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134-412: The president of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Президент України , romanized: Prezydent Ukrainy , pronounced [prezeˈdɛnt ʊkrɐˈjine] ) is the head of state of Ukraine . The president represents the nation in international relations , administers the foreign political activity of the state, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties. The president is directly elected by
268-434: A head of government or a cabinet minister or in other cases (possibly as a message, for instance, to distance themselves without rendering offence) just a military officer or civil servant. For non-executive heads of state there is often a degree of censorship by the politically responsible government (such as the head of government ). This means that the government discreetly approves agenda and speeches, especially where
402-591: A 2/3 constitutional majority vote. The president has limited authority to disband the Verkhovna Rada (parliament), and nominates candidates for the minister of foreign affairs and the minister of defence in the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers . Six out of eighteen of the Constitutional Court judges are appointed by the president. Decisions of the president are subject to review by Ukraine's courts with
536-556: A bill to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality, which are used under the president's discretion. The most extreme non-executive republican head of state is the President of Israel , which holds no reserve powers whatsoever. 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
670-509: A ceremonial figurehead with no independent discretionary powers related to the governance of Japan. Since the passage in Sweden of the 1974 Instrument of Government , the 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 1809 Instrument of Government . Today, the speaker of
804-454: A coup and that the impeachment process has not been properly carried out. On 3 October 2014, a Ukrainian official said that Viktor Yanukovych and other former top officials have obtained Russian citizenship in a "secret decree" signed by Vladimir Putin. If this actually turned out to be true, it would suggest that Yanukovich had given up his claims for presidency as Ukrainian law does not allow for dual citizenship. The modern Ukrainian presidency
938-540: A declaration of war to the parliament and order the use of the Ukrainian Army and military formations in defence of aggression. Martial law can also be declared on the territory of Ukraine if state independence is deemed in danger. With the confirmation of the Verkhovna Rada, a state of emergency or zones of ecological emergency can also be adopted by the president. Unconditional pardon is reserved exclusively for
1072-440: A federal constituent or a dependent territory, the same role is fulfilled by the holder of an office corresponding to that of a head of state. For example, in each Canadian province the role is fulfilled by the lieutenant governor , whereas in most British Overseas Territories the powers and duties are performed by the governor . The same applies to Australian states , Indian states , etc. Hong Kong 's constitutional document,
1206-538: A head of state, and determines the extent of its head's executive powers of government or formal representational functions. In terms of protocol : the head of a sovereign , independent state is usually identified as the person who, according to that state's constitution, is the reigning monarch , in the case of a monarchy ; or the president, in the case of a republic . Among the state constitutions (fundamental laws) that establish different political systems, four major types of heads of state can be distinguished: In
1340-429: A host role during a state visit , and the programme may feature playing of the national anthems by a military band , inspection of military troops , official exchange of gifts, and attending a state dinner at the official residence of the host. At home, heads of state are expected to render lustre to various occasions by their presence, such as by attending artistic or sports performances or competitions (often in
1474-498: 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 government and their cabinet, forcing it either to resign or seek a parliamentary dissolution. The 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 to
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#17328514245701608-733: A matter of convention, the presidency has been held simultaneously by the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party , the top leader in the one party system . The presidency is officially regarded as an institution of the state rather than an administrative post; theoretically, the President serves at the pleasure of the National People's Congress , the legislature, and is not legally vested to take executive action on its own prerogative. While clear categories do exist, it
1742-583: A mention or signature; and public places, streets, monuments and institutions such as schools are named for current or previous heads of state. In monarchies (e.g., Belgium) there can even be a practice to attribute the adjective "royal" on demand based on existence for a given number of years. However, such political techniques can also be used by leaders without the formal rank of head of state, even party - and other revolutionary leaders without formal state mandate. Heads of state often greet important foreign visitors, particularly visiting heads of state. They assume
1876-626: A nomination by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, presidential representatives to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , Verkhovna Rada, and others. The president does not act as an ex officio head of state of Crimea. The president can revoke any laws passed by the Council of Ministers of Crimea that are deemed to contradict the Ukrainian Constitution and can provide the presidential consent on
2010-459: A nomination deposit of 2,500,000 hryvnias (approx. 90,000 US Dollars) which is refunded only to those candidates that progress to the second round of voting. The last presidential elections took place on 21 April 2019. According to Article 104 of the Constitution, the president of Ukraine assumes office no later than in thirty days after the official announcement of the election results, from
2144-405: A nominee for Prime Minister of Crimea . The Constitution of Ukraine states that the title of President of Ukraine is preserved by law for the lifetime of the holder, if the president is not removed from the post by impeachment proceedings. In order to impeach the president, they must be suspected of treason to the state or other crimes. A majority in the Verkhovna Rada (226 ayes) must support
2278-755: A notable feature of constitutions in the Americas , including those of Argentina , Brazil , Colombia , El Salvador , Mexico and Venezuela ; this is generally attributed to the strong influence of the United States in the region, and as the United States Constitution served as an inspiration and model for the Latin American wars of independence of the early 19th century. Most presidents in such countries are selected by democratic means (popular direct or indirect election); however, like all other systems,
2412-416: A parliamentary system (such as India, Germany, Austria, Italy and Israel), the head of state is usually titled 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,
2546-507: A political compromise. A snap election was held in 1994 , which was won by Ukraine's former Prime Minister Leonid Kuchma . Kuchma was re-elected for a second term of office in 1999 . The 2004 election was marked by controversy with allegations of electoral fraud in the conduct of the second round runoff ballot between opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko and the government-backed candidate and former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. After mass nationwide protests, colloquially known as
2680-462: A procedure of impeachment for it to begin. A temporary investigative commission is established by the parliament for the impeachment investigation . The commission's final conclusions are considered at a parliamentary meeting. To adopt an impeachment resolution, a minimum two-thirds of the parliament (300 members) must support the impeachment procedure. To remove the president from office, a minimum three-quarters of parliament (338 members) must support
2814-439: 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 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. These officials are excluded completely from
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#17328514245702948-408: A result of this election Yanukovych was elected the fourth modern president of Ukraine. After Yanukovych was removed from power in early 2014 as a result of the 2014 Revolution of Dignity , the chairperson of parliament Oleksandr Turchynov was appointed to the role of acting president by the Verkhovna Rada in accordance with article 112 of the Constitution of Ukraine. Oleksandr Turchynov served as
3082-478: A second time, issued another decree dismissing the two Constitutional Court Judges Syuzanna Stanik and Valeriy Pshenychnyy . On 17 May, the Constitutional Court chairman Ivan Dombrovskyy resigned and was replaced by Valeriy Pshenychnyy . On 23 May, The Constitutional Court of Ukraine acted to prevent the president's undue influence on the court system. The court's ruling was made after Viktor Yushchenko
3216-424: A separate head of government. However, in some parliamentary systems, like South Africa , there is an executive president that is both head of state and head of government. Likewise, in some parliamentary systems the head of state is not the head of government, but still has significant powers, for example Morocco . In contrast, a semi-presidential system , such as France , has both heads of state and government as
3350-507: A theatrical honour box, on a platform, on the front row, at the honours table), expositions, national day celebrations , dedication events, military parades and war remembrances, prominent funerals, visiting different parts of the country and people from different walks of life, and at times performing symbolic acts such as cutting a ribbon , groundbreaking , ship christening , laying the first stone. Some parts of national life receive their regular attention, often on an annual basis, or even in
3484-463: A whole, and not any specific branch of government. The president is obliged by the Constitution to prevent any actions of the executive, legislative and judicial branches from taking effect and interfering with the powers of the Constitution. In addition, the president is barred by the Constitution from heading a political party . The president has the power to submit a proposal for the nomination of
3618-535: Is Volodymyr Zelenskyy , who took the oath of office on 20 May 2019. Due to martial law , elections in the country have been suspended. The president is also the supreme commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces , and heads the National Security and Defence Council , which advises the president, co-ordinates and controls executive power in the sphere of national security and defence. According to
3752-545: 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 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
3886-477: Is granted from all prosecutions and legal proceedings, excluding parliament's right to impeach the president during their tenure. The title of President of Ukraine itself is protected by law and is reserved for the president for life, unless they have been impeached from office. According to Article 105 of the Constitution, offending the honour and dignity of the president is punishable by law, although no such law has yet been enacted. The president's personal security
4020-602: Is provided by the Directory of State Security of Ukraine and a separate presidential regiment provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs . For their services to the state, the president is allotted a yearly gross salary of ₴ 28,000/mo or 336,000/yr ( $ 13,500/yr, 2016). All official and state visits made by the president are operated by the Ukraine Air Enterprise presidential airplanes. All required aviation transportation
4154-592: Is provided by the State Aviation Company "Ukraina" (Ukraine Air Enterprise), the headquarters of which is located in Boryspil . The Office of the President of Ukraine is an administrative body set up to provide analytical, advisory and legal assistance to the president. It is colloquially known as "Bankova", because it is located on Bankova Street in a massive building across from the House with Chimaeras. The head of
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4288-547: Is sometimes difficult to choose which category some individual heads of state belong to. In reality, the category to which each head of state belongs is assessed not by theory but by practice. Constitutional change in Liechtenstein in 2003 gave its head of state, the Reigning Prince , constitutional powers that included a veto over legislation and power to dismiss the head of government and cabinet. It could be argued that
4422-467: Is the sole body of constitutional jurisdiction in Ukraine. The Constitutional Court of Ukraine interprets the Constitution of Ukraine in terms of laws and other legal acts. The Court initiated its activity on 18 October 1996. The first Court ruling was made on 13 May 1997. On urgent matters the Constitutional Court rules within weeks, but on matters deemed less urgent it can take months. Decisions of
4556-403: Is the head of state while the prime minister is the head of government with the current prime minister being Denys Shmyhal . Ukraine is somewhat unusual in that while many countries use a similar system typically the role of one leader is relegated to being ceremonial, in Ukraine however both the prime minister and the president have great power and responsibility assigned to their roles. Because
4690-455: The 2020 Ukrainian constitutional crisis . This decision de facto invalidated much of Ukraine's 2014 anti- corruption reform as unconstitutional . On 29 December 2020 President Volodymyr Zelensky suspended the courts chairperson Oleksandr Tupytskyi for two months in an effort to end the crisis. On 26 February 2021 President Zelensky signed a decree that suspended chairperson Tupytskyi for another month. On 27 March 2021 Zelensky annulled
4824-452: The Basic Law , for example, specifies the chief executive as the head of the special administrative region, in addition to their role as the head of government. These non-sovereign-state heads, nevertheless, have limited or no role in diplomatic affairs, depending on the status and the norms and practices of the territories concerned. In parliamentary systems the head of state may be merely
4958-457: The Constitution of Ukraine , the president is the guarantor of the state's sovereignty , territorial indivisibility, the observance of the Constitution of Ukraine and human and citizens' rights and freedoms. As with the separation of powers , the president has checks on the authority of parliament and the judicial system. For instance, any law passed by the parliament can be vetoed by the president; however, parliament can override their veto with
5092-429: The Constitutional Court having the sole authority and power to declare decrees of the president unconstitutional. While in office, the president enjoys the right of immunity . Ukrainian presidents are frequently asked by individual citizens for help in solving their personal problems (sometimes successfully); in 2012, (then) president Yanukovych received about 10,000 to 12,000 letters from people every month. Prior to
5226-518: The National Assembly ( legislature ) and is thus similar, in principle, to a head of government in a parliamentary system but is also, in addition, recognised as the head of state. The offices of president of Nauru and president of Botswana are similar in this respect to the South African presidency. Panama , during the military dictatorships of Omar Torrijos and Manuel Noriega ,
5360-630: The Reichstag , which was expected, in normal circumstances, to be answerable to the Reichstag. Initially, the president was merely a symbolic figure with the Reichstag dominant; however, persistent political instability, in which governments often lasted only a few months, led to a change in the power structure of the republic, with the president's emergency powers called increasingly into use to prop up governments challenged by critical or even hostile Reichstag votes. By 1932, power had shifted to such an extent that
5494-845: The Soviet offensive in 1920 brought control of the Ukrainian territory under the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic , the Ukrainian People's Republic was forced into exile. Upon the assassination of Petliura, the control over the state affairs were transferred to the former Prime Minister Andriy Livytskyi who in 1948 created the office of the president of Ukraine. Livytskyi served as the first president (in exile) until January 1954. Stepan Vytvytskyi served after Livytskyi from January 1954 until his death on 9 October 1965. Following Vytvytskyi's death, Ivan Bahrianyi temporarily carried out
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5628-491: The Viceroy and Governor-General of India . Head of state is the highest-ranking constitutional position in a sovereign state. A head of state has some or all of the roles listed below, often depending on the constitutional category (above), and does not necessarily regularly exercise the most power or influence of governance. There is usually a formal public ceremony when a person becomes head of state, or some time after. This may be
5762-701: The Yusupov Palace in Crimea , and Synehora in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast . In addition, each former president has been allotted a state-owned dacha (house) in the former forest preserve in Koncha-Zaspa . A lot of additional material-technical, social-communal, health care provision support is offered by the State Department of Affairs (abbreviated as DUS) that is created for state officials and subordinated to
5896-665: The citizens of Ukraine for a five-year term of office (whether the presidential election is early or scheduled), limited to two terms consecutively. The president's official residence is the Mariinskyi Palace , located in the Pechersk district of the capital Kyiv . Other official residences include the House with Chimaeras and the House of the Weeping Widow , which are used for official visits by foreign representatives. The Office of
6030-413: The constitutionally socialist state type inspired by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and its constitutive Soviet republics , real political power belonged to the sole legal party. In these states, there was no formal office of head of state, but rather the leader of the legislative branch was considered to be the closest common equivalent of a head of state as a natural person . In
6164-637: The de facto Soviet leader at the moment. For example, Nikita Khrushchev never headed the Supreme Soviet but was First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (party leader) and Chairman of the Council of Ministers ( head of government ). This may even lead to an institutional variability, as in North Korea , where, after the presidency of party leader Kim Il Sung , the office
6298-420: The de facto leaders of the nation (in practice they divide the leadership of the nation between themselves). Meanwhile, in presidential systems , the head of state is also the head of government. In one-party ruling communist states , the position of president has no tangible powers by itself; however, since such a head of state, as a matter of custom, simultaneously holds the post of General Secretary of
6432-502: 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 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
6566-518: The personification of the Canadian state and is described by the Department of Canadian Heritage as the "personal symbol of allegiance, unity and authority for all Canadians". In many countries, official portraits of the head of state can be found in government offices, courts of law, or other public buildings. The idea, sometimes regulated by law, is to use these portraits to make the public aware of
6700-417: The regular Ukrainian courts . The authority of the Constitutional Court is derived from Ukraine's Constitution – Chapter XII The Court: The Court's rulings are mandatory for execution in Ukraine, are final and cannot be appealed. Laws and other legal acts, or their separate provisions, that are deemed unconstitutional, lose legal force. The Court is composed of 18 judges, appointed in equal shares by
6834-481: The " Orange Revolution ", a new election was held on 26 December 2004 in which Yushchenko was declared the winner with 52% of the vote and was subsequently sworn into office on 23 January 2005. Yanukovych again served as Prime Minister. The 2010 election took place on 17 January, with a run-off on 7 February due to a 13 May Constitutional Court ruling striking down 25 October date that the parliament called in April 2009. As
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#17328514245706968-482: The "imperial model", because the executive officials of the government are answerable solely and exclusively to a presiding, acting head of state, and is selected by and on occasion dismissed by the head of state without reference to the legislature. It is notable that some presidential systems, while not providing for collective executive accountability to the legislature, may require legislative approval for individuals prior to their assumption of cabinet office and empower
7102-707: The Central Rada was arrested and liquidated during a coup d'état initiated by the local German administration to install Hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi who barely spoke a word of the Ukrainian language . In November of the same year the directorate government of the UPR was established as the opposition movement to the Skoropadsky's regime. The Ukrainian People's Republic was soon re-established in December 1918 with Volodymyr Vynnychenko as
7236-559: The Chairperson of the Court. On 17 August 2023, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the law on the selection of judges of the Constitutional Court. At the end of July 2023, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the Law of Ukraine on the selection of judges of the Constitutional Court with the participation of international experts. According to the law, the selection will be carried out with
7370-503: The Communist Party , they are the executive leader with their powers deriving from their status of being the party leader , rather than the office of president. Former French president Charles de Gaulle , while developing the current Constitution of France (1958), said that the head of state should embody l'esprit de la nation ("the spirit of the nation"). Some academic writers discuss states and governments in terms of "models". An independent nation state normally has
7504-502: The Constitutional Court are binding, final, and cannot be appealed. In 2016, access to the Constitutional Court was significantly broadened. Since then all individuals and companies where there are grounds to claim that a final court judgment contradicts the Constitution can file a complaint at the court. (Prior only the President and a member of parliament had the right to appeal to the Constitutional Court. ) A complaint may only be filed after all other remedies have been exhausted in
7638-772: The Council of the National Bank of Ukraine and the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting is reserved for the president to select. In addition to serving as the head of state, the president is the Armed Forces of Ukraine's Supreme Commander-in-Chief (Article 106, paragraph 17) and the Head of the National Security and Defence Council, which advises the president regarding national security policy on domestic and international matters. The president can submit
7772-493: The Court determined the 2004 amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine unconstitutional, repealing them. On 21 February 2014 parliament passed a law that reinstated these December 2004 amendments (of the constitution). On 27 October 2020 the court decision to repeal Article 366-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine , which had provided for liability for inaccurate declaration of assets by government officials pushed Ukraine into
7906-545: The Directorate's chairperson, serving as the republic's de facto second "president" from 19 December 1918 to 10 February 1919. Although really the Directorate was the temporary governing body until the new Ukrainian Constituent Assembly would elect its president. Symon Petliura assumed the representation of the state after Vynnychenko's resignation on 11 February 1919 and until Petlyura's assassination in Paris on 25 May 1926. After
8040-483: The German president, Paul von Hindenburg , was able to dismiss a chancellor and select his own person for the job, even though the outgoing chancellor possessed the confidence of the Reichstag while the new chancellor did not. Subsequently, President von Hindenburg used his power to appoint Adolf Hitler as Chancellor without consulting the Reichstag. Note: The head of state in a "presidential" system may not actually hold
8174-456: The PACE resolution of 19 April intervened in the operation of Ukraine's Constitutional Court by summarily dismissing two Constitutional Court Judges, Syuzanna Stanik and Valeriy Pshenychnyy , for allegations of "oath treason." His move was later overturned by the Constitutional Court and the judges were returned by a temporary restraining order issued by the court. On 16 May, Viktor Yushchenko, for
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#17328514245708308-426: The President of Ukraine , unofficially known as "Bankova" in reference to the street it is located on, serves as the presidential office, advising the president in the domestic, foreign and legal matters. Since the office's establishment on 5 December 1991, there have been six presidents of Ukraine. Leonid Kravchuk was the inaugural president, serving three years from 1991 until his resignation in 1994. Leonid Kuchma
8442-415: The President's dismissal of Syuzanna Stanik as a Constitutional Court judge illegal. Ms Stanik's position has been reinstated. The decision is final and not subject to further appeal On 3 April 2008 Stanik was dismissed from the Court by the order of the President. On 28 April 2010, President Viktor Yanukovych reinstated Stanik as Constitutional Court judge. She resigned the next day. On 1 October 2010
8576-492: The President, the parliament, and the Congress of Judges. A judge must be a citizen of Ukraine and must have: Judges are appointed for 9 years without the right of reappointment; moreover each judge is obligated to retire at the age of 65 if this age comes before the end of the 9-year period. The President and parliament are required to fill a vacant position within one month and the Congress of judges has three months to do so. But
8710-456: The Prime Minister; the Verkhovna Rada, through a constitutional majority, has to support the candidacy. Laws passed by the Verkhovna Rada have to be signed by the president to become officially promulgated . The president also has the authority to create consultative, advisory and other subordinate government bodies for their authority with the use of the state budget. The president may address
8844-509: The Riksdag appoints (following a vote in the Riksdag ) the 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
8978-889: The Soviet Union this position carried such titles as Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR ; Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet ; and in the case of the Soviet Russia Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets (pre-1922), and Chairman of the Bureau of the Central Committee of the Russian SFSR (1956–1966). This position may or may not have been held by
9112-527: The Soviet Union, the office's official title was changed to "President of Ukraine" on 24 August. In the current Constitution, the Ukrainian presidency is defined in Chapter V , Articles 102–112. So far, seven presidential elections have been conducted. The first election in 1991 was held at the same time as Ukrainians voted to support the Declaration of Independence in the independence referendum . Leonid Kravchuk
9246-514: The acting president from 23 February until 7 June 2014 and was the only person in Ukrainian history to serve in the role. The acting president of Ukraine lacks many of the executive powers of a president and is only meant to serve for a short time before a new election can take place. During his tenure Oleksandr Turchynov was addressed as "acting president" by other Ukrainian politicians and the media. The 2014 election took place on 25 May, with entrepreneur Petro Poroshenko winning over 54 percent of
9380-467: The appointment comes into effect only after oath of the new judge in the parliament; therefore sometimes it is a problem to become a judge of the Constitutional Court if many members of parliament do not want this (for example, they can physically disturb to hold a meeting of the parliament, that is usual in Ukraine). The Chairman of the Court is elected by secret ballot for a single three-year term from and by
9514-401: 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
9648-416: The authority to conduct negotiations and sign treaties on behalf of the Ukrainian government. The right to recognize foreign nations rests solely with the president. The president may appoint and dismiss heads of diplomatic missions of Ukraine to other states and to international organisations and accept the recall of diplomatic representatives to Ukraine of foreign states. Although the president does not head
9782-559: The constitution (or customary law) assumes all political responsibility by granting the crown inviolability (in fact also imposing political emasculation) as in the Kingdom of Belgium from its very beginning; in a monarchy this may even be extended to some degree to other members of the dynasty, especially the heir to the throne. Below follows a list of examples from different countries of general provisions in law, which either designate an office as head of state or define its general purpose. In
9916-445: The country for the past 10 years and has full command of the Ukrainian state language . Per the Constitution, regular presidential elections are scheduled to be held on the last Sunday of the last month of the fifth year of the incumbent president's term. If the president's authority has ended pre-term, then the elections must be held within 90 days of the incumbent president's end of term. Candidates seeking election are required to pay
10050-511: The decision by King Leopold III of the Belgians to surrender on behalf of his state to the invading 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
10184-399: The decree of former President Viktor Yanukovych of May 2013, appointing Oleksandr Tupytskyi a judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. The reason given was that allegedly his tenure did "pose a threat to state independence and national security of Ukraine, which violates the Constitution of Ukraine, human and civil rights and freedoms." As a result, for some time, it was unclear who was
10318-525: The executive branch of government, he has the right to nominate their candidates for Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine . As per the checks and balances system of Ukrainian government, the president can veto laws adopted by the Verkhovna Rada (except constitutional amendments). The president wields high power in the legislative branch of government compared to other European heads of state. They may disband
10452-449: 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 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 Constitution of Japan ( 日本国憲法 , Nihonkoku-Kenpō )
10586-525: The form of official patronage. The Olympic Charter (rule 55.3) of the International Olympic Committee states that the Olympic summer and winter games shall be opened by the head of state of the host nation, by uttering a single formulaic phrase as determined by the charter. As such invitations may be very numerous, such duties are often in part delegated to such persons as a spouse,
10720-581: The formation of the modern Ukrainian presidency, the previous Ukrainian head of state office was officially established in exile by Andriy Livytskyi . At first, the de facto leader of the nation was the president of the Central Rada in the early years of the Ukrainian People's Republic , while the highest governing body was the General Secretariat headed by its chairperson. With the proclamation of
10854-495: The government be answerable to both the president and the legislature. The constitution of the Fifth French Republic provides for a prime minister who is chosen by the president, but who nevertheless must be able to gain support in the National Assembly . Should a president be of one side of the political spectrum and the opposition be in control of the legislature, the president is usually obliged to select someone from
10988-621: The head of government's advice. In practice, these decisions are often a formality. The last time the prime minister of the United Kingdom was unilaterally selected by the monarch was in 1963, when Queen Elizabeth II appointed Alec Douglas-Home on the advice of outgoing Prime Minister Harold Macmillan . Constitutional Court of Ukraine The Constitutional Court of Ukraine ( Ukrainian : Конституційний Суд України , romanized : Konstytutsiinyi Sud Ukrainy , pronounced [kɔnstetʊˈt͡sʲii̯nei̯ sud ʊkrɐˈjine] )
11122-587: The head of state is notional chief executive include Australia , Austria , Canada , Denmark , India , Italy , Norway , Spain and the United Kingdom . The few exceptions where the head of state is not even the nominal chief executive - and where supreme executive authority is according to the constitution explicitly vested in a cabinet - include the Czech Republic , Ireland , Israel , Japan and Sweden . The head of state usually appoints most or all
11256-545: The head of state. In parliamentary 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 English parliament acted of its own authority to name a new king and queen (the joint monarchs Mary II and William III ); likewise, Edward VIII 's abdication required
11390-399: The institution of propiska . On 25 December 2003 the Court allowed Leonid Kuchma to run for presidency for the third time; Kuchma chose not to run for re-election. Amidst the 2007 Ukrainian political crisis , on 30 April 2007, on the eve of the Constitutional Court's ruling on the legality of the president's decree dismissing Ukraine's parliament, President Yushchenko, in defiance of
11524-523: The intent of the Constitution and challenge such acts with the Constitutional Court, one-third of which can be appointed (and dismissed) by the president. Ukrainian law also allows the president to establish new jurisdictional districts and courts. In addition, the president can select the Prosecutor General and Head of the Security Service of Ukraine with the Verkhovna Rada's consent. One-half of
11658-522: The interests of all compatriots, and to enhance the prestige of Ukraine in the world. After conducting the oath, the president signs the text of the oath of office and transfers it over to the Chairperson of the Constitutional Court. According to Article 102 of the Constitution, the president is the guarantor of state sovereignty and territorial indivisibility of Ukraine, the observer of the Constitution and human rights and freedoms. As stated in Article 106 ,
11792-406: The key officials in the government, including the head of government and other cabinet ministers, key judicial figures; and all major office holders in the civil service , foreign service and commissioned officers in the military . In many parliamentary systems, the head of government is appointed with the consent (in practice often decisive) of the legislature, and other figures are appointed on
11926-556: 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 , 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
12060-556: The last universal of the UPR dated 25 January 1918 due to military aggression, the Central Rada of the UPR proclaimed its independence from Russia . On 29 April 1918, the Rada elected Mykhailo Hrushevsky as the first president of the Central Rada of the Ukrainian People's Republic, in effect making him the de facto leader of the republic. Although a rather widespread misconception, the state leadership position title varied and none of them had an official "presidential" title. On 29 April 1918
12194-467: 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 sessions in Parliament, avoid motions of no confidence, etc. Semi-presidential systems combine features of presidential and parliamentary systems, notably (in the president-parliamentary subtype) a requirement that
12328-402: The legislature to remove a president from office (for example, in the United States of America ). In this case the debate centers on confirming them into office, not removing them from office, and does not involve the power to reject or approve proposed cabinet members en bloc , so accountability does not operate in the same sense understood as a parliamentary system. Presidential systems are
12462-515: The majority of states, whether republics or monarchies, executive authority is vested, at least notionally, in the head of state. In presidential systems the head of state is the actual, de facto chief executive officer. Under parliamentary systems the executive authority is exercised by the head of state, but in practice is done so on the advice of the cabinet of ministers. This produces such terms as "Her Majesty's Government" and "His Excellency's Government." Examples of parliamentary systems in which
12596-414: The members of the Court. On 29 December 1999 the Court interpreted the Constitution as unconditionally ruling out capital punishment ; this is the date when Ukraine de jure abolished capital punishment after a long period of a de facto moratorium. In the 2000s attempts to bribe and blackmail Constitutional Court judges to get a favourable ruling were reported. On 14 November 2001 the Court outlawed
12730-441: The moment of taking the oath to the people at a ceremonial meeting of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament. If the president is elected following special elections in the event of the previous president's resignation, impeachment or death, the president-elect must take oath of office within five days after the publication of the official election results. The Chairperson of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine administers
12864-414: 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,
12998-507: The nation and parliament, dismiss the legislative branch and appoint candidates for parliamentary approval of government and judicial posts. The acting president cannot call for a referendum, grant military ranks and state orders and exercise their right of pardon. There are no constitutional provisions for presidential succession in case both the president and chairperson's posts are vacant. An election as President of Ukraine garners many privileges of office to an individual. Full legal immunity
13132-420: The nation and the Verkhovna Rada with their annual and special addresses on domestic and foreign issues of Ukraine. They may also call for the conduction of national referendums. The president appoints the heads of local state administrations nominated by the Prime Minister for the period of their presidency. The president represents the country and government as a whole in international affairs. The president has
13266-433: The newly elected Ukrainian president Leonid Kravchuk at his inauguration ceremony. In his declaration, it is stated that the current Ukrainian state is the legal successor following the state traditions of the Ukrainian People's Republic, establishing the continuity of the republic. Viktor Yanukovych has claimed to be the legitimate president of Ukraine stating that the events of the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution amounted to
13400-409: 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 , presided over by a head of government who is answerable to the legislature. This accountability and legitimacy requires that someone be chosen who has
13534-806: The oath of office. The president-elect recites the Ukrainian oath of office with their hand on the Constitution and the Peresopnytsia Gospels : The Ukrainian text of the oath according to the article 104 is: Я, (ім'я та прізвище), волею народу обраний Президентом України, заступаючи на цей високий пост, урочисто присягаю на вірність Україні. Зобов'язуюсь усіма своїми справами боронити суверенітет і незалежність України, дбати про благо Вітчизни і добробут Українського народу, обстоювати права і свободи громадян, додержуватися Конституції України і законів України, виконувати свої обов'язки в інтересах усіх співвітчизників, підносити авторитет України у світі. Official English translation: I, (name and surname), elected by
13668-683: The office of President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly , while the party leader's post as chairman of the National Defense Commission was simultaneously declared "the highest post of the state", not unlike Deng Xiaoping earlier in the People's Republic of China . In China , under the current country's constitution , the Chinese President is a largely ceremonial office with limited power. However, since 1993, as
13802-564: The office, the Chief Secretary, acts as the gray cardinal for the president in Ukrainian politics. Around fourteen state residences are allocated for official presidential use, many of which remain from the Kuchma-era presidency. The official ceremonial residence is the Mariinskyi Palace in Kyiv. Other state residences include the House with Chimaeras and the House of the Weeping Widow in Kyiv,
13936-453: The opposition to become prime minister, a process known as Cohabitation . President François Mitterrand , a Socialist, for example, was forced to cohabit with the neo-Gaullist (right wing) Jacques Chirac , who became his prime minister from 1986 to 1988. In the French system, in the event of cohabitation, the president is often allowed to set the policy agenda in security and foreign affairs and
14070-423: The parliament and call for early elections. This power has only been used twice to date, first by president Viktor Yushchenko in 2007 , and by president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2019 . The legislative branches' check on the president includes the right to overturn a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote of the parliament. The president can suspend acts passed by the Cabinet of Ministers if they contradict
14204-746: The participation of the Advisory Group of Experts. Half of these experts will be people delegated by international organizations and the Venice Commission, who will have a decisive vote in filtering candidates for the Constitutional Court. This law was one of the requirements of the European Commission for the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union. Dismissed in 2014 On 29 December 2020 President Volodymyr Zelensky suspended Tupytskyi for two months in an effort to end
14338-417: The president ensures state independence, national security and the legal succession of the state, also serving as supreme commander-in-chief of the military. Unlike in other semi-presidential systems of government, the president of Ukraine does not belong to the executive branch of government. The Prime Minister is Ukraine's head of government. Thus, the president serves to represent the country and government as
14472-430: The president of Ukraine must approve the appointment of the prime minister, the post of president is generally thought of as the more powerful role. The Ukrainian president is elected by direct popular vote by Ukrainian citizens who are 18 years and over. The president is elected for a 5-year term of office, limited to two terms consecutively. Ukraine's electoral law provides for a two-round electoral system to elect
14606-466: The president of Ukraine. DUS is a supporting state agency that was restructured in 2000 out of the Presidential Directory of Affairs. Primarily the agency is designated for the president and its administration, while also provides support for the Cabinet of Ministers, parliament, and other state agencies if budget permits. Head of state A head of state (or chief of state ) is
14740-421: The president; a candidate must win an absolute majority of all votes cast. If no candidate obtains an absolute majority in the first round of voting then the two highest polling candidates contest a run-off second ballot. According to Chapter V, Article 103 of the Constitution, to be elected president a candidate must be a Ukrainian citizen who has attained the age of 35, has the right to vote, and has resided in
14874-520: The president; however, this right cannot be exercised by an acting president. The president can also confer citizens with state orders such as the Hero of Ukraine or confer high military, diplomatic and other ranks and class orders. Citizenship and political asylum in Ukraine can be granted and revoked by the president of Ukraine and as regulated by law. The president of Ukraine appoints heads of regional state administrations ( oblderzhadministratsia ) after
15008-415: The presidential authority until the third president-in-exile Mykola Livytskyi (son of the first president-in-exile) was sworn into office. Livytskyi served from 1967 until his death in December 1989. Mykola Plaviuk was the last president-in-exile (and the fourth), serving from December 1989 until his resignation on 22 August 1992 when he ceremonially gave in his presidential authority and state symbols to
15142-704: The presidential model also encompasses people who become head of state by other means, notably through military dictatorship or coup d'état , as often seen in Latin American , Middle Eastern and other presidential regimes. Some of the characteristics of a presidential system, such as a strong dominant political figure with an executive answerable to them, not the legislature can also be found among absolute monarchies , parliamentary monarchies and single party (e.g., Communist ) regimes, but in most cases of dictatorship, their stated constitutional models are applied in name only and not in political theory or practice. In certain states under Marxist–Leninist constitutions of
15276-539: The prime minister on matters of state. 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
15410-401: The prime minister runs the domestic and economic agenda. Other countries evolve into something akin to a semi-presidential system or indeed a full presidential system. Weimar Germany , for example, in its constitution provided for a popularly elected president with theoretically dominant executive powers that were intended to be exercised only in emergencies, and a cabinet appointed by him from
15544-429: The prime minister, and to pardon criminals or to commute their sentence. 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
15678-408: The public persona of a state or sovereign state . The specific naming of the head of state depends on the country's form of government and separation of powers ; the head of state may be a ceremonial figurehead or concurrently the head of government and more. In a parliamentary system , such as India or the United Kingdom , the head of state usually has mostly ceremonial powers, with
15812-456: The resolution. The Constitutional and the Supreme Court of Ukraine 's conclusions and decisions are considered at the parliamentary meetings. In the event that a president dies in office or is incapable of committing their duties as president, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada becomes the acting president until a new president is elected. The acting president is not given the authority to address
15946-439: The ruling, the President is obliged to cancel his decree on discharge of Mrs. Stanik.." The other two judges who were also illegally dismissed had previously tendered their resignations and as such were not subject to the courts order. Following the president's intervention the Constitutional Court still has not ruled on the question of legality of the president's actions. On 25 March 2008 Ukraine's Supreme Administrative Court ruled
16080-429: The sixth President of Ukraine, scoring a record 73.22% of the popular vote in the run-off against incumbent Poroshenko. Due to martial law in the country as a result of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , elections in the country have been suspended, and the next election originally scheduled for 2024 has been postponed. The Government of Ukraine is based on a semi-presidential system . The president of Ukraine
16214-564: The strengthening of the Prince's powers, vis-a-vis the Landtag (legislature), has moved Liechtenstein into the semi-presidential category. Similarly the original powers given to the Greek President under the 1974 Hellenic Republic constitution moved Greece closer to the French semi-presidential model. Another complication exists with South Africa , in which the president is in fact elected by
16348-449: The swearing in at the inauguration of a president of a republic, or the coronation of a monarch. One of the most important roles of the modern head of state is being a living national symbol of the state; in hereditary monarchies this extends to the monarch being a symbol of the unbroken continuity of the state. For instance, the Canadian monarch is described by the government as being
16482-498: The symbolic connection to the government, a practice that dates back to medieval times. Sometimes this practice is taken to excess, and the head of state becomes the principal symbol of the nation, resulting in the emergence of a personality cult where the image of the head of state is the only visual representation of the country, surpassing other symbols such as the flag . Other common representations are on coins , postage and other stamps and banknotes , sometimes by no more than
16616-436: The title of " president " - the name of the system refers to any head of state who actually governs and is not directly dependent on the legislature to remain in office. Some constitutions or fundamental laws provide for a head of state who is not only in theory but in practice chief executive, operating separately from, and independent from, the legislature. This system is known as a "presidential system" and sometimes called
16750-412: The vote; Yulia Tymoshenko was the runner up with around 13 percent. Poroshenko was sworn in as president on 7 June 2014. On 18 June 2015 Yanukovych was officially deprived of the title of President of Ukraine. The 2019 election took place on 31 March, with a run-off on 21 April. As a result of this election, Volodymyr Zelenskyy , a former actor and comedian with no prior political experience, became
16884-483: The will of the people as the President of Ukraine, assuming this high office, do solemnly swear allegiance to Ukraine. I pledge with all my undertakings to protect the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, to provide for the good of the Motherland and the welfare of the Ukrainian people, to protect the rights and freedoms of citizens, to abide by the Constitution of Ukraine and the laws of Ukraine, to exercise my duties in
17018-493: Was accused of unduly seeing to influence the court by illegally firing two Constitutional Court judges Valeriy Pshenychnyy and Syuzanna Stanik for allegations of "oath treason.". On 20 July, Syuzanna Stanik won an appeal against the President in the Shevchenko district court of Kyiv. The Court ruled the President's actions illegal and reinstated Ms Stanik's entitlement as a member of Ukraine's Constitutional Court. According to
17152-512: Was drawn up under the Allied occupation that followed World War II and was intended to replace the previous militaristic and quasi- absolute monarchy system with a form of liberal democracy parliamentary system . The constitution explicitly vests all executive power in the Cabinet , who is chaired by the prime minister (articles 65 and 66) and responsible to the Diet (articles 67 and 69). The emperor
17286-460: Was elected Ukraine's first president on 1 December 1991. He was elected by a record number of voters with over 19.5 million who wanted him to remain as the leader of the state. That number has not been beaten yet. His major opponents were the leader of Rukh Vyacheslav Chornovil and the author of the Declaration of Independence. President Kravchuk remained in office until he resigned as part of
17420-571: Was established on 5 July 1991 by the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic , which formed the office of "president of the Ukrainian SSR" ( Ukrainian : Президент Української РСР ). During the transitional period until the presidential elections , the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada (then held by Leonid Kravchuk) was empowered with a presidential authority. With the proclamation of Ukrainian independence from
17554-611: Was nominally a presidential republic. However, the elected civilian presidents were effectively figureheads with real political power being exercised by the chief of the Panamanian Defense Forces . Historically, at the time of the League of Nations (1920–1946) and the founding of the United Nations (1945), India's head of state was the monarch of the United Kingdom, ruling directly or indirectly as Emperor of India through
17688-473: Was officially deprived of the title of president of Ukraine. The Government of Ukraine utilizes a semi-presidential system in which the roles of the head of state and head of government are separate, thus the president of Ukraine is not the nation's head of government. The prime minister serves as the head of government, a role currently filled by Denys Shmyhal who took office in March 2020. The current president
17822-541: Was the only president to have served two consecutive terms in office. Viktor Yushchenko , Petro Poroshenko , and Viktor Yanukovych served one term, with the latter being replaced by acting president Oleksandr Turchynov , who then also served as Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament , on 21 February 2014. Oleksandr Turchynov was the only acting president in Ukraine's modern history. The powers of an acting president are severely limited. On 18 June 2015, Yanukovych
17956-411: Was vacant for years. The late president was granted the posthumous title (akin to some ancient Far Eastern traditions to give posthumous names and titles to royalty) of " Eternal President " . All substantive power, as party leader, itself not formally created for four years, was inherited by his son Kim Jong Il . The post of president was formally replaced on 5 September 1998, for ceremonial purposes, by
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