Editing Prime minister

{{Short description|Top minister of cabinet and government}}
{{About|the governmental position|other uses|Prime Minister (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=June 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2018}}
{{politics}}
[[File:The Prime Ministers of the Nordic Council in October 2014 - 09.jpg|thumb|Prime ministers of the Nordic and Baltic countries in 2014. From left: [[Erna Solberg]], Norway; [[Algirdas Butkevičius]], Lithuania; [[Laimdota Straujuma]], Latvia; [[Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson]], Iceland; [[Alexander Stubb]], Finland; [[Anne Sulling]], Estonia (trade minister); [[Helle Thorning-Schmidt]], Denmark; [[Stefan Löfven]], Sweden.]]

A '''prime minister''' or '''chief of cabinet''' is the head of the [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]] and the leader of the [[Minister (government)|ministers]] in the [[Executive (government)|executive]] branch of [[government]], often in a [[parliamentary system|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 (government title)|president]] in a [[republic]]an form of [[government]]. 

In [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary systems of government]] (be they [[Constitutional monarchy|constitutional monarchies]] or [[Parliamentary republic|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 and supply|confidence]] of the [[legislature]]. The head of state is typically a ceremonial officer, though they may exercise [[Reserve power|reserve powers]] to check the Prime Minister in unusual situations.

Under some [[presidential system]]s, 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 system]]s, a prime minister is the official appointed to manage the [[civil service]] and execute the directives of the [[head of state]].
{{Executive}}

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|monarchies]] 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|prime minister of the United Kingdom]], for example, is also [[First Lord of the Treasury]] and [[Minister for the Civil Service]].{{notetag | The posts of Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury are separate and need not be held by the one person, though the last prime minister not to be First Lord of the Treasury was Lord Salisbury at the turn of the 20th century. [[10 Downing Street]] is actually the First Lord's residence, not the prime minister's. As Salisbury was not First Lord, he had to live elsewhere as prime minister.}} 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 (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]]). Another example is the [[Thirty-fourth government of Israel]] {{as of|2019|alt=(2015–2019)}}, when [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] at one point served as the [[Prime Minister of Israel|prime minister]] and minister [[Ministry of Communications (Israel)|of Communications]], [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel)|Foreign Affairs]], [[Regional Cooperation Minister of Israel|Regional Cooperation]], [[Ministry of Economy (Israel)|Economy]], [[Ministry of Defense (Israel)|Defense]] and [[Ministry of Interior (Israel)|Interior]].

==Etymology==
The term "prime minister" is attested in 17th century sources referring to [[Cardinal Richelieu]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rnlnJbC2yRsC |title=Testament Politique du Cardinal Duc de Richelieu, Premier Ministre de France sous le Règne de Louïs XIII |year=1709 |access-date=16 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808195158/https://books.google.fi/books?id=rnlnJbC2yRsC&printsec=frontcover |archive-date=8 August 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> after he was named ''premier ministre'' to head the French [[Royal Council of France|royal council]] in 1624. The title was used alongside the ''[[Chief minister of France|principal ministre d'État]]'' ("chief minister of the state") more as a job description. After 1661, [[Louis XIV]] and his descendants refused to allow one of their Ministers to be more important than the others, so the term was no longer in use.<ref>[http://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/divers/Ancien_Régime/105343 Ancien Régime] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031044903/https://larousse.fr/encyclopedie/divers/Ancien_R%c3%a9gime/105343 |date=31 October 2018 }} in Encyclopédie Larousse ("Après 1661, Louis XIV impose une nouvelle formule, qui joue à la fois sur les ministres et sur les conseils, sans accepter la primauté d'un ministre.")</ref>

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{{where|date=September 2022}} and remains so in the 21st century.<ref>{{cite web|title=Oxford English Dictionary|url=http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/151304?rskey=fPLQIK&result=2&isAdvanced=false#eid|access-date=15 December 2014}}</ref>

==History==
{{See also|History of parliamentarism}}

===Origins===
{{Further|Chief Minister of England|Chief minister of France|Grand vizier}}

The position of a head of government separate from the head of state, or as the most important government administrator or minister after the monarch in rank developed in multiple countries separate from each other. The names given could be "prime minister", although other terms were also used such as "chief minister", "grand chancellor", "chancellor", "grand vizier", "counselor", and others. 

The literal title itself can be traced back to the [[Abbasid Caliphate|Abbasid caliphate]] and the [[Ottoman Empire]] . They both had an official title of [[Grand vizier|Grand Vizier]] simply the [[Head of government|Head of the Government]] which is called [[Prime Minister]] nowadays. The Grand Vizier was the most powerful person after [[List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire|sultan]] but sometimes the [[Grand vizier|Grand Vizier]] of Ottoman Empire was more powerful than sultan himself.<ref>{{Cite web |title= The Ottoman Empire's No 2 man|date=17 February 2014 |url=https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/the-ottoman-empires-no-2-man-62481}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= (The Root of the Great Vizier in the Ottoman Empire Until the Era of Sultan Muhammad Al-Fateh 1429-1481)|url=https://www.rimakjournal.com/the-root-of-the-great-vizier-in-the-ottoman-empire-until-the-era-of-sultan-muhammad-al-fateh-1429-1481_963#:~:text=Among%20the%20positions%20that%20the,shrines%20within%20the%20Ottoman%20Empire}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= What role did the vizier play in 'Abbasid administration? &#124; TutorChase|url=https://www.tutorchase.com/answers/ib/history/what-role-did-the-vizier-play-in--abbasid-administration}}</ref> 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 (China)|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 (government)|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 [[Tories (British political party)|Tory]] ministers [[Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Mortimer|Harley]] and [[Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke|Viscount Bolingbroke]] shared power.

===Development===
[[File:CommonwealthPrimeMinisters1944.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.15|The prime ministers of five members of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]] at the 1944 [[Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting|Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference]].]]
In the mid 17th century, after the [[English Civil War]] (1642–1651), Parliament strengthened its position relative to the monarch then gained more power through the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688 and passage of the [[Bill of Rights 1689|Bill of Rights]] in 1689.<ref>{{cite web|title=Britain's unwritten constitution|url=http://www.bl.uk/magna-carta/articles/britains-unwritten-constitution|publisher=British Library|access-date=27 November 2015|quote=The key landmark is the Bill of Rights (1689), which established the supremacy of Parliament over the Crown.... The Bill of Rights (1689) then settled the primacy of Parliament over the monarch’s prerogatives, providing for the regular meeting of Parliament, free elections to the Commons, free speech in parliamentary debates, and some basic human rights, most famously freedom from ‘cruel or unusual punishment’.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208232341/http://www.bl.uk/magna-carta/articles/britains-unwritten-constitution|archive-date=8 December 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The monarch could no longer establish any law or impose any tax without its permission and thus the House of Commons became a part of the government. It is at this point that a modern style of prime minister begins to emerge.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Institution of Prime Minister|url=https://history.blog.gov.uk/2012/01/01/the-institution-of-prime-minister/|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom: History of Government Blog|access-date=15 April 2016|date=1 January 2012|author=Dr Andrew Blick and Professor George Jones — No 10 guest historian series, Prime Ministers and No. 10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310152512/https://history.blog.gov.uk/2012/01/01/the-institution-of-prime-minister/|archive-date=10 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Carter|first1=Byrum E.|title=Office of the Prime Minister|date=2015|orig-year=1955|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=9781400878260|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ez7WCgAAQBAJ|chapter=The Historical Development of the Office of Prime Minister|access-date=15 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601045620/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ez7WCgAAQBAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s|archive-date=1 June 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

A tipping point in the evolution of the prime ministership came with the death of Anne in 1714 and the accession of [[George I of Great Britain|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 [[British Whig Party|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 [[British House of Commons|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, [[William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne|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 of Great Britain|George II]] and [[George III of Great Britain|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.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Seidle|first1=F. Leslie|last2=Docherty|first2=David C.|title=Reforming parliamentary democracy|date=2003|publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press|isbn=9780773525085|page=3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i6je60BF-3sC&pg=PA3|access-date=23 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623171013/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=i6je60BF-3sC&pg=PA3&&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0uK-cq6XMAhXGC8AKHaq8B-EQ6AEIMDAE|archive-date=23 June 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Johnston|first1=Douglas M.|last2=Reisman|first2=W. Michael|title=The Historical Foundations of World Order|date=2008|publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers|location=Leiden|isbn=978-9047423935|page=571|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dVuwCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA571|access-date=27 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222248/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=dVuwCQAAQBAJ&lpg=PA538&ots=IyjxeR16Zk&pg=PA571|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Fieldhouse|first1=David|last2=Madden|first2=Frederick|title=Settler self-government, 1840–1900 : the development of representative and responsible government|date=1990|publisher=Greenwood Press|location=New York|isbn=9780313273261|page=xxi|edition=1. publ.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nZHdAZDr-kYC&pg=PR21|access-date=27 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304015800/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=nZHdAZDr-kYC&lpg=PR20&ots=B0fgbjHVp4&pg=PR21|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.

===Modern usage===
[[File:Royal Decree no 08231772 of 07.08.2023 (Cambodia).jpg|thumb|Royal decree appointing the Prime Minister of Cambodia in 2023]]
In the late 20th century,<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Arjomand|editor1-first=Saïd Amir|title=Constitutionalism and political reconstruction|date=2007|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-9004151741|pages=92–94|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kYmmnYKEvE0C&pg=PA94|author1=Julian Go|chapter=A Globalizing Constitutionalism?, Views from the Postcolony, 1945-2000|access-date=27 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306121536/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kYmmnYKEvE0C&lpg=PA93&ots=nOUN11pmfK&pg=PA94|archive-date=6 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=How the Westminster Parliamentary System was exported around the World|url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/features/how-the-westminster-parliamentary-system-was-exported-around-the-world|publisher=University of Cambridge|access-date=16 December 2013|date=2 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216190945/http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/features/how-the-westminster-parliamentary-system-was-exported-around-the-world|archive-date=16 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> many of the world's countries had prime ministers or equivalent ministers, holding office under either [[constitutional monarchies]] or ceremonial presidents. The main exceptions to this system include Switzerland and the United States, as well as the presidential republics in Latin America, such as Chile and Mexico, modelled on the U.S. system in which the president directly exercises executive authority.

[[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.

==Overview of the office==

=== In monarchies and in republics ===
[[File:Secretary Pompeo and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (43814329771) (Mahathir cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Mahathir Mohamad]], the [[Prime Minister of Malaysia]] for over 24 years (1981–2003, 2018–2020), is known for his role in modernizing the country's economy.]]
The post of prime minister may be encountered both in constitutional [[monarch]]ies (such as [[Prime Minister of Belgium|Belgium]], [[Prime Minister of Denmark|Denmark]], [[Prime Minister of Japan|Japan]], [[Prime Minister of Luxembourg|Luxembourg]], the [[Prime Minister of the Netherlands|Netherlands]], [[Prime Minister of Norway|Norway]], [[Prime Minister of Malaysia|Malaysia]], [[Prime Minister of Morocco|Morocco]], [[Prime Minister of Spain|Spain]],{{notetag | Although the roles of the Spanish head of government coincide with the definition of a 'prime minister', in Spain the position is in fact referred to as 'the Presidency of the Government'.}} [[Prime Minister of Sweden|Sweden]], [[Prime Minister of Thailand|Thailand]], [[Prime Minister of Canada|Canada]], [[Prime Minister of Australia|Australia]], [[Prime Minister of New Zealand|New Zealand]], and the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|United Kingdom]]) and in [[parliamentary republic]]s, in which the head of state is an elected official (such as [[Prime Minister of Bangladesh|Bangladesh]], [[Prime Minister of Finland|Finland]], the [[Prime Minister of the Czech Republic|Czech Republic]], [[Prime Minister of France|France]], [[Prime Minister of Greece|Greece]], [[Prime Minister of Hungary|Hungary]], [[Prime Minister of India|India]], [[Prime Minister of Indonesia|Indonesia (1945–66)]], [[Taoiseach|Ireland]], [[Prime Minister of Nigeria|Nigeria (1960–66)]], [[Prime Minister of Pakistan|Pakistan]], [[Prime Minister of Montenegro|Montenegro]], [[Prime Minister of Croatia|Croatia]], [[Prime Minister of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]], [[Prime Minister of Romania|Romania]], [[Prime Minister of Serbia|Serbia]], [[Prime Minister of Turkey|Turkey (1923–2018)]] and [[Prime Minister of Italy|Italy]]). See also "[[First Minister]]", "[[Premier]]", "[[Chief Minister]]", "[[Chancellor]]", "[[Taoiseach]]", "Minister of State (''Statsminister'')", "President of the Government", "President of the Council of Ministers" and "[[Secretary of State]]": alternative titles usually equivalent in meaning to, or translated as, "prime minister". Both [[Indonesia]] and [[Nigeria]] lost their positions as prime ministers in 1966. [[Brazil]], [[Iran]], the [[Philippines]] and [[Turkey]] also lost their positions as prime ministers. [[Chile]], [[Mexico]], [[Switzerland]] and the [[United States]] never had positions as prime ministers.

This contrasts with the [[presidential system]], in which the [[President (government title)|president]] (or equivalent) is both the head of state and the head of the government. In some [[Presidential system|presidential]] and all [[Semi-presidential system|semi-presidential]] systems, such as those of [[Politics of Algeria|Algeria]], [[Politics of Argentina|Argentina]], [[Politics of China|China]], [[Politics of France|France]], [[Politics of Poland|Poland]], [[Politics of Russia|Russia]], [[Politics of South Korea|South Korea]] or [[Politics of Ukraine|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|premier]] of the [[Politics of the Republic of China|Republic of China (Taiwan)]] is also appointed by the [[President of the Republic of China|president]] but does not require any approval by the legislature.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

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 (government)|cohabitation]].{{cn|date=August 2023}}

===Entry into office===
In parliamentary systems a prime minister may enter into office by several means.

* The head of state appoints a prime minister, of their personal choice: Example: [[France]], where the president has the power to appoint the prime minister of their choice, though the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]] can force a government to resign, they cannot nominate or appoint a new candidate.
:While in practice most prime ministers under the [[Westminster system]] (including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, [[Malaysia]], India and the United Kingdom) are the leaders of the largest party or [[Political alliance|coalition]] in parliament, technically the appointment of the prime minister is ''de jure'' exercised by the head of state. 
* The head of state appoints a prime minister who has a set timescale within which they must gain a vote of confidence: Example: [[Italy]], [[Romania]], [[Thailand]]
* The head of state appoints a [[formateur]] from among the members of Parliament, who then has a set timescale within which they must form a cabinet, and receive the confidence of Parliament after presenting the Cabinet Composition and Legislative Program to Parliament, and the formateur becomes prime minister once approved by parliament: Example: Israel
* The head of state appoints the leader of the political party with the majority of the seats in the parliament as prime minister.  If no party has a majority, then 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 this is not possible, then the leader of the party with the second highest seat number is given the exploratory mandate.  If this fails, then the leader of the third largest party is given it and so on: Example: Greece, see [[Prime Minister of Greece]]
* The head of state ''nominates'' a candidate for prime minister who is then submitted to parliament for approval before appointment as prime minister: Example: Spain, where the King sends a nomination to parliament 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 the Philippines under the 1973 Constitution as amended after martial law, the prime minister was elected by the [[Batasang Pambansâ]] (Legislature) upon nomination by the president. In these cases, parliament can choose another candidate who then would be appointed by the head of state (or, in the case of the Philippines, outright elect that candidate).
* Parliament ''nominates'' a candidate who the head of state is then constitutionally obliged to appoint as prime minister: Example: [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], where the [[President of Ireland|president]] appoints the [[Taoiseach]] on the nomination of [[Dáil Éireann]]. Also [[Japan]].
* Election by the legislature: Example: [[Solomon Islands]] and [[Vanuatu]]. Also the [[Philippines]] under the unamended 1973 Constitution, where the prime minister was supposed to be elected by the Batasang Pambansâ; these provisions were never used because the Philippines was under martial law at the time.
* 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.
* Nomination by a state office holder other than the head of state or his or her representative: Example: Under the modern Swedish [[Constitution of Sweden|Instrument of Government]], the power to appoint someone to form a government has been moved from the [[Monarch of Sweden|monarch]] to the speaker of the 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 no (i.e. the candidate can be elected to the post even if more MP:s vote ''no'' than ''yes'').

===Exit from office===
{{Globalize|section|British Commonwealth countries|date=November 2023}}
In older, convention-based [[parliamentary system]]s, prime ministers are not appointed for a specific term in office and in effect may remain in power through a number of [[election]]s and parliaments. For example, [[Margaret Thatcher]] was only ever appointed prime minister on ''one'' occasion, in 1979. She remained ''continuously'' in power until 1990, though she used the assembly of each [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] after a [[general election]] to [[Cabinet reshuffle|reshuffle her cabinet]].

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 Kariņš cabinet|first appointed in 2018]], had to be reappointed as head of [[Second Kariņš cabinet|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 government (Italy)|technocratic governments]], such as [[Ciampi government|Carlo Azeglio Ciampi]]'s and [[Draghi government|Mario Draghi]]'s governments, where the prime minister was a non-partisan expert backed by the [[confidence and supply]] of a [[grand coalition|broad cross-section of the parliament]].

In parliamentary systems, [[government]]s are generally required to have the confidence of the [[Lower house|lower house of parliament]] (though a small minority of parliaments, by giving a right to block [[Loss of supply|supply]] to [[upper house]]s, in effect make the [[Cabinet (government)|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 [[constitution]]al systems require either:

{{ordered list|type=lower-alpha
 |a letter of resignation or
 |a request for parliamentary dissolution.
}}

The latter in effect allows the government to appeal the [[Opposition (parliamentary)|opposition]] of parliament to the [[Constituency|electorate]]. However, in many [[jurisdiction]]s 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 (government)|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 (Commonwealth countries)|Executive Council]]'' (the then name for the Irish cabinet).

Some systems, such as [[Germany]] and [[Spain]], require motions of no confidence to be [[constructive vote of no confidence|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]].

===Organisational structure===
{{Main|Cabinet department}}
The prime minister's executive office is usually called the Office of the Prime Minister or [[Cabinet Office]]. The U.K.’s [[Cabinet Office]] includes the Prime Minister’s Office. Conversely, some Prime Minister's Offices incorporate the role of Cabinet, while Australia’s Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet joins them at par. In Israel, the prime minister's executive office is officially titled the "Prime Minister's Office" in English, but the original Hebrew term can also be translated as the Prime Minister's Ministry.  The Prime Minister's Department is also used, as is Cabinet Department.

===Description of the role===
[[Wilfried Martens]], who served as Prime Minister of Belgium, described his role as follows:

:First of all the Prime Minister must listen a lot, and when deep disagreements occur, he must suggest a solution to the matter. This can be done in different ways. Sometimes during the discussion, I note the elements of the problem and think of a proposal I can formulate to the Council (cabinet), the Secretary taking notes. The Ministers then insist on changing game ages. The Prime Minister can also make a proposal which leaves enough room for amendments in order to keep the current discussion on the right tracks. When a solution must be found in order to reach a consensus, he can force one or two Ministers to join or resign.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}}

==Cross-country comparative details==

===Titles===
[[File:Prime Minister Keir Starmer attends Armistice Day in Paris, France on 11 November 2024 - 25.jpg|thumb|British Prime Minister [[Keir Starmer]] and French Prime Minister [[Michel Barnier]] in Paris, 2024]]
In many cases, though commonly used, "prime minister" is not the official title of the office-holder. In the [[Constitution of Russia|Russian constitution]], the prime minister is titled ''Chairman of the government''. The Irish prime minister is called the {{lang|ga|[[Taoiseach]]}} (which is rendered into English as ''prime minister''), in [[Israel]] the prime minister is ''Rosh HaMemshalah,'' meaning "head of the government", and the Spanish prime minister is the [[Prime Minister of Spain|President of the Government]] ({{lang|es|Presidente del Gobierno}}). The head of government of the [[China|People's Republic of China]] is referred to as the [[Premier of the People's Republic of China|Premier of the State Council]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=laws |url=http://www.npc.gov.cn/zgrdw/englishnpc/Law/2007-12/13/content_1384048.htm |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=www.npc.gov.cn}}</ref>

Other common forms include [[president of the council of ministers]] (for example in Italy, {{lang|it|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 [[federation]]s, the head of government of a [[Federated state|federated entity]] (such as the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|province or territory of Canada]], the [[Provinces of Argentina|province of Argentina]] or the [[States of Brazil| state of Brazil]]) is most commonly known as the [[premier]], [[chief minister]], [[governor]] or [[minister-president]].{{cn|date=August 2023}}

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|Persian]] 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|prime minister of Australia]] or the [[Prime Minister of Canada|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 (legal ethics)|privilege]] of being current members of [[His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council#Rights and privileges of members|His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council]].<ref name=PCpage25>{{cite web |url=http://www.privy-council.org.uk/output/Page25.asp |title=Privy Council Members |publisher=The Privy Council Office |access-date=19 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925163150/http://www.privy-council.org.uk/output/Page25.asp |archive-date=25 September 2009 }}</ref>

In the UK, where devolved government is in place, the leaders of the [[Scottish Government|Scottish]], [[Northern Ireland Executive|Northern Irish]] and [[Welsh Government|Welsh]] Governments are styled [[First Minister]]. Between 1921 and 1972, when Northern Ireland had a [[Parliament of Northern Ireland|majority rule Parliament]], the head of government was the [[Prime Minister of Northern Ireland|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".

===Constitutional basis for the position in different countries===
[[File:Macdonald1872.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[John A. Macdonald]] (1815–1891), first [[Prime Minister of Canada|Canadian prime minister]]]]
[[File:Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Ceylon 1960 (cropped).PNG|thumb|upright|[[Sirimavo Bandaranaike]] (1916–2000), former [[Prime Minister of Sri Lanka]] and the [[List of elected and appointed female heads of state and government|first female prime minister]]]]
[[File:Pitt the Younger.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British prime minister]] [[William Pitt the Younger|William Pitt]] (1759–1806), the youngest head of government at the age of 24.]]
The position, power and status of prime ministers differ depending on the age of the constitution.

'''Algeria's''' [[Constitution of Algeria|constitution]] (1962) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of Algeria|prime minister of Algeria]].

'''Australia's''' [[Constitution of Australia|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 of Bangladesh|constitution]] clearly outlines the functions and powers of the [[Prime Minister of Bangladesh|prime minister]], and also details the process of his/her appointment and dismissal.

The '''People's Republic of China''' [[Constitution of the People's Republic of China|constitution]] set a [[Premier of the People's Republic of China|premier]] just one place below the [[National People's Congress]] in China. Premier read as ([[Simplified Chinese characters|Simplified Chinese]]: 总理; [[pinyin]]: Zŏnglĭ) in Chinese.

'''Canada''' has a 'mixed' or hybrid [[Constitution of Canada|constitution]], partly formally codified and partly uncodified. The codified part originally made no reference whatsoever to a prime minister<ref>''[https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-1.html 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 № [https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/CONST_E.pdf YX1‑1/2012] (Ottawa: 2012), {{ISBN|9780660674582|}}, pp. 1–52.</ref> 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{{Efn|Which Members, though, are left to uncodified convention. As appointment to the Privy Council normally lasts for life, ''former'' Cabinet ministers predominate. The convention of [[Responsible Government]], however, requires the Governor General to only act on the advice of the current Cabinet (or its ministers relevant to the issue at hand).|name=|group=note}} of which the Monarch or their Governor General normally performs executive government (as [[King-in-Council|King- or Governor-in-Council]]).<ref>See ''[https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-1.html 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 № [https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/CONST_E.pdf YX1‑1/2012] (Ottawa: 2012), {{ISBN|9780660674582|}}, pp. 3–4.</ref> The ''[[Constitution Act, 1982]]'', adds passing reference to the "[[Prime Minister of Canada]]" [French: {{Lang|fr|premier ministre du Canada}}] but as detail of [[first ministers conference|conferences]] of federal and provincial [[first minister#Canada|first minister]]s.)<ref>''[https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-15.html#h-38 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., [https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/CONST_E.pdf ''A Consolidation of'' The Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982], Government of Canada Catalogue № YX1‑1/2012 (Ottawa: 2012), {{ISBN|9780660674582|}}, pp. 53–75 at 63, 68.</ref>

'''Czech Republic's''' [[Constitution of the Czech Republic|constitution]] clearly outlines the functions and powers of the [[Prime Minister of the Czech Republic|prime minister of the Czech Republic]], and also details the process of his/her appointment and dismissal.

'''France's''' [[Constitution of France|constitution]] (1958) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of France|prime minister of France]].

'''Germany's''' [[Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany|Basic Law]] (1949) lists the powers, functions and duties of the federal [[Chancellor of Germany (Federal Republic)|chancellor]].

'''Greece's''' [[Constitution of Greece|constitution]] (1975) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of Greece|prime minister of Greece]].

'''Hungary's''' [[Constitution of Hungary|constitution]] (2012) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of Hungary|prime minister of Hungary]].

'''India's''' [[Constitution of India|constitution]] (1950) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of India|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 of Ireland|constitution]] (1937), provides for the office of [[Taoiseach]] in detail, listing powers, functions and duties.

'''Italy's''' [[Constitution of Italy|constitution]] (1948) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[president of the Council of Ministers]].

'''Japan's''' [[Constitution of Japan|constitution]] (1946) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of Japan|prime minister of Japan]].

The '''Republic of Korea's''' [[Constitution of South Korea|constitution]] (1987) sections 86–87 list the powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of South Korea|prime minister of the Republic of Korea]].

'''Malta's''' [[Constitution of Malta|constitution]] (1964) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of Malta|prime minister of Malta]].

'''Malaysia's''' [[Constitution of Malaysia|constitution]] (1957) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of Malaysia|prime minister of Malaysia]].

'''Norway's''' [[Constitution of Norway|constitution]] (1814) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of Norway|prime minister of Norway]]

'''Pakistan's''' [[Constitution of Pakistan|constitution]] (1973) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of Pakistan|prime minister of Pakistan]].

'''Poland's''' [[Constitution of Poland|constitution]] (1918) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of Poland|prime minister of Poland]].

'''Spain's''' [[Spanish Constitution of 1978|constitution]] (1978) regulates the appointment, dismissal, powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of Spain|President of the Government]].

'''Sri Lanka's''' [[Constitution of Sri Lanka|constitution]] (1978) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of Sri Lanka|prime minister of Sri Lanka]].

'''Thailand's''' [[Constitution of Thailand|constitution]] (1932) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of Thailand|prime minister of Thailand]].

'''Taiwan's''' [[Constitution of the Republic of China|constitution]] (1946) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[president of the Executive Yuan]].

The '''United Kingdom's''' [[Constitution of the United Kingdom|constitution]], being [[uncodified constitution|uncodified]] and largely unwritten, makes no mention of a [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|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|Balfour]] in 1905).

:In such systems unwritten (and unenforceable) constitutional conventions often outline the order in which people are asked to form a government. If the prime minister resigns after a general election, the monarch usually asks the leader of the opposition to form a government. Where however a resignation occurs during a parliament session (unless the government has itself collapsed) the monarch will ask another member of the government to form a government. While previously the monarch had some leeway in whom to ask, all British political parties now elect their leaders (until 1965 the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]s chose their leader by informal consultation). The last time the monarch had a choice over the appointment occurred in 1963 when the [[Alec Douglas-Home|Earl of Home]] was asked to become prime minister ahead of [[Rab Butler]].
During the period between the time it is clear that the incumbent government has been defeated at a general election, and the actual swearing-in of the new prime minister by the monarch, governor-general, or president, that person is referred to as the "prime minister-elect" or "prime minister-designate". Neither term is strictly correct from a constitutional point of view, but they have wide acceptance. In a situation in which a ruling party elects or appoints a new leader, the incoming leader will usually be referred as "prime minister-in-waiting". An example or this situation was in 2016 in the United Kingdom when [[Theresa May]] was elected leader of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] while [[David Cameron]] was still prime minister.

'''Russia's''' [[Constitution of Russia|constitution]] (1993) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[prime minister of Russia]].

'''Ukraine's''' [[Constitution of Ukraine|constitution]] (1996) lists the powers, functions and duties of the [[Prime Minister of Ukraine|prime minister of Ukraine]].

==Lists of prime ministers==
{{main list|List of current prime ministers}}

[[File:Prime ministers.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|Countries with prime ministers (blue), those that formerly had that position (dark red) and those that never had that position (gray).]]
The following table groups the list of past and present prime ministers and details information available in those lists. [''[[Template:Update|needs update]] for [[Syria]], [[Sudan]], [[Kenya]], and the [[Republic of the Congo]]'']

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Government
! List starts
! nowrap|Parties<br />shown
! nowrap|Term given by<br />years or dates
! nowrap|Incumbent
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Abkhazia|Abkhazia]]||1995||-||dates||[[Vladimir Delba]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]]||1927||-||years||[[Hasan Akhund]] ([[Acting prime minister|acting]])
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Albania|Albania]]||1912||-||years||[[Edi Rama]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Algeria|Algeria]]||1962||yes||years||[[Nadir Larbaoui]]
|-
|[[Head of Government of Andorra|Andorra]]||1982||-||years||[[Xavier Espot Zamora]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Angola|Angola]]||1975||-||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Chief Minister of Anguilla|Anguilla]]||1976||yes||dates||[[Cora Richardson-Hodge]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda|Antigua and Barbuda]]||1981||-||years||[[Gaston Browne]]
|-
|[[Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers|Argentina]]{{notetag|[[Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers]]}}||1993||yes||dates||[[Guillermo Francos]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Armenia|Armenia]]||1918||yes||dates||[[Nikol Pashinyan]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Aruba|Aruba]]||1986||-||dates||[[Mike Eman]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Australia|Australia]] ([[List of prime ministers of Australia|List]])||1901||yes||dates||[[Anthony Albanese]]
|-
|[[Chancellor of Austria|Austria]] ([[List of chancellors of Austria|List]])||1918||yes||years||[[Christian Stocker]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]]||1918||yes||dates||[[Ali Asadov]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of the Bahamas|Bahamas]]||1967||-||dates||[[Philip Davis (Bahamian politician)|Philip Davis]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Bahrain|Bahrain]]||1970||-||years||[[Salman, Crown Prince of Bahrain|Crown Prince Salman]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Bangladesh|Bangladesh]] ([[List of prime ministers of Bangladesh|List]])||1971||yes||dates||[[Muhammad Yunus]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Barbados|Barbados]] ([[List of prime ministers of Barbados|List]])||1953||yes||dates||[[Mia Mottley]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Belarus|Belarus]] ([[List of prime ministers of Belarus|List]])||1919||-||dates||[[Alexander Turchin]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Belgium|Belgium]] ([[List of prime ministers of Belgium|List]])||1831||yes||dates||[[Bart De Wever]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Belize|Belize]]||1973||yes||years||[[Johnny Briceño]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Benin|Benin]]||1957||yes||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[List of Premiers of Bermuda|Bermuda]]||1968||yes||dates||[[Edward David Burt]]
|-
|[[List of Prime Ministers of Bhutan|Bhutan]]||1952||-||dates||[[Lotay Tshering]]
|-
|[[Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia and Herzegovina]]||1945||-||dates||[[Borjana Krišto]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of Botswana|Botswana]]||1965||yes||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Prime Ministers of Brazil|Brazil]]||1847||yes||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Heads of government of the British Virgin Islands|British Virgin Islands]]||1967||yes||dates||[[Natalio Wheatley]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Brunei|Brunei]]||1984||no||dates||[[Hassanal Bolkiah|Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah]]
|-
|[[List of Prime Ministers of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]]||1879||yes||dates||[[Dimitar Glavchev]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Burkina Faso|Burkina Faso]]||1971||-||dates||[[Apollinaire J. Kyélem de Tambèla|Apollinaire de Tambèla]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of Burundi|Burundi]]||1961||yes||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[List of Prime Ministers of Cambodia|Cambodia]]||1945||-||years||[[Hun Manet]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Cameroon|Cameroon]]||1960||-||dates||[[Joseph Ngute]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Canada|Canada]] ([[List of prime ministers of Canada|List]])||1867||yes||dates||[[Mark Carney]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Cape Verde|Cape Verde]]||1975||yes||dates||[[Ulisses Correia e Silva]]
|-
|[[Premier of the Cayman Islands|Cayman Islands]]||1992||yes||dates||[[Julianna O'Connor-Connolly]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of the Central African Republic|Central African Republic]]||1958||-||dates||[[Félix Moloua]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Chad|Chad]]||1978||-||dates||[[Allamaye Halina]]
|-
|[[Premier of the People's Republic of China|People's Republic of China]] ([[List of premiers of the People's Republic of China|List]])||1949||-||dates||[[Li Qiang]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of the Comoros|Comoros]]||1957||yes||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Heads of government of the Republic of the Congo|Congo (Brazzaville)]]||1957||yes||dates||[[Anatole Collinet Makosso]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo (Kinshasa)]] ([[List of prime ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo|List]])||1960||yes||dates||[[Judith Suminwa|Judith Suminwa Tuluka]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of the Cook Islands|Cook Islands]]||1965||yes||dates||[[Mark Brown (Cook Islands)|Mark Brown]]
|-
|[[List of heads of government of Ivory Coast|Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)]]||1957||yes||dates||[[Robert Beugré Mambé]]
|-
|[[Prime ministers of Croatia|Croatia]]||1939||-||dates||[[Andrej Plenković]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Cuba|Cuba]]||1940||-||dates||[[Manuel Marrero Cruz]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Curaçao|Curaçao]]||2010||-||dates||[[Gilmar Pisas]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Northern Cyprus|Northern Cyprus]]||1983||yes||dates||[[Ünal Üstel]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of the Czech Republic|Czech Republic]] ([[List of prime ministers of the Czech Republic|List]]) ||1993||-||years||[[Petr Fiala]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Denmark|Denmark]] ([[List of prime ministers of Denmark|List]])||1848||-||years||[[Mette Frederiksen]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Djibouti|Djibouti]]||1977||-||dates||[[Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Dominica|Dominica]]||1960||-||dates||[[Roosevelt Skerrit]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Egypt|Egypt]] ([[List of prime ministers of Egypt|List]])||1878||-||years||[[Moustafa Madbouly]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Equatorial Guinea|Equatorial Guinea]]||1963||-||dates||[[Manuela Roka Botey]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Estonia|Estonia]]||1918||-||dates||[[Kristen Michal]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of Ethiopia|Ethiopia]]||1942||yes||dates||[[Abiy Ahmed]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands|Faroe Islands]]||1946||-||years||[[Aksel V. Johannesen]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Fiji|Fiji]]||1966||-||dates||[[Sitiveni Rabuka]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Finland|Finland]] ([[List of prime ministers of Finland|List]])||1917||yes||years||[[Petteri Orpo]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of France|France]] ([[List of prime ministers of France|List]])||1589||-||years||[[François Bayrou|Francois Bayrou]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of Gabon|Gabon]]||1957||yes||dates||[[Raymond Ndong Sima]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of The Gambia|The Gambia]]||1961||-||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Georgia|Georgia]]||1918||yes||dates||[[Irakli Kobakhidze]]
|-
|[[Chancellor of Germany|Germany]] ([[List of chancellors of Germany|List]])||1871/1949||yes||dates||[[Friedrich Merz]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Ghana|Ghana]]||1957||-||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Chief Minister of Gibraltar|Gibraltar]]||1964||yes||dates||[[Fabian Picardo]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Greece|Greece]] ([[List of prime ministers of Greece|List]])||1833||-||dates||[[Kyriakos Mitsotakis]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Greenland|Greenland]]||1979||-||years||[[Múte Bourup Egede]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Grenada|Grenada]]||1954||-||years||[[Dickon Mitchell]]
|-
|[[President of the Policy and Resources Committee of Guernsey|Guernsey]]||2007||-||dates||[[Lyndon Trott]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Guinea|Guinea]]||1972||-||dates||[[Bah Oury]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of Guinea-Bissau|Guinea-Bissau]]||1973||-||dates||[[Rui Duarte de Barros]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Guyana|Guyana]]||1953||-||dates||[[Mark Phillips (Guyana)|Mark Phillips]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Haiti|Haiti]]||1988||-||dates||[[Garry Conille]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Hungary|Hungary]] ([[List of prime ministers of Hungary|List]]) ||1848||-||dates||[[Viktor Orbán]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Iceland|Iceland]]||1904||-||dates||[[Bjarni Benediktsson (born 1970)|Bjarni Benediktsson]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of India|India]] ([[List of prime ministers of India|List]]) ||1947||yes||dates||[[Narendra Modi]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Indonesia|Indonesia]]||1945||yes||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Iran|Iran]] ([[List of Prime Ministers of Iran|List]]) ||1624||-||years||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Iraq|Iraq]]||1920||-||years||[[Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani|Mohammed Al-Sudani]]
|-
|[[Taoiseach|Ireland]]||1937||yes||dates||[[Micheál Martin]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Israel|Israel]] ([[List of prime ministers of Israel|List]])||1948||-||years||[[Benjamin Netanyahu]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Italy|Italy]] ([[List of prime ministers of Italy|List]])||1861||-||years||[[Giorgia Meloni]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Jamaica|Jamaica]]||1959||-||years||[[Andrew Holness]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Japan|Japan]] ([[List of prime ministers of Japan|List]])||1885||-||dates||[[Shigeru Ishiba]]
|-
|[[Chief Minister of Jersey|Jersey]]||2005||-||dates||[[Lyndon Farnham]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Jordan|Jordan]]||1944||-||dates||[[Jafar Hassan]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Kazakhstan|Kazakhstan]]||1920||-||years||[[Oljas Bektenov]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Kenya|Kenya]]||1963||-||dates||(Post abolished)
|-
|[[List of premiers of North Korea|North Korea]]||1948||-||years||[[Kim Tok-hun]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of South Korea|South Korea]] ([[List of prime ministers of South Korea|List]])||1948||-||years||[[Han Duck-soo]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Kosovo|Kosovo]]||1945||yes||dates||[[Albin Kurti]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Kuwait|Kuwait]]||1962||yes||dates||[[Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah|Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Kurdistan Region |Kurdistan]]||1992||-||years||[[Masrour Barzani]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan|Kyrgyzstan]]||1924||-||dates||[[Akylbek Japarov]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Laos|Laos]]||1941||-||years||[[Sonexay Siphandone]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Latvia|Latvia]]||1918||yes||dates||[[Evika Siliņa]]
|-
|[[Prime minister of Lebanon|Lebanon]] ([[List of prime ministers of Lebanon|List]])||1926||-||dates||[[Nawaf Salam]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of Lesotho|Lesotho]]||1965||yes||dates||[[Sam Matekane]]
|-
|[[List of heads of government of Libya|Libya]]||1951||-||dates||[[Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh]]
|-
|[[List of heads of government of Liechtenstein|Liechtenstein]]||1921||yes||dates||[[Daniel Risch]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Lithuania|Lithuania]]||1918||yes||dates||[[Ingrida Šimonytė]]
|-
|[[List of Prime Ministers of Luxembourg|Luxembourg]]||1959||-||years||[[Luc Frieden]] 
|-
|[[Heads of government of Madagascar|Madagascar]]||1833||-||dates||[[Christian Ntsay]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of Malawi|Malawi]]||1963||yes||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Malaysia|Malaysia]]||1957||yes||years||[[Anwar Ibrahim]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of Mali|Mali]]||1957||yes||dates||[[Choguel Kokalla Maïga]] (interim)
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Malta|Malta]]||1921||yes||years||[[Robert Abela]]
|-
|[[Chief Minister of the Isle of Man|Isle of Man]]||1986||-||years||[[Alfred Cannan]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of Mauritania|Mauritania]]||1957||yes||dates||[[Mokhtar Ould Djay]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Mauritius|Mauritius]]||1961||yes||dates||[[Pravind Jugnauth]]
|-
|[[Prime minister of Moldova|Moldova]]||1990||-||dates||[[Dorin Recean]] 
|-
|[[Minister of State (Monaco)|Monaco]]||1911||n/a||dates||[[Pierre Dartout]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Mongolia|Mongolia]]||1912||yes||dates||[[Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Montenegro|Montenegro]]||1879||yes||dates||[[Milojko Spajić]]
|-
|[[Chief Minister of Montserrat|Montserrat]]||1960||yes||dates||[[Easton Taylor-Farrell]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Morocco|Morocco]]||1955||yes||years||[[Aziz Akhannouch]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of Mozambique|Mozambique]]||1974||yes||dates||[[Adriano Maleiane]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Burma|Myanmar (Burma)]]||1948||yes||dates||[[Min Aung Hlaing]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Namibia|Namibia]]||1990||yes||dates||[[Saara Kuugongelwa]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Nepal|Nepal]]||1803||yes||dates||[[KP Sharma Oli]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of the Netherlands|Netherlands]] ([[List of prime ministers of the Netherlands|List]])||1848||yes||dates||[[Dick Schoof]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of New Zealand|New Zealand]] ([[List of prime ministers of New Zealand|List]])||1856||yes||dates||[[Christopher Luxon]]
|-
|[[Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland and Labrador]] ([[List of premiers of Newfoundland and Labrador|List]]) ||1855||yes||dates||[[Andrew Furey]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of Niger|Niger]]||1958||yes||dates||[[Ali Lamine Zeine]]
|-
|[[President of Nigeria|Nigeria]]||1960||yes||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Premier of Niue|Niue]]||1974||-||dates||Sir [[Dalton Tagelagi]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of Norfolk Island|Norfolk Island]]||1896||2015||dates||(Post abolished)
|-
|[[Prime Minister of North Macedonia|North Macedonia]]||1943||yes||dates||[[Hristijan Mickoski]]
|-
|[[List of Norwegian Prime Ministers|Norway]]||1814||yes||years||[[Jonas Gahr Støre]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Pakistan|Pakistan]] ([[List of prime ministers of Pakistan|List]])||1947||yes||dates||[[Shehbaz Sharif]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of the State of Palestine|Palestine]]||2003||yes||dates||[[Mohammad Mustafa (economist)|Mohammad Mustafa]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Papua New Guinea|Papua New Guinea]]||1975||yes||years||[[James Marape]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Peru|Peru]]||1857||-||dates||[[Gustavo Adrianzén]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of the Philippines|Philippines]]||1899||yes||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Poland|Poland]] ([[List of prime ministers of Poland|List]])||1918||-||dates||[[Donald Tusk]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Portugal|Portugal]] ([[List of prime ministers of Portugal|List]])||1834||yes||dates||[[Luís Montenegro]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Qatar|Qatar]]||1970||-||dates||[[Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani|Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Romania|Romania]] ([[List of prime ministers of Romania|List]])||1862||-||years||[[Marcel Ciolacu]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Russia|Russia]] ([[List of heads of government of Russia|List]])||1864/1905||yes||dates||[[Mikhail Mishustin]] 
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Rwanda|Rwanda]]||1960||yes||dates||[[Édouard Ngirente]]
|-
|[[List of Prime Ministers of Saint Kitts and Nevis|Saint Kitts and Nevis]]||1960||-||dates||[[Terrance Drew]]
|-
|[[List of Prime Ministers of Saint Lucia|Saint Lucia]]||1960||-||dates||[[Philip Pierre]]
|-
|[[List of Prime Ministers of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]]||1956||-||dates||[[Ralph Gonsalves]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Samoa|Samoa]]||1875||yes||dates||[[Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of São Tomé and Principe|São Tomé and Principe]]||1974||yes||dates||[[Patrice Trovoada]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia|Saudi Arabia]]||1953||no||dates||[[Mohammad bin Salman]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Senegal|Senegal]]||1957||yes||dates||[[Ousmane Sonko]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Serbia|Serbia]]||1805||yes||years||[[Miloš Vučević]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Seychelles|Seychelles]]||1970||yes||years||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[List of heads of government of Sierra Leone|Sierra Leone]]||1954||yes||dates||[[David Moinina Sengeh]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Singapore|Singapore]]||1959||-||dates||[[Lawrence Wong]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Sint Maarten|Sint Maarten]]||2010||-||dates||[[Silveria Jacobs]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Slovakia|Slovakia]] ([[List of prime ministers of Slovakia|List]])||1993||-||dates||[[Robert Fico]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Slovenia|Slovenia]]||1943||yes||years||[[Robert Golob]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands|Solomon Islands]]||1949||yes||dates||[[Jeremiah Manele]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Somalia|Somalia]]||1949||yes||dates||[[Hamza Abdi Barre]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of South Africa|South Africa]]||1910||-||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Prime Minister of South Ossetia|South Ossetia]]||1991||-||dates||[[Konstantin Dzhussoev]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Spain|Spain]] ([[List of prime ministers of Spain|List]])||1705||yes||years||[[Pedro Sánchez (politician)|Pedro Sánchez]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka]] ([[List of Sri Lankan Prime Ministers|List]])||1948||-||dates||[[Harini Amarasuriya]] 
|-
|[[List of heads of government of Sudan|Sudan (List)]]||1952||yes||dates||[[Kamil Idris]]
|-
|[[List of Prime Ministers of Suriname|Suriname]]||1949||yes||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Heads of government of Swaziland|Swaziland]]||1967||-||years||[[Russell Dlamini]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Sweden|Sweden]] ([[List of prime ministers of Sweden|List]])||1876||yes||years||[[Ulf Kristersson]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Syria|Syria]]  ([[List of prime ministers of Syria|List]])||1920||-||dates||(''Post Abolished'')
|-
|[[Premier of the Republic of China|Taiwan (Republic of China)]] ([[List of premiers of the Republic of China|List]])||1912||-||dates||[[Cho Jung-tai]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Tajikistan|Tajikistan]]||1924||-||dates||[[Kokhir Rasulzoda]]
|-
|[[List of prime ministers of Tanzania|Tanzania]]||1960||yes||dates||[[Kassim Majaliwa]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Thailand|Thailand]] ([[List of Prime Ministers of Thailand|List]])||1932||yes||dates||[[Paetongtarn Shinawatra]] 
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Timor-Leste|Timor-Leste]]||2002||yes||dates||[[Xanana Gusmão]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of Togo|Togo]]||1956||yes||dates||[[Victoire Tomegah Dogbé]]
|-
|[[Heads of government of Tokelau|Tokelau]]||1992||-||dates||[[Kerisiano Kalolo]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Tonga|Tonga]]||1876||-||years||[[Siaosi Sovaleni]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Transnistria|Transnistria]]||2012||yes||dates||[[Aleksandr Rosenberg (politician)|Aleksandr Rosenberg]]
|-
|[[List of Prime Ministers of Trinidad and Tobago|Trinidad and Tobago]]||1956||-||dates||[[Kamla Persad-Bissessar]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Tunisia|Tunisia]]||1969||-||dates||[[Kamel Madouri]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Turkey|Turkey]] ([[List of prime ministers of Turkey|List]])||1920||yes||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Turkmenistan|Turkmenistan]]||1924||-||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands|Turks and Caicos Islands]]||1976||yes||dates||[[Washington Misick]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Tuvalu|Tuvalu]]||1975||n/a||dates||[[Feleti Teo]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Uganda|Uganda]]||1961||yes||dates||[[Robinah Nabbanja]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Ukraine|Ukraine]] ([[List of prime ministers of Ukraine|List]])||1917||-||dates||[[Denys Shmyhal]]
|-
|[[List of Prime Ministers of the United Arab Emirates|United Arab Emirates]]||1971||-||years||[[Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum|Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|United Kingdom]] ([[List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom|List]])||1721||yes||dates|| [[Sir Keir Starmer]]
|-
|[[National Council of Government (Uruguay)#History|Uruguay]] ||No List (post established 1919)||-||-||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Uzbekistan|Uzbekistan]]||1924||-||dates||[[Abdulla Aripov]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Vanuatu|Vanuatu]]||1980||yes||dates||[[Jotham Napat]] 
|-
|[[Cardinal Secretary of State|Vatican]]||1644||-||years||[[Pietro Parolin|Cardinal Pietro Parolin]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Vietnam|Vietnam]]||1976||yes||dates||[[Phạm Minh Chính]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Yemen|Yemen]]||1990||yes||years||[[Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic|Western Sahara]]||1976||no||years||[[Bouchraya Hammoudi Bayoun]]
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Zambia|Zambia]]||1964||yes||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Zimbabwe|Zimbabwe]]||1923||-||dates||(''Post abolished'')
|}

==See also==
*[[List of current prime ministers by date of assumption of office]]
*[[Chancellor]]
*[[Chief minister]]
*[[Governor-general]]
*[[Grand vizier]]
*[[Head of government]]
*[[Head of state]]
*[[Monarch]]
*[[President (government title)|President]]
*[[Prime ministerial government]]

;Lists:
*[[List of current heads of state and government]]
*[[List of democracy and election-related topics]]

== Notes ==
{{NoteFoot}}

== References ==
{{More citations needed|date=June 2012}}
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Andrew Blick & George Jones, [https://books.google.com/books?id=vXbZCgAAQBAJ ''Premiership:'' ''The Development, Nature and Power of the Office of the British Prime Minister''] (Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2010), {{ISBN|9781845406479|}}.
* Michael Foley, [https://books.google.com/books?id=-tK4nZYLyxcC The British Presidency] (Manchester University Press, Manchester, 2000)
* Peter Hennessy, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=wONEPVvX3YoC The Prime Minister: The Office and Its Holders Since 1945]'' (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2001), {{ISBN|978-0-312-29313-0|}}.
* Paul Langford, [http://muse.jhu.edu/article/204791 "Prime Ministers and Parliaments: The Long View, Walpole to Blair."], The Annual History of Parliament Lecture, 2005, ''Parliamentary History'', 25, 3 (2006): 382–394, doi:10.1353/pah.2006.0045.
* Brian Carroll, [https://books.google.com/books?id=W8PUBuw4idYC ''Australia's Prime Ministers: From Barton to Howard'']{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (Rosenberg Publishing, 2004)
* James Manor, [https://books.google.com/books?id=X90G8gnoqv4C ''Nehru to the Nineties: The Changing Office of Prime Minister in India''] (C. Hurst & Co., 1994)
* Jagdish Chandra Sharma, [https://books.google.com/books?id=8QkxBhRU2-AC&q=prime+minister+of+india ''Indian Prime Ministership: A Comprehensive Study''] (Concept Publishing Company, 2002), {{ISBN|9788170229247|}}.

{{Types of heads of government}}
{{Prime Minister}}
{{Types of government minister}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prime Minister}}
[[Category:Prime ministers| ]]
[[Category:Heads of government]]
[[Category:Titles]]
[[Category:Ministerial offices|+Prime]]
[[Category:Positions of authority]]
[[Category:17th-century neologisms]]