Denmark Government

The Constitution of the State of Denmark, was accepted on June, 5th, 1953. Government is in the form of constitutional parliamentary monarchy. A political mode is democratic. The head of the state is the King. According to the Law accepted in  March, 27th, 1953 the royalty is descended by man’s and female lines. The constitution assigns to the King the higher authority in government. The king appoints and dismisses members of the government and the higher officials, opens parliamentary sessions, he has the right to dismiss parliament. He confirms laws, and during the breaks between sessions publishes temporality acts. The king is a supreme commander in chief, solves foreign policy questions (though truly the King can’t denounce the international contract, apply force against the foreign state etc. without the consent of parliament) . The king possesses the amnesty and pardon right. All certificates of the King should be ratified by the Prime minister or the corresponding minister which bear for them responsibility.

The parliament of Denmark – Folketing carries out legislature together with the King. It is unicameral body which structure includes 179 deputies, from them 175 – representatives of directly Denmark and 2 representatives from Faeroes and Greenland. Deputies are selected for a period of 4 years by general direct elections on system of proportional representation. Selective reforms of 1978 have lowered the age qualification from 20 to 18 years. On the 12th day after elections the parliament should gather for session. Session opens election of presidium which supervises over work of parliament, its constant and time commissions. Sessions of Folketinga opened, however on request of the chairman or depu ties private meetingscan be spent.

The parliament possesses rather large powers: passes laws, solves financial questions (taxes are raised by its permission, agreements on the state loans are entered into), supervises government activity, deals with foreign policy problems, forms armed forces. Bills (usually they are submitted for consideration by the government or deputies) pass three readings in Folketinge. Those bills, which deputies hadn’t time to discuss before the termination of parliamentary session, are considereds rejected. The approved bills should be approved by the King or (if it will demand not less than 1/3 deputies) a referendum. Amendments to the Constitution need obligatory approval by a referendum.

The government – the council of Ministers – concentrates in its hand large powers on government: actually it carries out the majority of royal functions. The government structure includes the Prime minister and ministers. According to § 14 Constitutions members of the government are appointed by the King. In practice the party leader of the parliamentary majority who then forms the government becomes the Prime minister.

The ministerial council possesses legislative and executive powers. He develops a great number of bills and, being supported by the parliamentary majority, spends them through parliament. In breaks between sessions in cases as it is noted in the Constitution, the Ministerial council can independently pass of “special promptness” time laws which then should be approved by Folketingom.

The government possesses the certain rights concerning parliament: ministers can be present and act at sessions of Folketinga, the Prime minister has the right to demand from the chairman of parliament the convocation of emergency session. The ministerial council is allocated by important powers concerning machinery of the state: it supervises over the ministries and departments, can liquidate old and create new departments, represents to the King a nominee on supervising posts; the higher officials can be moved on other post without the Government consent, only if their compensation thus doesn’t decrease. The government actively participates in the international life of the state: concludes contracts with foreign powers, appoints (with the consent of the King) diplomatic representatives of the state. The constitution establishes a parliamentarian principle: all structure of the Government or the separate minister should retire, if the parliament takes out to it a vote of no confidence. If the vote of no confidence is taken out to the Prime minister, it needs to enter with representation about resignation of the whole government. Charge against the minister concerning its official duties can be shown only by the parliament. These charges are considered by special court which consists of judges of the Supreme court and the people who have been selected by parliament not from among deputies.