COUNCIL OF STATE

Governance, Command and Order

Function:

• advises the Governor of the State in the exercise of his/her reserve power as head of state
• advises and reviews legislatives affairs and bills of the General Assembly as the national referral body
• recommends the Governor in granting of awards, medals and decorations of state
• recommends the Governor in granting of pardons
• recommends the Governor in the calling of general state referendums   
  
• discusses and statues the long-term development of the state administration
• plan and organizes state visits, dinners and official balls
• represents the state in cases of for example: state funerals, weddings, cermonies etc.
• oversees the operations of the Council of the Governor of the State
• vouch for the integrity and protection of the Constitution, including the independence and power of the Official Cantons of State and the territories
• removes the Governor from office in breach of the Constitution or conduct of treason, bribery or grave misdemeanours  however not from the office as Prime Minister of his/her Canton
• declare the Governor of State unable, disabled or incapable of exercising the duties of the office, and thereby commission the President of the Council of State to take office as the interim Governor of the State during the time required until the Governor is able to resume office

Composition:

Members of the Council of State (not to be commingled with Councilors of State, who are Ministers of the Executive) is appointed in two (2) ways: by incumbency- or former incumbency of offices provided in the Constitution and by the Senate of the Nation at the sole and sovereign nomination of the Chairman of the People's Government. The Governor of the State administer the oath of office for all Members taking their office, including those being provided the membership through constitutional provisions.

The Constitution provides for the incumbent Chairman- and Deputy of the People's Government, President of the Supreme Court, President of the Court of Cassation, Prosecutor-General of State, Attorney-General of State, President of the Chamber of Deputies, President of the Senate of the Nation, President pro tempore of the Chamber of Deputies and Leader of the Official Opposition to be granted membership of the Council of State. As the Constitution provides for it, the membership of the Council comes with the office. When an incumbent leaves office or dies, the membership per automatic transmitted is to the successor (or is during a transition period leaved vacant). The new member must however take the oath of office to take the office granted. 

The Constitution also provides for former Chairmen of the People's Government, Presidents of the Supreme Court and Presidents of the Court of Cassation to be provided with life-long membership of the Council of State. Those officers does not have to take the oath of office again and thereby, holding one of these offices could be viewed as a life-long membership of the Council. The Constitution gives permanent members of the Council through this opportunity the opportunity to resign from the Council but only impeachment could remove them by force.

The Constitution also provides for ''representatives from the judiciary and relevant sectors of society'' being provided representation in the Council. Those members is appointed by the Senate of the Nation at the proposal from the Chairman of the People's Government.

Long-standing convention and practice between the parties has concretized the categories those members are appointed. They've agreed that the incumbents of the offices of a Vice-President of the Council choses within the Council of Ministers, the Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition, the Chief of the General Staff, the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, the Governor-General of the Central Reserve Bank and the Secretary of the Angalicanian Society should be granted membership of the Council. Those membership is by practice bound by the same convention and rules as those incumbency members described in the Constitution. However formally, those is appointed by the Senate of the Nation at the recommendation of the Chairman of the People's Government and dismissed by the Senate with a 2/rds majority. 

In addition, different Representatives serves as members of the Council representing different relevant sectors of the public- and private parts of the society. Most of them is high and experienced holders of public office.

The convention and practice between the major parties makes it clear that:

• The People's Council of the Judiciary chooses two (2) senior High Court Presidents to be members, which the Chairman nominates before the Senate
• The Official Opposition, formally the Leader of the Official Opposition, chooses one (1) senior, relevant and well-experienced member which the Chairman nominates before the Senate
• The Government, formally the Chairman of the People's Government but practically discussions within the Council of Ministers, chooses four (4) senior, relevant and well-experienced members which the Chairman nominates before the Senate
• The National Society of Public Servants chooses two (2) senior, relevant and well-experienced public servants to be members, which the Chairman nominates before the Senate
• The Council of the Governor of State chooses one (1) senior, relevant and well-experienced member, usually a Prime Minister or a Deputy Prime Minister not intending to serve as Governor to be a member, which the Chairman nominates before the Senate
• The Foreign Diplomatic Service, formally the Chief of the General Secretariat at the recommendation of the Chief of the Foreign Diplomatic Service, chooses one (1) senior, relevant and well-experienced member, which the Chairman nominates before the Senate
• The General Standards Group  chooses two (2) senior, relevant, well-experienced, currently leading officials of the major Universities in the State, usually serving Chancellors, which the Chairman nominates before the Senate
• The Angalicanian Bar Association chooses (1) senior, relevant and well-experienced member, usually the President or under extraordinary circumstances another leading officer, which the Chairman nominatedsbefore the Senate

Members appointed by the Senate of the Nation could with a 2/rds majority be dismissed. Most of the Senate-appointed members are however incumbents of other high and relevant offices as Chancellors of the largest Universities, President of the Bar Association, Ambassador etc. In accordance with practice, those members tender their resignation when they leave this offices. Other members as the public service representatives serves as fixed terms (currently 5 years) to keep the membership rotating. 

The President of the Council of State is an obvious member of the Council, appointed by the Chairman of the People's Government after the hearing of the Senate of the Nation - as the President is a senior Councilor of State. However since the early 1960s, a Vice-President of the Council of State is also nominated and serves at the Council. The Vice-President is a Councilor of State of the Chairman of the People's Governments choice. Often is it someone which is loyal and close to the Chairman as the Vice-President in accordance with the 1986 Additional State Officers Special Salaries Act is required an additional salary and additional privileges and resources. The Vice-President most often have the office as an additional office to his- or her regular portfolio responsibilities as a Minister.. 

The Vice-President assists and advices the President with the ordinary business and operations of the Council. The Vice-President could also chair the rare meetings of the Council in plenum if the President is unable and serves as the acting Presiding- and Chief Executive Officer of the Council of State if the President of the Council of State resigns, dies, is impeached or is dismissed by the Chairman of the People's Government until the Chairman has appointed a new one and have him or her heated in front of the Senate. The same status applies if the President of the Council of State overtakes the role as interim Governor of State, even if such case requires significantly less practical- and operational responsibilities. 

The Vice-President of the Council is a later feature of the State Administration and not something that is provided in the Constitution. It is why the Vice-President doesn't officially becomes the interim President in case of resignation, death, impeachment, dismissal or stewardship of the gubernatorial office. Formally, the Vice-President is only a member of the Council appointed by the Senate at the nomination of the Chairman of the People's Government but who according to the Special Salaries act has an additional salary and additional privileges and resources.  

The Council of State must according to the Constitution not consist of more than fifty (50) members and no less than twenty (20).

Meetings and business

The Constitution only has two (2) provisions regarding the meetings and business of the Council of State. The Council meets on the convention of it's President and the Governor of the State has not the right to vote during the meetings as the Council officially is an advisory body of him or her. However, a lot of organized convention and practice is agreed between the major parties to structure the operation business and meetings of the Council. In practice, the Governor of the State also rarely participates at the meetings or in the daily business.

The Council of State rarely meets in plenum. Most decision is already processed and proposed by the Presidency (the President and Vice-President of the Council) and confirmed by a Commission of the Council in full Convention. The Commission usually consists of five (5) two seven (7) members of the Council in addition to the Presidency and they should strive to be representative for the Council in full Convention. The cannot just be members serving in the General Assembly for example but also representatives and state officials. The Commissions composition rotating between the members. Members serves regularly and rotating. 

The convention and practice agreed between the major parties also makes it clear that the serving and sitting Chairman- and Deputy Chairman of the People's Government should not participate in the meetings or decisional operations of the Council as they're the incumbents of the higher positions of leadership in the People's Government. Instead it's the President, Vice-President and Government Representatives that works as the liaisons of the Council of Ministers in the Council of State and answers questions at it's behaf. 

During early spring every year however, the Council is convened in full plenum under traditional forms to open the year of the Council. The Chairmanship of the People's Government participates at that much ceremonial and celebratory meeting and so does the Governor of the State, who often opens the year and speaks. The Formal Opening of the Year in Session of the Council of State is televised and hosted by many guests. Leading officials in the State Administration, Cantonal- and Territorial Administrations and the business sectors as well as large culture-, arts-, community- and sports personalities is invited. The Opening is prestigious and is ended by the highly-regarding State Gala who every year features a specific theme and raises money for a specific purpose, for example children in poverty or girls education.