Aspen Riksdag
Riksdag | |
|---|---|
 | |
| History | |
| Founded | 19 July 2019 |
| Leadership | |
Speaker | Vacant |
Deputy Speaker | Vacant |
Prime Minister | Adam Johnson |
Leader of The Opposition | Vacant |
| Elections | |
Next election | TBD |
The Aspen Riksdag (lit. transl. "diet of the realm") is the national legislature of the Kingdom of Aspen. Since 2022 the Riksdag has been unicameral with members elected proportionally. Parliamentary elections are fixed to be held every four months, however it is common for elections to be called earlier.
The structure and organization of the Riksdag are laid out in the Provisional Government Decree, issued on July 31, 2021.
History
Democratic government has been one of the fundamental principles of Aspen since its establishment in 2018. Initially, the parliament was unicameral and known as the Federal Council. This early parliament was very weak in comparison to the powers of the Chancellor, who was directly elected and not accountable to the Federal Council. This method of government was short-lived, however, and under the Chancellery of Cai O'Gorman, the legislature was reformed and a bicameral parliament introduced which bore considerable similarity to the parliament of the United Kingdom.
Following the O'Gorman reforms in 2019, the Aspen Empire followed the Westminster style of parliamentary government. The Federal Council became the upper house of this new parliament, with a new, expanded Federal Diet becoming the lower house. In February of 2019, when the Aspen Empire and Kingdom of Misberia were merged, the Aspen Parliament remained largely independent, but met once a year with the Misberian Parliament to form a "Convention Parliament."
Following the breakup of Aspen-Misberia in March, and further reforms in April of 2019, the Federal Council was abolished and replaced with a House of Peers, to be entirely appointed by the monarch. In the political upheaval following the dissolution of the Aspen Empire in June of 2019 and the establishment of subsequent successor states in the months following, the Parliament of the Kingdom of Aspen became less active and the powers of the monarchy grew considerably.
Under the Treaty of Hrafn Myrar, which brought the new "Principality of Aspen" under the suzerainty of the Kingdom of Hrafnarfjall, the powers of the Parliament were largely left independent, with only major legislation requiring the consent of the monarch of Hrafnarfjall. After the dissolution of the treaty in late 2019, the Aspen Parliament was effectively dissolved.
The Parliament remained dissolved until the establishment of the Second Aspen Empire in August of 2020 in which the older Federal system was reinstated and the names Federal Diet and Federal Council restored to the two houses. This system was short lived as it was quickly replaced in October of 2020 by a unicameral National Assembly during the October Reforms, which also reorganized the archaic Aspen Empire into the Kingdom of Aspen.
Under the new Kingdom of Aspen, the Parliamentary system was improved and standardized and became more organized than in previous times. The Aspen Parliament received its final reorganization in July of 2021 when it was renamed as the Aspen Riksdag, the name which it bears today.
Structure and Powers
The Riksdag forms the core of Aspen's parliamentary system of government. it is empowered by the Constitution and laws of the Kingdom of Aspen to enact laws, amend the constitution and put its confidence in a government. Although the monarch is given the power to appoint the government by the constitution, in practice the leader of the largest party in the Riksdag is usually invited to form a government, and is then formally elected by the Riksdag at the proposal of the monarch. Amendments to the constitution require a two-thirds majority of the Riksdag, and are approved by a referendum.
Membership
Members of Parliament, or MPs, are the elected representatives of the people.
Speaker
The Speaker is the highest officer of the Riksdag and is elected at the beginning of each term. The Speaker is assisted by a number of deputy speakers who together form the "Speaker's Committee". The Speaker is not allowed to vote except in the case of a tie, however the deputy speakers are allowed to vote.