Editing Parliamentary system (section)

===Appointment of the head of government===

Implementations of the parliamentary system can also differ as to how the prime minister and government are appointed and whether the government needs the explicit approval of the parliament, rather than just the absence of its disapproval. While most parliamentary systems such as India require the prime minister and other ministers to be a member of the legislature, in other countries like Canada and the United Kingdom this only exists as a convention, some other countries including Norway, Sweden and the Benelux countries require a sitting member of the legislature to resign such positions upon being appointed to the executive.

* ''' The head of state appoints a prime minister who will likely have majority support in parliament'''. While in the majority of cases prime ministers in the [[Westminster system]] are the leaders of the largest party in parliament, technically the appointment of the prime minister is a prerogative exercised by the head of state (be it the monarch, the governor-general, or the president). This system is used in:

** {{flag|Australia}}
** {{flag|Canada}}
** {{flag|India}}
** {{flag|Jamaica}}
** {{flag|Malaysia}}
** {{flag|New Zealand}}
** {{flag|United Kingdom}}
** {{flag|Denmark}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ft.dk/da/folkestyret/regeringen/saadan-dannes-en-regering|title=Sådan dannes en regering / Folketinget|date=29 November 2016 |accessdate=31 July 2024}}</ref>
** {{flag|Portugal}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.parlamento.pt/sites/EN|title=The Assembleia da República as a body that exercises sovereign power / Folketinget| accessdate=16 September 2024}}</ref>
* ''' The head of state appoints a prime minister who must gain a vote of confidence within a set time.''' This system is used in:

** {{flag|Italy}}

* ''' The head of state appoints the leader of the political party holding a plurality of seats in parliament as prime minister'''. For example, in Greece, if no party has a majority, the leader of the party with a plurality of seats is given an ''exploratory mandate'' to receive the confidence of the parliament within three days. If said leader fails to obtain the confidence of parliament, then the leader of the ''second''-largest party is given the ''exploratory mandate''. If that fails, then the leader of the ''third''-largest political party is given the ''exploratory mandate'', and so on. This system is used in:

** {{flag|Greece}}

* ''' The head of state ''nominates'' a candidate for prime minister who is then submitted to parliament for approval before appointment.''' Example: Spain, where the King sends a proposal to the [[Congress of Deputies]] for approval. Also, Germany where under the [[Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany|German Basic Law]] (constitution) the [[Bundestag]] votes on a candidate nominated by the federal president. In these cases,{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}} parliament can choose another candidate who then would be appointed by the head of state. This system is used in:

** {{flag|Estonia}}
** {{flag|Germany}}
** {{flag|Spain}}

* ''' Parliament ''nominates'' a candidate whom the head of state is constitutionally obliged to appoint as prime minister.''' Example: Japan, where the [[Emperor of Japan|Emperor]] appoints the [[Prime Minister of Japan|Prime Minister]] on the nomination of the [[National Diet]]. Also Ireland, where the [[President of Ireland]] appoints the [[Taoiseach]] on the nomination of [[Dáil Éireann]]. This system is used in:

** {{flag|Ireland}}
** {{flag|Japan}}
** {{flag|Thailand}}

* '''A public officeholder (other than the head of state or their representative) ''nominates'' a candidate, who, if approved by parliament, is appointed as prime minister.''' Example: Under the Swedish [[Instrument of Government (1974)]], the power to appoint someone to form a government has been moved from the monarch to the Speaker of Parliament and the parliament itself. The speaker nominates a candidate, who is then elected to prime minister (''statsminister'') by the parliament if an absolute majority of the members of parliament does not vote against the candidate (i.e. they can be elected even if more members of parliament vote ''No'' than ''Yes).'' This system is used in:

** {{flag|Sweden}}

* '''Direct election by popular vote.''' Example: Israel, 1996–2001, where the prime minister was elected in a general election, with no regard to political affiliation, and whose procedure can also be described as of a [[semi-parliamentary system]].<ref name="Pouvoirs">{{cite magazine |last=Duverger |first=Maurice |author-link=Maurice Duverger |date=September 1996 |title=Les monarchies républicaines |trans-title=The crowned republics |url=http://www.revue-pouvoirs.fr/IMG/pdf/78Pouvoirs_p107-120_monarchies_republicaines.pdf |language=fr |magazine=Pouvoirs, revue française d'études constitutionnelles et politiques |location=Paris |publisher=Éditions du Seuil |issn=0152-0768 |isbn=2-02-030123-7 |issue=78 |pages=107–120 |access-date=10 September 2016 |archive-date=1 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001151614/https://revue-pouvoirs.fr/IMG/pdf/78Pouvoirs_p107-120_monarchies_republicaines.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Forms">{{cite book |last1=Frosini |first1=Justin Orlando |year=2008 |editor-last=Ferrari |editor-first=Giuseppe Franco |title=Forms of State and Forms of Government |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GFBPlYjuJYsC |publisher=Giuffrè Editore |pages=54–55 |isbn=9788814143885 |access-date=13 November 2016 |via=[[Google Books]] |archive-date=19 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819092351/https://books.google.com/books?id=GFBPlYjuJYsC |url-status=live }}</ref> This system was used in:

** {{flag|Israel}} (1996–2001)