TITLE IV — THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIME MINISTER

Chapter I — Governmental Authority

Article 50 — The Government

The Government of the Principality shall conduct national public affairs falling within its competence.

It shall direct the civil administration, develop and implement public policies, and ensure the enforcement of laws.

It shall exercise its powers under the authority of the Prime Minister, respecting the constitutional powers of the Crown and the autonomy of the fiefs.

Article 51 — The Prime Minister

The Prime Minister shall be the Head of Government.

The Prime Minister shall determine and coordinate government policy in the areas assigned to that office by the Constitution.

The Prime Minister shall represent the Government before Parliament, the territorial authorities and the Crown.

The traditional title of “Prime Minister” shall be retained regardless of the sex of the officeholder.

Chapter II — Election of the Prime Minister

Article 52 — Principle of Direct Election

The Prime Minister shall be elected by the direct vote of the citizens of the Principality who are entitled to vote.

The term of office shall be seven years.

The Crown may not replace this election with a discretionary appointment.

Article 53 — Electoral System

The Prime Minister shall be elected under a two-round majority voting system.

A candidate who obtains an absolute majority of the valid votes cast shall be elected in the first round.

Otherwise, a second round shall be held between the two candidates who received the highest number of votes, subject to the provisions of organic law governing withdrawals and exceptional circumstances.

The candidate who receives the highest number of votes in the second round shall be declared elected.

Article 54 — Eligibility Requirements

Candidates must satisfy the constitutional and statutory eligibility requirements for high public office.

Completion of compulsory military service, under the conditions prescribed by the Constitution and the law, shall constitute a requirement for eligibility.

The procedures for verifying candidacies shall be established by the organic electoral law.

Article 55 — Preliminary Review of Candidacies by the Crown

Before their final admission to the ballot, candidacies shall be submitted for review by the Sovereign Prince or Sovereign Princess or, during a vacancy of the Throne, by the Chancellor.

The Crown may reject a candidacy on serious, duly substantiated and constitutionally permissible grounds.

The decision to reject a candidacy shall be communicated to the candidate concerned and shall be subject to the safeguards for review established by organic law.

Grounds legally protected by confidentiality may not be disclosed to the public without a legal basis.

Article 56 — Review of Rejected Candidacies

Any rejection of a candidacy shall be reviewed by the Chamber of Peers in accordance with the procedure established by organic law.

The Chamber of Citizens may override that rejection by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of its entire membership.

Where this majority is attained, the candidacy shall be admitted, provided that the objective constitutional eligibility requirements are satisfied.

No rejection may be based on discrimination contrary to constitutional guarantees.

Chapter III — Formation of the Government

Article 57 — Assumption of Office

The lawfully elected candidate shall assume office following the official declaration of the results and the completion of the constitutional formalities for taking office.

The Crown shall formally acknowledge the election and carry out the corresponding institutional formalities.

It shall have no discretionary power to prevent a lawfully elected candidate from assuming office.

Article 58 — Composition of the Cabinet

The Prime Minister shall select the members of the Government and determine their responsibilities.

The Prime Minister may appoint, replace and dismiss them under the conditions prescribed by law.

Ministers shall discharge their responsibilities under the direction of the Prime Minister.

The Crown may not require the Prime Minister to appoint a particular minister, except pursuant to a specific power expressly provided for by the Constitution.

Article 59 — Organisation of the Administration

The Government shall direct the national civil administrations and coordinate their activities.

It shall ensure the continuity of public services and the implementation of lawfully adopted decisions.

Territorial administrations shall remain under the competent authorities of the fiefs in matters falling within their autonomy.

Chapter IV — Relations with the Crown

Article 60 — Institutional Cooperation

The Prime Minister and the Crown shall maintain regular relations to ensure coherence in State action.

The Prime Minister shall inform the Crown of major government decisions and matters of significant national interest.

This duty of cooperation shall not confer upon the Crown any general power to direct the Government.

Article 61 — Allocation of Executive Powers

The Government shall exercise operational direction over civilian policies and the administrative powers assigned to it.

The Crown shall retain its own constitutional prerogatives, particularly in matters of sovereign representation, foreign relations, supreme command of the armed forces and institutional arbitration.

Operational direction of the armed forces shall rest with the competent governmental authorities, subject to the supreme command of the Crown.

Exclusive powers concerning the use of nuclear weapons shall remain governed by Title IX.

Chapter V — Accountability of the Prime Minister

Article 62 — Security of Tenure

The Prime Minister shall serve for the term prescribed by the Constitution.

The Prime Minister may not be removed from office solely at the discretion of the Sovereign, the Chancellor, Parliament or a territorial authority.

A political disagreement, however serious, shall not in itself constitute grounds for removal.

Article 63 — Exceptional Removal from Office

The Prime Minister may be removed from office before the expiry of the term only in the event of serious misconduct falling within constitutionally permissible grounds for removal.

Removal shall require all of the following conditions to be met:

A decision by the Constitutional Court establishing the constitutional basis for removal.

An affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the entire membership of the Chamber of Citizens.

An affirmative vote representing at least two-thirds of the total weighted votes of the Chamber of Peers.

None of these conditions may be replaced by a unilateral decision of the Crown.

The procedure shall guarantee the rights of the defence and the right to be heard in adversarial proceedings.

Chapter VI — Vacancy in the Government

Article 64 — Acting Prime Minister

In the event of the death, resignation, lawful removal or permanent incapacity of the Prime Minister, the members of the Cabinet shall designate an Acting Prime Minister from among themselves.

The Acting Prime Minister shall ensure the continuity of government business and arrange the transition.

A new election for Prime Minister must be held no later than sixty days after the office definitively becomes vacant.

The acting appointment may not be used to extend indefinitely a term of office that has expired.

Chapter VII — Organic Provisions

Article 65 — Organic Law Governing the Government

An organic law shall specify the eligibility requirements, the organisation of elections, the review of candidacies, the composition of the Cabinet, the accountability procedures and the arrangements for an acting administration.

It shall guarantee the directly elected nature of the office of Prime Minister and may not diminish the constitutional protections attached to the term of office.