Editing Head of state (section)

====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>