Council of State (Florenia)

Council of State

Royal coat of arms of Florenia
Abbreviation	The Council
Predecessor	Cabinet of Florenia
Formation	26 April 2021
Legal status	Advisory body Administrative body
Headquarters	Palace of State Dominion of Afula
Membership (2022)	4
Monarch	Eran
Lord President	The Baroness of Plymouth
Secretary for the Council Office	Nathan Afula

The Council of State, also known simply as the Council, is the central body of the executive government in the Kingdom of Florenia. Exercising extensive powers on behalf of and delegated by both the Crown and Parliament, the Council advises the sovereign with regard to the substantial prerogative powers of the Crown, many of which it also exercises in the monarch's stead. It can introduce certain forms of primary legislation as Orders in Council issued in the sovereign's name (and with the sovereign's assent) and promulgate Orders of Council issued in the name of the Council itself. The Council Office is responsible for supporting and assisting the Council in all of its functions and largely serves as the government’s central administrative agency.

Established on 26 April 2021, the Council is the most important new organization of the system laid out in the Resolution on Florenian Government. The Resolution stipulates that "the Crown will appoint citizens to the Council of State to advise the exercise of [the prerogative powers]," and that "the Council of State will administer the government of Florenia and exercise certain powers on behalf of the Crown." Following the adoption of the Resolution, Parliament adopted a motion recognizing the power of the Council to legislate without its direct approval, while also asserting its absolute oversight of the Council's activities and its power to remove any officer of the Crown. These powers are recognized and acknowledged by the Crown, in effect granting parliament the ability to block any of the Crown's appointments to the Council, remove any of its members, and overturn any of the Council's decisions or actions. Acts of Parliament always supersede Orders of Council, Orders in Council, and all other orders and policies from any level of government.

The Council is chaired by the Lord President of the Council of State, currently Lady Deborah, Baroness of Plymouth, who was named to the position upon the appointment of the inaugural Council on 13 January 2022. Ministers of State comprise the core of the Council's membership, each possessing at least one portfolio delineated and assigned by the sovereign. Any Florenian citizen can serve on the Council of State, and all are appointed by the sovereign on advice of the Council itself. In practice, The Prince Nathan, as Florenia's de facto prime minister controls appointments to the Council.

Functions

The Council of State is responsible for the general administration of Florenia's government, overseeing the various government ministries and agencies and exercising the substantial powers delegated to it by both the Crown and Parliament. While Parliament is a direct democracy capable of making any law and meets only infrequently, the Council is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Florenian state, and is empowered broad discretionary powers which are subject to parliamentary oversight. As it consists of Florenia's government ministers, the Council is also analogous to a cabinet.

The Council is responsible for two major forms of statutory instrument. Orders of Council are issued directly by the Council in its own name, and are utilized to exercise the particular powers of the Council itself, including its delegated powers.

Orders in Council, on the other hand, are issued in the name of the sovereign on advice of the Council of State, and are employed to exercise the Crown's own powers, such as establishing a government agency or creating a new peerage. Orders in Council reflect the Council's function as the advisory body with regards to the Crown's prerogative powers, which it, by convention, only exercises on the Council's advice.

The Council Office is responsible for supporting the functions of the Council of State, including by coordinating between the various government agencies and bodies. The Council Office also prepares materials ahead of Council meetings and can be involved in the process of drafting the Council's orders. It is administered by the Secretary for the Council Office, currently Nathan Afula.

Composition

Appointments to the Council of State are made by the sovereign on the advice of the Council itself. While the Lord President is nominally charged with overseeing and chairing the Council, they are not necessarily the Council's foremost figure or the Crown's chief advisor. Ultimately, The Prince Nathan serves in an unofficial capacity as Florenia's head of government, and exercises substantial soft power to control the composition of the Council and the Council's decisions.

The Council of State consists in the Lord President, the Ministers of State, the Secretary to the Council Office, and other councilors appointed by the sovereign.

Council of State

Portfolio	Name	Term of office
Lord President of the Council of State	The Baroness of Plymouth	13 January 2022	Incumbent
Minister of State for Culture Minister of State for Foreign Affairs	Sarisha Danforth	13 January 2022	Incumbent
Minister of State for Environment	Zachary Afula	13 January 2022	Incumbent
Minister of State for General Affairs Secretary for the Council Office	Nathan Afula	13 January 2022	Incumbent