2003 | yes | dates | Mohammad Mustafa
Papua New Guinea | 1975 | yes | years | James Marape
Peru | 1857 | - | dates | Gustavo Adrianzén
Philippines | 1899 | yes | dates | (Post abolished)
Poland (List) | 1918 | - | dates | Donald Tusk
Portugal (List) | 1834 | yes | dates | Luís Montenegro
Qatar | 1970 | - | dates | Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani
Romania (List) | 1862 | - | years | Marcel Ciolacu
Russia (List) | 1864/1905 | yes | dates | Mikhail Mishustin
Rwanda | 1960 | yes | dates | Édouard Ngirente
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1960 | - | dates | Terrance Drew
Saint Lucia | 1960 | - | dates | Philip Pierre
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 1956 | - | dates | Ralph Gonsalves
Samoa | 1875 | yes | dates | Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
São Tomé and Principe | 1974 | yes | dates | Patrice Trovoada
Saudi Arabia | 1953 | no | dates | Mohammad bin Salman
Senegal | 1957 | yes | dates | Ousmane Sonko
Serbia | 1805 | yes | years | Đuro Macut
Seychelles | 1970 | yes | years | (Post abolished)
Sierra Leone | 1954 | yes | dates | David Moinina Sengeh
Singapore | 1959 | - | dates | Lawrence Wong
Sint Maarten | 2010 | - | dates | Silveria Jacobs
Slovakia (List) | 1993 | - | dates | Robert Fico
Slovenia | 1943 | yes | years | Robert Golob
Solomon Islands | 1949 | yes | dates | Jeremiah Manele
Somalia | 1949 | yes | dates | Hamza Abdi Barre
South Africa | 1910 | - | dates | (Post abolished)
South Ossetia | 1991 | - | dates | Konstantin Dzhussoev
Spain (List) | 1705 | yes | years | Pedro Sánchez
Sri Lanka (List) | 1948 | - | dates | Harini Amarasuriya
Sudan (List) | 1952 | yes | dates | Kamil Idris
Suriname | 1949 | yes | dates | (Post abolished)
Swaziland | 1967 | - | years | Russell Dlamini
Sweden (List) | 1876 | yes | years | Ulf Kristersson
Syria (List) | 1920 | - | dates | (Post Abolished)
Taiwan (Republic of China) (List) | 1912 | - | dates | Cho Jung-tai
Tajikistan | 1924 | - | dates | Kokhir Rasulzoda
Tanzania | 1960 | yes | dates | Kassim Majaliwa
Thailand (List) | 1932 | yes | dates | Paetongtarn Shinawatra
Timor-Leste | 2002 | yes | dates | Xanana Gusmão
Togo | 1956 | yes | dates | Victoire Tomegah Dogbé
Tokelau | 1992 | - | dates | Kerisiano Kalolo
Tonga | 1876 | - | years | ʻAisake Eke
Transnistria | 2012 | yes | dates | Aleksandr Rosenberg
Trinidad and Tobago | 1956 | - | dates | Kamla Persad-Bissessar
Tunisia | 1969 | - | dates | Kamel Madouri
Turkey (List) | 1920 | yes | dates | (Post abolished)
Turkmenistan | 1924 | - | dates | (Post abolished)
Turks and Caicos Islands | 1976 | yes | dates | Washington Misick
Tuvalu | 1975 | n/a | dates | Feleti Teo
Uganda | 1961 | yes | dates | Robinah Nabbanja
Ukraine (List) | 1917 | - | dates | Denys Shmyhal
United Arab Emirates | 1971 | - | years | Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
United Kingdom (List) | 1721 | yes | dates | Sir Keir Starmer
Uruguay | No List (post established 1919) | - | - | (Post abolished)
Uzbekistan | 1924 | - | dates | Abdulla Aripov
Vanuatu | 1980 | yes | dates | Jotham Napat
Vatican | 1644 | - | years | Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Vietnam | 1976 | yes | dates | Phạm Minh Chính
Yemen | 1990 | yes | years | Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed
Western Sahara | 1976 | no | years | Bouchraya Hammoudi Bayoun
Zambia | 1964 | yes | dates | (Post abolished)
Zimbabwe | 1923 | - | dates | (Post abolished)

## See also

[edit]

* List of current prime ministers by date of assumption of office
* Chancellor
* Chief minister
* Governor-general
* Grand vizier
* Head of government
* Head of state
* Monarch
* President
* Prime ministerial government

Lists

* List of current heads of state and government
* List of democracy and election-related topics

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The posts of Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury are separate and need not be held by the one person, though the last prime minister not to be First Lord of the Treasury was Lord Salisbury at the turn of the 20th century. 10 Downing Street is actually the First Lord's residence, not the prime minister's. As Salisbury was not First Lord, he had to live elsewhere as prime minister.
2. ^ Although the roles of the Spanish head of government coincide with the definition of a 'prime minister', in Spain the position is in fact referred to as 'the Presidency of the Government'.
3. ^ Which Members, though, are left to uncodified convention. As appointment to the Privy Council normally lasts for life, former Cabinet ministers predominate. The convention of Responsible Government, however, requires the Governor General to only act on the advice of the current Cabinet (or its ministers relevant to the issue at hand).
4. ^ Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers

## References

[edit]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Prime minister" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

1. ^ "Testament Politique du Cardinal Duc de Richelieu, Premier Ministre de France sous le Règne de Louïs XIII". 1709. Archived from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
2. ^ Ancien Régime Archived 31 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine in Encyclopédie Larousse ("Après 1661, Louis XIV impose une nouvelle formule, qui joue à la fois sur les ministres et sur les conseils, sans accepter la primauté d'un ministre.")
3. ^ "Oxford English Dictionary". Retrieved 15 December 2014.
4. ^ "The Ottoman Empire's No 2 man". 17 February 2014.
5. ^ "(The Root of the Great Vizier in the Ottoman Empire Until the Era of Sultan Muhammad Al-Fateh 1429-1481)".
6. ^ "What role did the vizier play in 'Abbasid administration? | TutorChase".
7. ^ "Britain's unwritten constitution". British Library. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015. "The key landmark is the Bill of Rights (1689), which established the supremacy of Parliament over the Crown.... The Bill of Rights (1689) then settled the primacy of Parliament over the monarch's prerogatives, providing for the regular meeting of Parliament, free elections to the Commons, free speech in parliamentary debates, and some basic human rights, most famously freedom from 'cruel or unusual punishment'."
8. ^ Dr Andrew Blick and Professor George Jones — No 10 guest historian series, Prime Ministers and No. 10 (1 January 2012). "The Institution of Prime Minister". Government of the United Kingdom: History of Government Blog. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
9. ^ Carter, Byrum E. (2015) [1955]. "The Historical Development of the Office of Prime Minister". Office of the Prime Minister. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9781400878260. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
10. ^ Seidle, F. Leslie; Docherty, David C. (2003). Reforming parliamentary democracy. McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 3\. ISBN 9780773525085. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
11. ^ Johnston, Douglas M.; Reisman, W. Michael (2008). The Historical Foundations of World Order. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 571\. ISBN 978-9047423935. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
12. ^ Fieldhouse, David; Madden, Frederick (1990). Settler self-government, 1840–1900 : the development of representative and responsible government (1. publ. ed.). New York: Greenwood Press. p. xxi. ISBN 9780313273261. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
13. ^ Julian Go (2007). "A Globalizing Constitutionalism?, Views from the Postcolony, 1945-2000". In Arjomand, Saïd Amir (ed.). Constitutionalism and political reconstruction. Brill. pp. 92–94\. ISBN 978-9004151741. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
14. ^ "How the Westminster Parliamentary System was exported around the World". University of Cambridge. 2 December 2013. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
15. ^ "laws". www.npc.gov.cn. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
16. ^ "Privy Council Members". The Privy Council Office. Archived from the original on 25 September 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
17. ^ Constitution Act, 1867 (U.K.), 30 & 31 Vict., c. 3. See also “Constitution Act, 1867,” in: Justice Canada, ed., A Consolidation of The Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982, Government of Canada Catalogue № YX1‑1/2012 (Ottawa: 2012), ISBN 9780660674582, pp. 1–52.
18. ^ See Constitution Act, 1867 (U.K.), 30 & 31 Vict., c. 3, Part 2 (§ 11 in particular). See also “Constitution Act, 1867,” in: Justice Canada, ed., A Consolidation of The Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982, Government of Canada Catalogue № YX1‑1/2012 (Ottawa: 2012), ISBN 9780660674582, pp. 3–4.
19. ^ Constitution Act, 1982, Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (U.K.), 1982, c. 11, §§ 35.1, 49. See also “Constitution Act, 1982,” in: Justice Canada, ed., A Consolidation of The Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982, Government of Canada Catalogue № YX1‑1/2012 (Ottawa: 2012), ISBN 9780660674582, pp. 53–75 at 63, 68.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Andrew Blick & George Jones, Premiership: The Development, Nature and Power of the Office of the British Prime Minister (Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2010), ISBN 9781845406479.
* Michael Foley, The British Presidency (Manchester University Press, Manchester, 2000)
* Peter Hennessy, The Prime Minister: The Office and Its Holders Since 1945 (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2001), ISBN 978-0-312-29313-0.
* Paul Langford, "Prime Ministers and Parliaments: The Long View, Walpole to Blair.", The Annual History of Parliament Lecture, 2005, Parliamentary History, 25, 3 (2006): 382–394, doi:10.1353/pah.2006.0045.
* Brian Carroll, Australia's Prime Ministers: From Barton to Howard[permanent dead link] (Rosenberg Publishing, 2004)
* James Manor, Nehru to the Nineties: The Changing Office of Prime Minister in India (C. Hurst & Co., 1994)
* Jagdish Chandra Sharma, Indian Prime Ministership: A Comprehensive Study (Concept Publishing Company, 2002), ISBN 9788170229247.

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|

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