Editing Head of state (section)

===Parliamentary system===<!-- This section is linked from [[Austria]] -->
{{Original research section|date=November 2024}}
[[File:Forms of government parliamentary.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|World's parliamentary states (as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}):<br />{{small|{{color box|#6EBA6B}} Republics with an executive president elected by a parliament<br />{{color box|#FF9631}} Parliamentary republics<br />{{color box|#E45453}} Parliamentary constitutional monarchies in which the monarch usually exercises power only on government advice<br />{{color box|#E0E0E0}} Presidential republics, one-party states, and other forms of government}}]]

====Standard model====
In [[parliamentary system]]s the head of state may be merely the nominal [[chief executive officer]], heading the [[executive branch]] of the state, and possessing limited executive power. In reality, however, following a process of constitutional evolution, powers are usually only exercised by direction of a [[cabinet (government)|cabinet]], presided over by a [[head of government]] who is answerable to the legislature. This accountability and legitimacy requires that someone be chosen who has a majority support in the [[legislature]] (or, at least, not a majority opposition – a subtle but important difference). It also gives the legislature the right to vote down the head of [[Forms of government|government]] and their cabinet, forcing it either to resign or seek a parliamentary dissolution. The [[Responsible government|executive branch is thus said to be responsible]] (or answerable) to the legislature, with the head of government and cabinet in turn accepting constitutional responsibility for offering constitutional [[Advice (constitutional)|advice]] to the head of state.

[[File:King Harald V 2021.jpg|left|thumb|King [[Harald V]] of [[Norway]]]]
In parliamentary [[Constitutional monarchy|constitutional monarchies]], the legitimacy of the unelected head of state typically derives from the tacit approval of the people via the elected representatives. Accordingly, at the time of the [[Glorious Revolution]], the [[Parliament of England|English parliament]] acted of its own authority to name a new king and queen (the joint monarchs [[Mary II of England|Mary II]] and [[William III of England|William III]]); likewise, [[Edward VIII]]'s abdication required the approval of each of the six independent realms of which he was monarch. In monarchies with a written constitution, the position of monarch is created under the constitution and could be abolished through a democratic procedure of constitutional amendment. In many cases there are significant procedural hurdles imposed on such a procedure (as in the [[Constitution of Spain]]).

In republics with a parliamentary system (such as India, Germany, Austria, Italy and Israel), the head of state is usually titled ''[[President (government title)|president]]'' and the principal functions of such presidents are mainly ceremonial and symbolic, as opposed to the presidents in a presidential or semi-presidential system.

In reality, numerous variants exist to the position of a head of state within a parliamentary system. The older the constitution, the more constitutional leeway tends to exist for a head of state to exercise greater powers over government, as many older parliamentary system constitutions in fact give heads of state powers and functions akin to presidential or semi-presidential systems, in some cases without containing reference to modern democratic principles of accountability to parliament or even to modern governmental offices. Usually, the king had the power of declaring war without previous consent of the parliament.

For example, under the 1848 constitution of the [[Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)|Kingdom of Sardinia]], and then the [[Kingdom of Italy]], the ''[[Statuto Albertino]]''—the parliamentary approval to the government appointed by the king—was customary, but not required by law.

Examples of heads of state in parliamentary systems using greater powers than usual, either because of ambiguous constitutions or unprecedented national emergencies, include the decision by King [[Leopold III of Belgium|Leopold III of the Belgians]] to surrender on behalf of his state to the invading [[German Army (1935–1945)|German army]] in 1940, against the will of his government. Judging that his responsibility to the nation by virtue of his coronation oath required him to act, he believed that his government's decision to fight rather than surrender was mistaken and would damage Belgium. (Leopold's decision proved highly controversial. After [[World War II]], Belgium voted in a referendum to allow him to resume his monarchical powers and duties, but because of the ongoing controversy he ultimately abdicated.) The Belgian constitutional crisis in 1990, when the [[Baudouin of Belgium|head of state]] refused to sign into law a bill permitting abortion, was resolved by the cabinet assuming the power to promulgate the law while he was treated as "unable to reign" for twenty-four hours.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/05/world/belgian-king-unable-to-sign-abortion-law-takes-day-off.html|title=Belgian King, Unable to Sign Abortion Law, Takes Day Off|date=5 April 1990|work=The New York Times|access-date=8 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321121749/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/05/world/belgian-king-unable-to-sign-abortion-law-takes-day-off.html|archive-date=21 March 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Art. 93. "Should the King find himself unable to reign, the ministers, having observed this inability, immediately summon the Chambers. Regency and guardianship are to be provided by the united Chambers." ''The Constitution of Belgium, Coordinated text of 14 February 1994 (last updated 8 May 2007)''{{cite web |url=http://home.scarlet.be/dirkvanheule/compcons/ConstitutionBelgium/ConstitutionBelgium.htm |title=Constitution of Belgium |access-date=10 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601055805/http://home.scarlet.be/dirkvanheule/compcons/ConstitutionBelgium/ConstitutionBelgium.htm |archive-date=1 June 2013 }}</ref>

====Non-executive model====
{{multiple image
| width             = 150
| footer            = Two contemporary heads of state who are [[Constitutional monarchy|constitutional monarchs]], but with no political power: King [[Norodom Sihamoni]] of Cambodia (left), and King [[Felipe VI of Spain]] (right).
| image1            = King Norodom Sihamoni (2019).jpg
| image2            = Felipe VI in 2023.jpg
}}

These officials are excluded completely from the executive: they do not possess even theoretical executive powers or any role, even formal, within the government. Hence their states' governments are not referred to by the traditional parliamentary model head of state [[Style (manner of address)|styles]] of ''His/Her Majesty's Government'' or ''His/Her Excellency's Government''. Within this general category, variants in terms of powers and functions may exist.

The {{nihongo|[[Constitution of Japan]]|日本国憲法|Nihonkoku-Kenpō}} was drawn up under the [[Occupation of Japan|Allied occupation]] that followed [[World War II]] and was intended to replace the previous [[Militarism|militaristic]] and quasi-[[absolute monarchy]] system with a form of liberal democracy [[parliamentary system]]. The constitution explicitly vests all executive power in the [[Cabinet of Japan|Cabinet]], who is chaired by the [[Prime Minister of Japan|prime minister]] (articles 65 and 66) and responsible to the [[National Diet|Diet]] (articles 67 and 69). The [[Emperor of Japan|emperor]] is defined in the constitution as "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people" (article 1), and is generally recognised throughout the world as the Japanese head of state. Although the emperor formally [[Imperial Investiture|appoints]] the prime minister to office, article 6 of the constitution requires him to appoint the candidate "as designated by the Diet", without any right to decline appointment. He is a ceremonial [[figurehead]] with no independent discretionary powers related to the governance of Japan.<ref name=unprotocol>[https://www.un.int/protocol/sites/www.un.int/files/Protocol%20and%20Liaison%20Service/hspmfm.pdf HEADS OF STATE, HEADS OF GOVERNMENT, MINISTERS FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825170600/https://www.un.int/protocol/sites/www.un.int/files/Protocol%20and%20Liaison%20Service/hspmfm.pdf |date=25 August 2016 }}, Protocol and Liaison Service, United Nations (8 April 2016). Retrieved on 15 April 2016.</ref><ref name=japan/><ref>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/colombia/ Japan]  in [[The World Factbook]], [[Central Intelligence Agency]]. Retrieved on 11 November 2012.</ref>

Since the passage in [[Sweden]] of the [[Instrument of Government (1974)|1974 Instrument of Government]], the [[Monarchy of Sweden|Swedish monarch]] no longer has many of the standard parliamentary system head of state functions that had previously belonged to him or her, as was the case in the preceding [[Instrument of Government (1809)|1809 Instrument of Government]]. Today, the [[speaker of the Riksdag]] appoints (following a vote in the [[Riksdag]]) the [[Prime Minister of Sweden|prime minister]] and terminates their commission following a [[vote of no confidence]] or voluntary resignation. Cabinet members are appointed and dismissed at the sole discretion of the prime minister. Laws and ordinances are promulgated by two Cabinet members in unison signing "On Behalf of the Government" and the government—not the monarch—is the [[high contracting party]] with respect to international treaties. The remaining official functions of the sovereign, by constitutional mandate or by unwritten convention, are to open the annual session of the Riksdag, receive foreign ambassadors and sign the [[Letter of credence|letters of credence]] for Swedish ambassadors, chair the foreign advisory committee, preside at the special Cabinet council when a new prime minister takes office, and to be kept informed by the prime minister on matters of state.<ref name="sweden ig"/><ref>[http://www.kungahuset.se/royalcourt/monarchy/themonarchyinsweden/dutiesofthemonarch.4.396160511584257f2180003302.html Duties of the Monarch] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316041821/http://www.kungahuset.se/royalcourt/monarchy/themonarchyinsweden/dutiesofthemonarch.4.396160511584257f2180003302.html |date=16 March 2015 }}, [[Royal Court of Sweden]]. Retrieved on 1 November 2012.</ref>

In contrast, the only contact the [[president of Ireland]] has with the Irish government is through a formal briefing session given by the [[taoiseach]] (head of government) to the president. However, the president has no access to documentation and all access to ministers goes through the [[Department of the Taoiseach]]. The president does, however, hold limited [[reserve powers]], such as referring a bill to the [[Supreme Court of Ireland|Supreme Court]] to test its constitutionality, which are used under the president's discretion.<ref name=ireland/>

The most extreme non-executive republican head of state is the [[president of Israel]], which holds no reserve powers whatsoever.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Constitution of Israel |url=https://knesset.gov.il/constitution/ConstMJewishState.htm}}</ref> The least ceremonial powers held by the president are to provide a mandate to attempt to form a government, to approve the dissolution of the [[Knesset]] made by the prime minister, and to pardon criminals or to commute their sentence.

====Executive model====

Some parliamentary republics (like [[South Africa]], [[Botswana]] and [[Kiribati]]) have fused the roles of the head of state with the head of government (like in a presidential system), while having the sole executive officer, often called a president, being dependent on the Parliament's confidence to rule (like in a parliamentary system). While also being the leading symbol of the nation, the president in this system acts mostly as a prime minister since the incumbent must be a member of the legislature at the time of the election, answer [[question time|question sessions]] in Parliament, avoid motions of no confidence, etc.