Ministerpräsident
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A minister-president or minister president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments with a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government where they preside over the council of ministers. It is an alternative term for prime minister,
premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
, chief minister, or first minister and very similar to the title of
president of the council of ministers The President of the Council of Ministers (sometimes titled Chairman of the Council of Ministers) is the most senior member of the cabinet in the executive branch of government in some countries. Some Presidents of the Council of Ministers are th ...
.


Terminology

In English-speaking countries, similar institutions may be called premiers or first ministers (typically at the subnational level) or prime ministers (typically at the national level). The plural is sometimes formed by adding an ''s'' to ''minister'' and sometimes by adding an ''s'' to ''president''. The term is used, for instance, as a translation ( calque) of the German word ''Ministerpräsident''.


Austria

From 1867 to 1918, the first minister of the government was known as ''Ministerpräsident'' (minister-president), before that ''
Staatskanzler Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
'' (state chancellor). Today the head of the Austrian Federal Government is called the ''Bundeskanzler'' (federal chancellor), while the head of a state government is called the ''
Landeshauptmann Landeshauptmann (if male) or Landeshauptfrau (if female) (, "state captain", plural ''Landeshauptleute'') is the chairman of a state government and the supreme official of an Austrian state and the Italian autonomous provinces of South Tyrol an ...
'' (literally "state captain"), not ''Ministerpräsident''. In the city-state of Vienna the head of the state government is called the ''Bürgermeister und Landeshauptmann'' (Mayor and state captain). See: List of ministers-president of Austria.


Belgium

The term minister-president ( Dutch: ''minister-president'',
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: ''ministre-président'',
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
: ''Ministerpräsident'') is also used in Belgium to describe the head of government of a Belgian region or linguistic community, but not the head of the Belgian federal government who is referred to as the prime minister (Dutch: ''eerste minister'', French: ''premier ministre'', German: ''Premierminister''). According to the Belgian constitution, the federal prime minister is appointed by the king, and approved by the federal parliament with a vote of confidence (in practice the king usually appoints the leader of the winning party as ''"formateur"'' to form a government). The federal ministers later swear an oath of allegiance to the king. The ministers-president of the regions and linguistic communities are not appointed by the king, but are directly appointed by their respective parliament. Ministers of the regions and linguistic communities are not required to swear allegiance to the king but simply take an oath in their respective parliament. See: *
Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region The Minister-President of the Brussels Capital-Region (french: Ministre-président de la région de Bruxelles-Capitale, nl, Minister-president van het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest) is the person leading the Government of the Brussels-Capital R ...
* Minister-President of Flanders *
Minister-President of the French Community The minister-president of the French Community of Belgium () is the head of the Government of the French Community of Belgium. List of officeholders Timeline ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:12 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:50 right ...
*
Minister-President of Wallonia The minister-president of Wallonia () is the head of the Government of Wallonia, the executive power of Wallonia, one of the three regions of Belgium. The official residence, known as the Élysette, is in Namur, along the Meuse River. The ministe ...
*
Minister-President of the German-speaking Community The Minister-President of the German-speaking Community () is the head of the Government of the German-speaking Community of Belgium, one of the three Communities of the country. List of officeholders Timeline ImageSize = width:800 height:aut ...


Germany

A Minister President (''Ministerpräsident'') is the head of government in 13 of the 16 States of Germany. Exceptions are the city-states of Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen, where the head of government is called, respectively, the Governing Mayor (''Regierender Bürgermeister''), First Mayor (''Erster Bürgermeister'') and Mayor and President of the Senate (''Bürgermeister und Präsident des Senates''). On the federal level, the head of the federal government (with an effectively identical function as leader of the cabinet) is called the Chancellor or Federal
Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
(''Kanzler'' or ''Bundeskanzler''). The positions of Minister-president in the German states (during the monarchy days) were mostly established in response to the 1848 German revolutions. The Minister-President of Prussia usually served simultaneously as the Imperial Chancellor.


Hungary

The title of Hungary's head of government in Hungarian is ''miniszterelnök'' which literally translated means "minister-president". However, because "prime minister" or "premier" is the more usual title in a parliamentary system for a head of government in English-speaking nations, "miniszterelnök" is almost always translated as "prime minister."


Latvia

The Minister president is the head of government. "Minister-President" in the
Constitution of Latvia The Constitution of Latvia ( lv, Satversme) is the fundamental law of the Republic of Latvia. Satversme is the oldest Eastern or Central European constitution still in force and the sixth oldest still-functioning republican basic law in the ...
of February 15, 1922, arose when the German term ''Ministerpräsident'' (minister-president) was translated; the term ''ministru prezidents'' (in Latvian) was coined by the member of the Constitutional Assembly of Latvia, Latvian writer
Kārlis Skalbe Kārlis Skalbe ( — 1945 April 14) was a Latvian writer, poet, and activist. He is best known for his 72 fairy tales which are really written for adults. He has been called the 'King of Fairytales', and his words, ''Tēvzemei un Brīvībai'' ('' ...
.


Netherlands

In the Netherlands the prime minister is officially referred to as "minister-president", although the informal term "premier" is also frequently used. His responsibilities are defined in the constitution of 1848 as the "voorzitter van de ministerraad" (chair of the council of ministers). The title of minister-president has been in use since 1945 and officially added to the constitution in 1983.


Norway

In Norway, Vidkun Quisling, head of the collaborationist government from 1942 to 1945 during the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
occupation in World War II, held the title of Minister-President (in Norwegian, ''ministerpresident'').


Russian Republic

During the short lived Russian Republic, the role of a Minister-President was established. Alexander Kerensky was chosen to lead the provisional government.


Notes

{{Types of heads of government Gubernatorial titles Heads of government Positions of subnational authority Titles of national or ethnic leadership Ministers-President of communities and regions of Belgium