1. Heads of State: the co-princes
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Article 43 of the Andorran Constitution establishes the co-princes as the joint and indivisible heads of State and its highest representation.
The co-princes are, personally and exclusively, the Bishop of Urgell, currently Joan Enric Vives i Sicília, and the President of the French Republic, currently Nicolas Sarkozy.
The most remarkable feature of the Andorran political system is precisely this, that there are two heads of State, a characteristic inherited from the Pariatges and deriving from the unique historical evolution of the country. |
The co-princes preside over and moderate public powers and exercise their functions with the counter-signature of the head of Government or the speaker.
Among other responsibilities, their role involves calling general elections, sanctioning and passing laws, and giving the State’s approval to adhere to international agreements, under the conditions established by the Constitution.
2. The General Council
The General Council (Consell General, in Catalan) developed from the Land Council (Consell de la Terra), which was formed in 1419 by representatives of the Andorran parishes, who met twice a year to discuss the issues affecting their communities.
The General Council represents the Andorran people, exercises legislative power, approves the State budgets, and determines and controls the Government’s political actions.
Council members are elected by free, equal, direct and secret universal suffrage, and serve terms of four years.
The General Council is composed of between twenty-eight and forty-two general councillors, half elected by each of the seven parishes and the other half elected by national ballot.
The Speaker’s Office or Sindicatura is the organ controlling the General Council. The speaker and deputy speaker may not hold their posts for more than two consecutive terms. The General Council meets in traditional ordinary and extraordinary sessions, operating both as a plenary body and through a series of committees.
For council resolutions to be valid, they must be passed in sessions attended by at least half of the members.
Legislative power is exercised by the General Council and the Government (Govern). Draft bills can be presented to the General Council either jointly by three Communes or by one tenth of the national electorate.
Once the General Council has approved a law, the speaker informs the co-princes who, in a period of between eight and fifteen days, sanction and pass the law and order its publication in the Official Journal of the Principality of Andorra.
3. The Government
The Government directs Andorra’s national and international policy. It also controls the administration of the State and exercises regulatory powers.
The Government of Andorra is made up of the Head of Government and a series of Ministers.
The Government is responsible for preparing the annual budget and submitting it to the vote of the General Council.
4. Els Comuns (Municipalities)
Andorra is divided for administrative purposes into seven parishes: Canillo, Encamp, Ordino, La Massana, Andorra la Vella, Sant Julià de Lòria and Escaldes-Engordany.
The Municipalities represent and manage the interests of the parishes, approve and administer their own budgets, establish and implement public policies and manage all public assets in their territories. The Communes possess their own funds and also receive capital transfers from the general State budget to guarantee ensure their financial autonomy.