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A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but rather the head of government, serving as the chief of the executive under either a monarch or a president in a form of government.
In parliamentary systems of government (be they constitutional monarchies or parliamentary republics), the Prime Minister (or occasionally a similar post with a different title, such as the Chancellor of Germany) is the most powerful politician and the functional leader of the state, by virtue of commanding the confidence of the legislature. The head of state is typically a ceremonial officer, though they may exercise Reserve power to check the Prime Minister in unusual situations.
Under some presidential systems, such as South Korea and Peru, the prime minister is the leader or the most senior member of the cabinet, but not the head of government. As such, in South Korea, the prime minister is equivalent to that of a vice president which is the second in-command and assumes the presidency in the absence of the president.
In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime minister is the presiding member and chairman of the cabinet. In a minority of systems, notably in semi-presidential systems, a prime minister is the official appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives of the head of state.
Today, the prime minister is often, but not always, a member of the legislature or its lower house, and is expected with other ministers to ensure the passage of bills through the legislature. In some monarchy the monarch may also exercise executive powers (known as the royal prerogative) without the approval of parliament.
As well as being head of government, being prime minister may require holding other roles or posts—the prime minister of the United Kingdom, for example, is also First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. In some cases, prime ministers may choose to hold additional ministerial posts (e.g. when the portfolio is critical to that government's mandate): during the Second World War, Winston Churchill was also Minister of Defence (although there was then no Ministry of Defence). Another example is the Thirty-fourth government of Israel , when Benjamin Netanyahu at one point served as the prime minister and minister of Communications, Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation, Economy, Defense and Interior.
In the 18th century in the United Kingdom, members of parliament disparagingly used the title in reference to Sir Robert Walpole (whose official title was First Lord of the Treasury). During the whole of the 18th century, Britain was involved in a prolonged conflict with France, periodically bursting into all-out war, and Britons took outspoken pride in their "Liberty" as contrasted to the "Tyranny" of French Absolute Monarchy; therefore, being implicitly compared with Richelieu was no compliment to Walpole. Over time, however, the title became honorific and remains so in the 21st century.
The literal title itself can be traced back to the Abbasid caliphate and the Ottoman Empire . They both had an official title of Grand vizier simply the Head of the Government which is called Prime Minister nowadays. The Grand Vizier was the most powerful person after sultan but sometimes the Grand vizier of Ottoman Empire was more powerful than sultan himself. The position of'Chancellor is the same or comparable in some countries as a prime minister, even if the label is different. The term goes back to ancient Roman times as head of the chancellery. This title as head of government or the administration existed in ancient China as Grand Chancellor (Chinese: 宰相; pinyin: Zǎixiàng), sometimes translated as "prime minister", existed since 685 BCE and ancient Japan Chancellor of the Realm (太政大臣 Daijō-daijin) since the 7th century CE. In the Holy Roman Empire the position of Archchancellor was the highest dignitary and traces to 860 CE, out of which later derived the positions of head of government such as the modern Chancellor of Germany, who is head of the federal government and an executive prime minister.
The power of these ministers depended entirely on the personal favour of the monarch. Although managing the parliament was among the necessary skills of holding high office, they did not depend on a parliamentary majority for their power. Although there was a cabinet, it was appointed entirely by the monarch, and the monarch usually presided over its meetings.
The monarch could dismiss the minister at any time, or worse: Cromwell was executed and Clarendon driven into exile when they lost favour. Kings sometimes divided power equally between two or more ministers to prevent one minister from becoming too powerful. Late in Anne's reign, for example, the Tory ministers Harley and Viscount Bolingbroke shared power.
A tipping point in the evolution of the prime ministership came with the death of Anne in 1714 and the accession of George I to the throne. George spoke no English, spent much of his time at his home in Hanover, and had neither knowledge of, nor interest in, the details of British government. In these circumstances it was inevitable that the king's first minister would become the de facto head of the government.
From 1721, this was the Whig politician Robert Walpole, who held office for twenty-one years. Walpole chaired cabinet meetings, appointed all the other ministers, dispensed the royal patronage and packed the House of Commons with his supporters. Under Walpole, the doctrine of cabinet solidarity developed. Walpole required that no minister other than himself have private dealings with the king, and also that when the cabinet had agreed on a policy, all ministers must defend it in public, or resign. As a later prime minister, Lord Melbourne, said, "It matters not what we say, gentlemen, so long as we all say the same thing."
Walpole always denied that he was "prime minister", and throughout the 18th century parliamentarians and legal scholars continued to deny that any such position was known to the Constitution. George II and George III made strenuous efforts to reclaim the personal power of the monarch, but the increasing complexity and expense of government meant that a minister who could command the loyalty of the Commons was increasingly necessary. The long tenure of the wartime prime minister William Pitt the Younger (1783–1801), combined with the mental illness of George III, consolidated the power of the post. The title "prime minister" was first referred to on government documents during the administration of Benjamin Disraeli but did not appear in the formal British Order of precedence until 1905.
The prestige of British institutions in the 19th century and the growth of the British Empire saw the British model of cabinet government, headed by a prime minister, widely copied, both in other European countries and in British colonial territories as they developed self-government. In some places alternative titles such as "premier", "chief minister", "first minister of state", "president of the council" or "chancellor" were adopted, but the essentials of the office were the same.
Bahrain's former prime minister, Sheikh Khalifah bin Sulman Al Khalifah, occupied the post for about 50 years, from 1970 to November 2020, making him the longest serving non-elected prime minister.
This contrasts with the presidential system, in which the president (or equivalent) is both the head of state and the head of the government. In some presidential and all semi-presidential systems, such as those of Algeria, Argentina, China, France, Poland, Russia, South Korea or Ukraine, the prime minister is an official generally appointed by the president but usually approved by the legislature and responsible for carrying out the directives of the president and managing the civil service. The premier of the Republic of China (Taiwan) is also appointed by the president but does not require any approval by the legislature.
Appointment of the prime minister of France does not require any approval by the parliament either, but the parliament may force the resignation of the government. In these systems, it is possible for the president and the prime minister to be from different political parties if the legislature is controlled by a party different from that of the president. When it arises, such a state of affairs is usually referred to as (political) cohabitation.
Newer parliamentary systems that operate based on a codified constitution, however, do have a term of office of the prime minister linked to the period in office of the parliament. Hence, for example, Latvian prime minister Krišjānis Kariņš, who was first appointed in 2018, had to be reappointed as head of a new government following the 2022 Latvian parliamentary election.
The position of prime minister is usually chosen from the political party that commands – whether by itself or as the largest member of a coalition – the majority of seats in the lower house of parliament, though this is not a requirement either; for example, following the 2018 Latvian parliamentary election, after two failed attempts by larger parties to form a coalition headed by them, the leader of the smallest party in parliament – Krišjānis Kariņš – was eventually appointed as a compromise candidate. Italy has seen several emergency technocratic governments, such as Carlo Azeglio Ciampi's and Mario Draghi's governments, where the prime minister was a non-partisan expert backed by the confidence and supply of a grand coalition.
In parliamentary systems, are generally required to have the confidence of the Lower house (though a small minority of parliaments, by giving a right to block supply to , in effect make the cabinet responsible to both houses, though in reality upper houses, even when they have the power, rarely exercise it). Where they lose a vote of confidence, have a motion of no confidence passed against them, or where they lose supply, most systems require either:
The latter in effect allows the government to appeal the opposition of parliament to the Constituency. However, in many a head of state may refuse a parliamentary dissolution, requiring the resignation of the prime minister and his or her government. In most modern parliamentary systems, the prime minister is the person who decides when to request a parliamentary dissolution.
Older constitutions often vest this power in the cabinet. In the United Kingdom, for example, the tradition whereby it is the prime minister who requests a dissolution of parliament dates back to 1918. Prior to then, it was the entire government that made the request. Similarly, though the modern 1937 Irish constitution grants to the Taoiseach the right to make the request, the earlier 1922 Irish Free State Constitution vested the power in the Executive Council (the then name for the Irish cabinet).
Some systems, such as Germany and Spain, require motions of no confidence to be constructive: i.e., they must include the name of an alternative prime minister; if the motion of no confidence is successful, the alternative prime minister automatically takes office in place of the incumbent government, which cannot appeal this replacement to the electorate.
In Australia, the prime minister is expected to step down if they lose the majority support of their party under a spill motion as have many such as Tony Abbott, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull.
Other common forms include president of the council of ministers (for example in Italy, Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri), President of the Executive Council, or Minister-President. In the Nordic countries the prime minister is called Statsminister, meaning "Minister of State". In , the head of government of a Federated state (such as the province or territory of Canada, the province of Argentina or the state of Brazil) is most commonly known as the premier, chief minister, governor or minister-president.
It is convention in the English language to call nearly all national heads of government "prime minister" (or sometimes the equivalent term "premier"), except in cases where the head of state and head of government are one position (usually a presidency), regardless of the correct title of the head of government as applied in his or her respective country. The few exceptions to the rule are Germany and Austria, whose head of government's title is Federal Chancellor; Monaco, whose head of government is referred to as the Minister of State; and Vatican City, for which the head of government is titled the Secretary of State. A stand-out case is the president of Iran, who is not actually a head of state, but the head of the government of Iran. He is referred to as "president" in both the Persian language and English languages.
In non-Commonwealth countries, the prime minister may be entitled to the style of Excellency like a president. In some Commonwealth countries, prime ministers and former prime ministers are styled Honourable or Right Honourable associated with their position (the prime minister of Australia or the prime minister of Canada, for example). In the United Kingdom, the prime minister and former prime ministers are also often styled Honourable or Right Honourable; however, this is not due to their position as head of government, but a privilege of being current members of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council.
In the UK, where devolved government is in place, the leaders of the Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh Government Governments are styled First Minister. Between 1921 and 1972, when Northern Ireland had a majority rule Parliament, the head of government was the prime minister of Northern Ireland. In Bangladesh, the prime minister is called Prodhān Montrī, literally meaning "the head of ministers" or "prime minister". In India, the prime minister is called Pradhān Mantrī, literally meaning "the head of ministers" or "prime minister". In Pakistan, the prime minister is referred to as Wazir-e-Azam, meaning "grand vizier".
Algeria's constitution (1962) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Algeria.
Australia's constitution makes no mention of a prime minister of Australia and the office only exists by convention, based on the British model.
Bangladesh's constitution clearly outlines the functions and powers of the prime minister, and also details the process of his/her appointment and dismissal.
The People's Republic of China constitution set a premier just one place below the National People's Congress in China. Premier read as (Simplified Chinese: 总理; pinyin: Zŏnglĭ) in Chinese.
Canada has a 'mixed' or hybrid constitution, partly formally codified and partly uncodified. The codified part originally made no reference whatsoever to a prime minister Constitution Act, 1867 (U.K.), 30 & 31 Vict., c. 3. See also “Constitution Act, 1867,” in: Justice Canada, ed., A Consolidation of The Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982, Government of Canada Catalogue № YX1‑1/2012 (Ottawa: 2012), , pp. 1–52. and still gives no parameters of the office. Instead, their powers, duties, appointment and termination follow uncodified conventions. The Constitution Act, 1867 only establishes the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, to which all federal ministers (among others) are appointed and with Members of which the Monarch or their Governor General normally performs executive government (as King-in-Council).See Constitution Act, 1867 (U.K.), 30 & 31 Vict., c. 3, Part 2 (§ 11 in particular). See also “Constitution Act, 1867,” in: Justice Canada, ed., A Consolidation of The Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982, Government of Canada Catalogue № YX1‑1/2012 (Ottawa: 2012), , pp. 3–4. The Constitution Act, 1982, adds passing reference to the "Prime Minister of Canada" French: but as detail of conferences of federal and provincial first ministers.) Constitution Act, 1982, Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (U.K.), 1982, c. 11, §§ 35.1, 49. See also “Constitution Act, 1982,” in: Justice Canada, ed., A Consolidation of The Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982, Government of Canada Catalogue № YX1‑1/2012 (Ottawa: 2012), , pp. 53–75 at 63, 68.
Czech Republic's constitution clearly outlines the functions and powers of the prime minister of the Czech Republic, and also details the process of his/her appointment and dismissal.
France's constitution (1958) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of France.
Germany's Basic Law (1949) lists the powers, functions and duties of the federal chancellor.
Greece's constitution (1975) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Greece.
Hungary's constitution (2012) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Hungary.
India's constitution (1950) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of India. In India, prime ministerial candidates must be a member of parliament, i.e. of either the Lok Sabha (Lower House) or Rajya Sabha (Upper House). No parliamentary vote takes place on who forms a government.
Ireland's constitution (1937), provides for the office of Taoiseach in detail, listing powers, functions and duties.
Italy's constitution (1948) lists the powers, functions and duties of the president of the Council of Ministers.
Japan's constitution (1946) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Japan.
The Republic of Korea's constitution (1987) sections 86–87 list the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of the Republic of Korea.
Malta's constitution (1964) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Malta.
Malaysia's constitution (1957) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Malaysia.
Norway's constitution (1814) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Norway
Pakistan's constitution (1973) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Pakistan.
Poland's constitution (1918) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Poland.
Spain's constitution (1978) regulates the appointment, dismissal, powers, functions and duties of the President of the Government.
Sri Lanka's constitution (1978) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Sri Lanka.
Thailand's constitution (1932) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Thailand.
Taiwan's constitution (1946) lists the powers, functions and duties of the president of the Executive Yuan.
The United Kingdom's constitution, being uncodified and largely unwritten, makes no mention of a prime minister. Though it had de facto existed for centuries, its first mention in official state documents did not occur until the first decade of the twentieth century. Accordingly, it is often said "not to exist"; indeed there are several instances of parliament declaring this to be the case. The prime minister sits in the cabinet solely by virtue of occupying another office, either First Lord of the Treasury (office in commission) or more rarely Chancellor of the Exchequer (the last of whom was Arthur Balfour in 1905).
Russia's constitution (1993) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Russia.
Ukraine's constitution (1996) lists the powers, functions and duties of the prime minister of Ukraine.
| Nadir Larbaoui |
| Cora Richardson-Hodge |
| Guillermo Francos |
| Nikol Pashinyan |
| Anthony Albanese |
| Christian Stocker |
| Ali Asadov |
| Muhammad Yunus |
| Mia Mottley |
| Bart De Wever |
| Johnny Briceño |
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| Edward David Burt |
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| Natalio Wheatley |
| Hassanal Bolkiah |
| Dimitar Glavchev |
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| Mark Carney |
| Ulisses Correia e Silva |
| Julianna O'Connor-Connolly |
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| Anatole Collinet Makosso |
| Judith Suminwa |
| Mark Brown |
| Robert Beugré Mambé |
| Ünal Üstel |
| Abiy Ahmed |
| Petteri Orpo |
| Raymond Ndong Sima |
| Irakli Kobakhidze |
| Friedrich Merz |
| Fabian Picardo |
| Narendra Modi |
| ( Post abolished) |
| Micheál Martin |
| Albin Kurti |
| Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah |
| Evika Siliņa |
| Sam Matekane |
| Daniel Risch |
| Ingrida Šimonytė |
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| Anwar Ibrahim |
| Choguel Kokalla Maïga (interim) |
| Robert Abela |
| Mokhtar Ould Djay |
| Pravind Jugnauth |
| Pierre Dartout |
| Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene |
| Milojko Spajić |
| Easton Taylor-Farrell |
| Aziz Akhannouch |
| Adriano Maleiane |
| Min Aung Hlaing |
| Saara Kuugongelwa |
| KP Sharma Oli |
| Dick Schoof |
| Christopher Luxon |
| Andrew Furey |
| Ali Lamine Zeine |
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| Hristijan Mickoski |
| Jonas Gahr Støre |
| Shehbaz Sharif |
| Mohammad Mustafa |
| James Marape |
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| Luís Montenegro |
| Mikhail Mishustin |
| Édouard Ngirente |
| Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa |
| Patrice Trovoada |
| Mohammad bin Salman |
| Ousmane Sonko |
| Miloš Vučević |
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| David Moinina Sengeh |
| Robert Golob |
| Jeremiah Manele |
| Hamza Abdi Barre |
| Pedro Sánchez |
| Kamil Idris |
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| Ulf Kristersson |
| Kassim Majaliwa |
| Paetongtarn Shinawatra |
| Xanana Gusmão |
| Victoire Tomegah Dogbé |
| Aleksandr Rosenberg |
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| Washington Misick |
| Feleti Teo |
| Robinah Nabbanja |
| Sir Keir Starmer |
| Jotham Napat |
| Phạm Minh Chính |
| Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed |
| Bouchraya Hammoudi Bayoun |
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