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Prince Dionisiy Proposes Constitutional Changes

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The new Prime Minister has proposed changes to the current system of executive and legislative power in a Prime Minister’s Broadcast released earlier today.

New Prime Minister Dionisiy I

Prince Dionisiy, who was elected earlier this month, announced plans to put forward various constitutional changes.

The amendments would, in brief, change the nature of Austenasia-wide democracy from having an executive to a legislative function.

Prince Dionisiy has proposed “to establish regular direct and binding referenda which will solve the important legislative questions… so that not only the House of Representatives is able to decide upon legislative questions, but that the people themselves are in charge.”

This would be coupled with a change to the set-up of government, with the Consuls being appointed by the Monarch and replacing the Prime Minister as head of government.

The details of how these changes would be implemented and the proposed timescale of their implementation are yet to be known, as they have not yet been officially proposed by legislation. Any changes to the Constitution require approval by the Monarch and a supermajority of Representatives, as well as confirmation by a referendum.

Lord John Gordon, the Leader of the Opposition, has come out in opposition to the proposal to make the head of government an appointed position.

“Austenasia is a democratic nation, a fact I am proud of. I will fight as Leader of the Opposition against any attempts to undermine the democratic process,” Lord John said today in an exclusive statement to the Austenasian Times.

Given the requirement that any change to the Constitution requires the support of over 80% of Representatives, it would take just one Representative other than Lord Gordon to also vote against in order to derail the proposed amendments.

Prime Minister’s Broadcasts were a semi-regular feature of the premiership of the then Crown Prince Jonathan, when the now Emperor was Prime Minister (2008-13). They were not used by Lord Marshal William (2013) or Countess Eritoshi (2013-15), but Lord Admiral Kennedy (2015-20) did publish one shortly after his initial election win.

About this article

Additional context relevant to this article.

What is the Monarchy? The Austenasian Monarchy is the constitutional institution headed by the Emperor of Austenasia, who serves as Head of State. The Crown represents the continuity and constitutional authority of Austenasia and has formed part of the Empire’s constitutional structure since its foundation in 2008. The office of Monarch is distinct from that of the Prime Minister, who serves as Head of Government and leads the day-to-day administration of Austenasia. The powers and constitutional arrangements of the Crown have changed during Austenasia’s history.
What is the office of the Prime Minister? The Prime Minister of Austenasia is the Head of Government and leads the day-to-day administration of the Empire. The Prime Minister leads the Government and Cabinet and oversees the development and implementation of government policy and the work of the administration. The office is distinct from that of the Emperor, who serves as Head of State. The constitutional powers and arrangements of the premiership have changed during Austenasia’s history.
Historical constitutional framework The Constitution of 2011 is no longer the Constitution of Austenasia. It was repealed and replaced by the Constitution of 2026, which entered into force on 25 July 2026. References in this article to provisions of the Constitution of 2011 describe the constitutional arrangements in force at the time of publication and may not reflect current Austenasian law.