Danish Parliament. Fundamentals of the constitutional order and political system

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

"My life is a beautiful fairy tale, so bright and happy," said Hans Christian Andersen about himself. All Danes, who consider themselves the happiest nation in the world, could repeat this. And they have a reason for this, because Denmark is one of the few countries that embody common sense, order, beauty, prosperity, convenience and environmental friendliness. The main merit in this is the Parliament of Denmark and its monarch.

About the Danes

The main values of the Danes: freedom and tolerance. The country allows same-sex marriage, drugs and drinking in public places. Surprisingly, with such permissiveness, you will not see dirt anywhere, drunk or stoned, you will not hear rudeness and you will not see fights. The fact is that a high sense of personal responsibility is the main thing here for people.

The state structure and the legal system of Denmark are arranged in such a way that there are practically no prohibitions in the country, but if there are any, the Danes take them seriously. Rules in this country are not meant to be broken. And everyone respects the state power and the political system of Denmark, despite the fact that this country isone of the most expensive in Europe. The level of tax payments in it reaches 50% of income.

King of Denmark

The state system of Denmark is a constitutional monarchy, where the king is the head of state. Legislative power is exercised in the person of the king and parliament. Executive functions are entrusted to the monarch and the government. The king in Denmark has significant, but not unlimited power, he cannot make any of the political decisions alone. Parliament limits the powers of the monarch, without his consent he cannot even marry. After the death of the king, in the absence of heirs, the parliament chooses a new ruler.

However, the constitution gives the king and significant rights. He determines the powers, appoints and dismisses ministers, heads the meeting of ministers - the State Council. He also appoints judges, senior officials and government officials of Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

The king can dissolve parliament, open its sessions and approve the legislative acts adopted by it. International agreements are concluded on behalf of the monarch. The king bears the title of supreme commander of the armed forces, decides on pardons and amnesties. Although in fact most of his rights passed to the Council of Ministers. The leadership of the armed forces of the state through the Minister of Defense is carried out by the government. And the monarch has not used the right to approve bills for a long time.

Denmark is now ruled by a queen, Margrethe II, who ascendedthrone in 1972. She is the first female head of state in the history of Denmark. To make this possible, the succession law was amended in 1953, as the then monarch had no sons.

Structure of Parliament

It is easy to understand that the main directing and driving force in Denmark is the parliament. It is called Folketing (Dan. Folketinget) which means “people's ting”. Ting was called in Scandinavia and Germany a government meeting, an analogue of the Russian veche. The unicameral Danish parliament consists of 179 deputies who are elected for 4 years through direct universal suffrage. Age limit - 18 years. The king, at the suggestion of the government, may dissolve parliament ahead of schedule.

Parliamentary elections

Analysis of the electoral legislation of Denmark suggests that deputies are elected proportionally - one from each political party. They are representatives of the same constituency. Four of them are from Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Thus, the Danish Parliament is a minority government, which means that the policy of the state is based on compromises between various political factions.

For the first time after being elected, Parliament meets at 12 noon on the twelfth weekday, although the monarch can convene it earlier. Regular sessions do not require formal convening. After the end of the summer recess, Parliament meets on the first Tuesday in October and runs until about spring. Extraordinary sessionmay be assembled at the initiative of the prime minister or deputies numbering at least 2/5 of the total. The parliament elects the presidium - the governing body, which consists of the chairman and his deputies. They are in charge of managing the work of the Folketing and commissions.

Parliamentary commissions

Each branch of state activity corresponds to one permanent commission, which consists of members of political parties represented in parliament. In addition, special commissions can be formed to address a specific problem or consider a bill. They have the right to obtain the necessary information or documents from any person or organization.

Parliament elects the highest government official in charge of overseeing the work of the civil and military administration. He is obliged to inform the Folketing of all violations in their work that are contrary to the Constitution or the laws of the state.

Powers of Parliament

The constitution gives Parliament broad powers. It is in charge of foreign policy, finance, the armed forces of the state and the issuance of laws. The Folketing itself establishes the rules of procedure and decides on the legality of the election of deputies. The Folketing regulates the appointment, movement and dismissal of civil servants. Parliament has a legislative function. Formally, it is controlled by the king, without whose consent no law is adopted. In fact, the monarch never argues with the Folketing.

The government and deputies have the right to submit draft laws for discussion. The government sends bills to the Folketing on behalf of the king. Priority is always given to government projects, the proposals of individual deputies are extremely rare, since the government is supported by the party or faction that has a majority in parliament.

Passing bills

Each bill goes through three readings. The first one is introductory. Then the law is sent for study by the relevant parliamentary commission. The commission gives its opinion, and the draft law goes to the second reading, during which the document is discussed article by article. This is followed by the third reading - discussion of the law as a whole and voting. For a law to pass, it must be approved by a majority vote.

After the law is submitted for approval to the king, who is obliged to impose a resolution within 30 days. A 5/6 vote of MPs is required to pass laws relating to changes in the order of succession and national sovereignty.

Foreign policy activities

One of the tasks of the parliament is to discuss the nuances of foreign policy. The Government is obliged to bring to the attention of Parliament information on all significant developments in this area. Without the consent of the Folketing, the government cannot dispose of the armed forces of the country. The exception is cases of foreign aggression, but even then the Parliament should be immediately convened to participate in the discussion of the issue.

Parliament andgovernment

One of the main rights of the Folketing is control over the activities of the government. This function was enshrined in the Danish Constitution in 1953, but has actually been implemented since the beginning of the 20th century. If the parliament expresses no confidence in any of the ministers, he is obliged to resign. If no confidence has been expressed in the entire Council of Ministers or the Prime Minister, the entire government resigns.

Also, Parliament can take ministers to court in case of their illegal actions, cases of this kind are under the jurisdiction of the State Court. The parliamentary minority enjoys certain guarantees. For example, laws against which a minority of deputies voted are being considered according to a complicated procedure.

A minority can get a twelve-day delay in passing the bill in the third reading. To do this, you need to score 2/5 of the total number of votes. A third of deputies within three days after the adoption of the law may demand that it be submitted to a referendum.

If Parliament supports this proposal, the law is published, and no earlier than twelve, but no later than eighteen days after publication, a referendum is held. If the majority of voters vote against the law, but not less than 30% of their total number, the adoption of the law will be rejected. No financial bills, bills on the compulsory seizure of private property and on the states of administrative institutions are not submitted to a referendum.

Residence of Parliament

In one ofthe most famous sights of Denmark - Christiansborg Castle, in Copenhagen, sits the Parliament of Denmark. The name of the castle is translated as "Christian castle". It was built on the site of a 12th-century fortress on the island of Slotsholmen. The island is of artificial origin and was formed as a result of the separation of the peninsula from the rest of the land by channels.

This is the fifth castle built on the island. The previous four were destroyed as a result of fires and wars. The first castle was built in 1167. The construction of the modern one began in 1907, and in 1928 it was completed. The country's parliament moved to the castle in 1828, as King Frederick VI only used Christiansborg for receptions.

Today the castle is a truly unique complex, which houses an exhibition dedicated to ancient ruins, the royal library, the king's residence with reception and living quarters, the prime minister's office, the Supreme Court and the Parliament of Denmark. Is there another country in the world where all branches of government are in such close contact? Thus, Christiansborg Castle has been the center of economic and political power in Denmark for 800 years.