A '''prime minister''' may be either:
*chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a Parliamentary_system of Government; or
*the official, in countries with a Semi-presidential_system of government, appointed to manage the Civil_service and execute the directives of the President.
Image:Winston_Churchill_1941_photo_by_Yousuf_Karsh.jpg'''
Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom (1940-1945, 1951-1955)]] In parliamentary systems like the Westminster_system, the prime minister is the Head_of_the_government while the position of Head_of_state is largely ceremonial. In some monarchies the prime minister exercises powers (known as the Royal_Prerogative) which are constitutionally vested in the Crown and can be exercised without the approval of parliament. As well as being Head of Government, a prime minister may have other roles or titles—the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, for example, is also First_Lord_of_the_Treasury. Prime ministers may take other ministerial posts—for example during the Second_World_War Winston_Churchill was also Minister_of_Defence. ==Prime ministers in republics and in monarchies== The post of prime minister is one which may be encountered both in constitutional monarchies (such as Belgium, Denmark, Japan, The_Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the United_Kingdom), and in Republics in which the head of state is an elected (such as France) or unelected official (such as Germany) with varying degrees of real power. This contrasts with the Presidential_system, in which the President (or equivalent) is both the head of state and the head of the government. See also "First_Minister" , "Premier", "Chief_Minister" "Chancellor" and "Taoiseach": alternative titles usually equivalent in meaning to "prime minister." In some presidential or semi-presidential systems such as those of France, Russia, South Korea, or Taiwan the prime minister is an official generally appointed by the President but approved by the legislature and responsible for carrying out the directives of the President and managing the civil service. 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. ==Entry into office== In parliamentary systems a prime minister can enter into office by a number of means. * '''by appointment by the head of state without the need for confirmation by parliament'''; Examples: New_Zealand, the United_Kingdom, where the Monarch appoints a prime minister without the need for confirmation from Parliament, which gets its first chance to indicate its view on the new government in the vote on the Speech_from_the_Throne, in which the new government outlines its legislative programme. The method of prime ministerial appointment by the British sovereign is known as Kissing_Hands. In Austria the chancellor takes office immediately after appointment and swear in by the Federal president. * '''appointment by the head of state ''after'' parliament ''nominates'' a candidate;''' Example: The Republic_of_Ireland where the President_of_Ireland appoints the Taoiseach on the nomination of the Dáil_Éireann.) * '''appointment by the head of state ''after'' the majority parliamentary party ''nominates'' a candidate;''' Example: the Australian federal government, Canada, India, and New_Zealand. * '''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 (constitution) the Bundestag votes on a candidate nominated by the Federal President. In these cases, parliament can choose another candidate who then would be appointed by the head of state.) * '''the head of state appoints a prime minister who has a set timescale within which s/he must gain a vote of confidence;''' (Example: Italy.) * '''direct election by parliament''' (the Premiers of the Northwest_Territories and Nunavut); * '''direct election by the public''' (Example: Israel, 1996-2001.); The prime minister is elected in a general election, with no regard to political affiliation. * '''appointment by a state office holder other than the head of state or his/her representative;''' Example: Under the modern ''Instrument of Government 1974'', which came into force in 1975, the power of commissioning someone to form a government was moved from the Monarch_of_Sweden to the Speaker of Parliament, who, once it has been approved, formally makes the appointment. ''Though most prime ministers are 'appointed', they are generally, if inaccurately, described as 'elected'.'' ==Prime ministers and constitutions== Image:Goughwhitlam2.jpg'''
Prime_Minister_of_Australia in the 1970s]] The position, power and status of prime ministers differ depending on the age of the constitution in individuals. '''Britain'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. '''Australia's''' Constitution makes no mention of a prime minister of Australia. The office has a ''de facto'' existence at the head of the Executive Council. '''Ireland's''' constitution, Bunreacht_na_hÉireann (1937) provided for the office of taoiseach in detail, listing powers, functions and duties. '''Germany's''' Basic Law (1949) lists the powers, functions and duties of the federal Chancellor. ==Exit from office== Contrary to popular and Journalistic Myth, most prime ministers in Parliamentary systems are not appointed for a specific term of office and in effect may remain in power through a number of Elections 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 House of Commons after a General_election to reshuffle her cabinet. Some states, however, do have a term of office of the prime minister linked to the period in office on the parliament. Hence the Irish Taoiseach is formally 'Renominated' after every general election. (Some Constitutional experts have questioned whether this process is actually in keeping with the provisions of the Irish constitution, which ''appear'' to suggest a Taoiseach should remain in office, without the requirement of a Renomination, unless s/he has clearly lost the general election.) The position of prime minister is normally chosen from the political party that commands majority of seats in the lower house of parliament. Image:Indira_Gandhi.jpg'''
Prime_Minister_of_India from 1966-1977 and 1980-1984]] In parliamentary systems, Governments are generally required to have the confidence of the lower house of parliament (though a small minority of parliaments, by giving a right to block Supply to Upper_houses, 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 Constitutional systems require either: a) a letter of resignation or b) a request of a parliamentary dissolution. The latter in effect allows the government to appeal the Opposition of parliament to the Electorate. However in many Jurisdictions 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 Britain, 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). ==Titles== A number of different terms are used to describe prime ministers. The German prime minister is actually titled Federal Chancellor while the Irish prime minister is called the Taoiseach. In many cases, though commonly used, "prime minister" is not the official title of the office-holder; the Spanish prime minister is the President_of_the_Government (''Presidente del Gobierno''). 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 Federations, the head of government of a State or Province is most commonly known as the Premier or Chief_Minister. ==Style of a prime minister== The title ''prime minister'' is a job title that does not form part of the prime minister's name. It is therefore poor style to refer to “Prime Minister Blair”, just as it would be strange to call someone “Bus Driver Edwards”. The correct form is "Prime Minister Tony Blair" or "Tony Blair, Prime Minister". This mistake is particularly common in the United States, where a high office title is often adopted as if it were a military rank. The title of prime minister is lost when the officer holder ceases to be prime minister. This is not the case for some comparable positions in the United States, which can cause some confusion. When former Prime Minister of New Zealand Jim_Bolger became the Ambassador to the United States, he was referred to as “Prime Minister Bolger”, which was both poor style and factually incorrect. Commonwealth_Realm prime ministers are often Privy Counsellors entitled to the style ''the right honourable''. In the New_Zealand_Parliament's debating chamber the Prime Minister is referred to as ''the Right Honourable the Prime Minister'', rather than by name. In non-Commonwealth countries the prime minister may be entitled to the style of Excellency like a President. ==Articles on prime ministers== * Prime_Minister_of_Australia * Chancellor_of_Austria * Chancellor_of_China * Prime_Minister_of_Belgium * Prime_Minister_of_Canada * Prime_Minister_of_Denmark * Prime_Minister_of_France * Prime Minister of Fiji * Chancellor_of_Germany * Prime_Minister_of_India * Prime_Minister_of_Iran * Taoiseach of Ireland * Prime_Minister_of_Israel * Prime_Minister_of_Japan * Prime_Minister_of_Malaysia * Prime Minister of the Netherlands * Prime_Minister_of_Newfoundland (historical) * Prime_Minister_of_New_Zealand * Prime_Minister_of_Norway * Prime_Minister_of_Pakistan * Prime_Minister_of_the_Republic_of_Poland * Prime_Minister_of_Rwanda * Prime_Minister_of_Serbia * Prime_Minister_of_Slovenia * President_of_the_Government_of_Spain * Prime_Minister_of_Sweden * Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom ==Lists of prime ministers== The following table groups the list of past and present prime ministers and details information available in those lists. {| border=1 cellpadding=1 cellspacing=0 |- |align=center|'''Country''' |align=center|''' List starts ''' |align=center|''' Table shows
parties? ''' |align=center|''' Term given by
years or dates? ''' |align=center|'''Present Incumbent''' |- |Afghanistan||1953||-||years||None |- |Albania||1914||-||years||Sali_Berisha |- |Algeria||1962||yes||years||Ahmed_Ouyahia |- |Angola||1975||-||dates||Fernando_da_Piedade_Dias_dos_Santos |- |Antigua and Barbuda||1981||-||years||Baldwin_Spencer |- |Armenia||1918||yes||dates||Andranik_Markaryan |- |Australia||1901||yes||dates||John_Howard |- |Bahamas||1967||-||dates||Perry_Christie |- |Bangladesh||1971||yes||dates||Khaleda_Zia |- |Barbados||1954||-||years||Owen_Arthur |- |Belgium||1918||-||dates||Guy_Verhofstadt |- |Belize||1973||yes||years||Said_Musa |- |Bulgaria||1879||yes||dates||Sergei_Stanishev |- |Burkina Faso||1971||-||dates||Paramanga_Ernest_Yonli |- |Cameroon||1960||-||dates||Peter_Mafany_Musonge |- |Canada||1867||yes||dates||Paul_Martin |- |Cape Verde||1975||-||dates||José_Maria_Neves |- |Central African Republic||1958||-||dates||Célestin_Gaombalet |- |Chad||1978||-||dates||Pascal_Yoadimnadji |- |China, People's Republic of||1911||-||dates||Wen_Jiabao |- |Cook Islands||1965||yes||dates||Jim_Marurai |- |Croatia||1990||-||dates||Ivo_Sanader |- |Czech Republic/Czechoslovakia||1969||-||years||Stanislav_Gross |- |Denmark||1848||-||years||Anders_Fogh_Rasmussen |- |Djibouti||1977||-||dates||Dileita_Mohamed_Dileita |- |Dominica||1960||-||dates||Roosevelt_Skerrit |- |Egypt||1878||-||years||Ahmed_Nazif |- |Equatorial Guinea||1963||-||dates||Miguel_Abia_Biteo_Borico |- |Estonia||1991||-||dates||Andrus_Ansip |- |Fiji||1966||-||dates||Laisenia_Qarase |- |Finland||1917||yes||years||Matti_Vanhanen |- |France||1815||-||years||Dominique_de_Villepin |- |Georgia||1918||yes||dates||Zurab_Nogaideli |- |Greece||1833||-||dates||Kostas_Karamanlis |- |Greenland||1979||-||years||Hans_Enoksen |- |Grenada||1954||-||years||Keith_Mitchell |- |Guinea||1972||-||dates||François_Lonseny_Fall |- |Guyana||1953||-||dates||Sam_Hinds |- |Hungary||1848||-||dates||Ferenc_Gyurcsány |- |Iceland||1904||-||dates||Halldór_Ásgrímsson |- |India||1947||yes||dates||Manmohan_Singh |- |Iran||1824||-||years||Mir-Hossein_Mousavi till 1989 |- |Iraq||1920||-||years||Iyad_Allawi |- |Ireland||1937||yes||dates||Bertie_Ahern |- |Israel||1948||-||years||Ariel_Sharon |- |Italy||1861||-||years||Silvio_Berlusconi |- |Jamaica||1959||-||years||Percival_Patterson |- |Japan||1885||-||years||Junichiro_Koizumi |- |Korea, North||1948||n/a||years||Pak_Pong_Ju |- |Korea, South||1948||-||years||Lee_Hai-chan |- |Latvia||1990||yes||dates||Indulis_Emsis |- |Lebanon||1926||-||dates||Najib_Mikati |- |Lithuania||1990||yes||dates||Algirdas_Mykolas_Brazauskas |- |Luxembourg||1959||-||years||Jean-Claude_Juncker |- |Malaysia||1957||yes||years||Abdullah_Ahmad_Badawi |- |Malta||1921||yes||years||Lawrence_Gonzi |- |Mongolia||1912||yes||dates||Tsakhiagiyn_Elbegdorj |- |Myanmar (Burma)||1948||yes||dates||Soe_Win |- |Nepal||1953||-||dates||Sher_Bahadur_Deuba |- |Netherlands||1945||yes||dates||Jan_Peter_Balkenende |- |New Zealand||1856||yes||dates||Helen_Clark |- |Newfoundland||1855||yes||dates||(Post Abolished) |- |Norway||1814||-||years||Jens_Stoltenberg |- |Pakistan||1947||-||dates||Shaukat_Aziz |- |Palestine||2003||-||unknown||Ahmad_Qurei |- |Papua New Guinea||1975||-||years||Michael_Somare |- |Poland||1917||-||dates||Kazimierz_Marcinkiewicz |- |Portugal||1834||yes||dates||José_Sócrates |- |Romania||1862||-||years||Ca(lin Popescu-Ta(riceanu |- |Russia||1991||yes||dates||Mikhail_Fradkov |- |Saint Kitts and Nevis||1960||-||dates||Denzil_Douglas |- |Saint Lucia||1960||-||dates||Kenny_Anthony |- |Saint Vincent and the Grenadines||1956||-||dates||Ralph_Gonsalves |- |São Tomé and Principe||1974||yes||dates||Damiao_Vaz_d'Almeida |- |Serbia||1805||-||years||Vojislav_Kostunica |- |Singapore||1965||-||dates||Lee_Hsien_Loong |- |Slovakia||1918||-||dates||Mikuláš Dzurinda |- |Slovenia||1990||yes||years||Janez_Janša |- |South Africa||1910||-||dates||(Post Abolished) |- |Spain||1902||yes||years||José_Luis_Rodríguez_Zapatero |- |Sri Lanka||1948||-||dates||Mahinda_Rajapakse |- |Sweden||1876||yes||years||Göran_Persson |- |Thailand||1932||-||years||Thaksin_Shinawatra |- |Trinidad and Tobago||1956||-||dates||Patrick_Manning |- |Turkey||1920||yes||dates||Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |- |Tuvalu||1975||n/a||dates||Saufatu_Sopoanga |- |Ukraine||1990||-||dates||Yuriy_Yehanurov |- |United Arab Emirates||1971||-||years||Maktoum_Bin_Rashid_al-Maktoum |- |United Kingdom||1721||yes||dates||Tony_Blair |- |Uzbekistan||1995||-||dates||Shavkat_Mirziyayev |- |Vanuatu||1980||yes||dates||Serge_Vohor |- |Vietnam||1976||yes||dates||Phan_Van_Khai |- |Yemen||1990||yes||years||Abdul_Qadir_Bajamal |} ==See also== *Chancellor *List_of_democracy_and_elections-related_topics *Murdered Prime Ministers *President *Monarch *Governor-General *Head_of_state *List_of_national_leaders *Heads_of_state_timeline ==External links== *website of the Prime Minister of Australia *website of the Prime Minister of Barbados *website of the Prime Minister of Belgium *website of the Prime Minister of Canada *website of the Prime Minister of France *website of the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic (Greece) *website of the Prime Minister of Hungary *website of the Prime Minister of Iceland *website of the Prime Minister of India *website of the Taoiseach of Ireland *website of the Prime Minister of Israel *website of the Prime Minister of Japan *website of the Prime Minister of South Korea *website of the Prime Minister of Malaysia *website of the Prime Minister of The Netherlands *website of the Prime Minister of New Zealand *website of the Prime Minister of Norway *website of the Prime Minister of Poland *website of the Chairman of Serbia and Montenegro Council *website of the Prime Minister of Slovenia *website of the President of the Government of Spain *website of the Prime Minister of Thailand *website of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago *home page of 10 Downing St, residence & office of the Prime Minister of the UK {{Heads of government}} Prime minister Category:Government_occupations Prime minister Ca:Primer_ministre Cs:Pr(edseda_vlády Da:Statsminister De:Premierminister Et:Peaminister Es:Primer_Ministro Fa:????????? Fr:Premier_ministre He:???_????? Hu:Miniszterelnök Is:Forsætisráðherra Id:Perdana_Menteri Ja:?? Ka:???????-???????? Ko:?? Lv:Premjerministrs Zh-min-nan:Siú-siòng Nl:Minister-president Nb:Premierminister Pl:Premier Pt:Primeiro-ministro Simple:Prime_Minister Sl:Ministrski_predsednik Fi:Pääministeri Sv:Premiärminister Th:???????????? Vi:Thu?_tu+o+'ng Zh:??
Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom (1940-1945, 1951-1955)]] In parliamentary systems like the Westminster_system, the prime minister is the Head_of_the_government while the position of Head_of_state is largely ceremonial. In some monarchies the prime minister exercises powers (known as the Royal_Prerogative) which are constitutionally vested in the Crown and can be exercised without the approval of parliament. As well as being Head of Government, a prime minister may have other roles or titles—the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, for example, is also First_Lord_of_the_Treasury. Prime ministers may take other ministerial posts—for example during the Second_World_War Winston_Churchill was also Minister_of_Defence. ==Prime ministers in republics and in monarchies== The post of prime minister is one which may be encountered both in constitutional monarchies (such as Belgium, Denmark, Japan, The_Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the United_Kingdom), and in Republics in which the head of state is an elected (such as France) or unelected official (such as Germany) with varying degrees of real power. This contrasts with the Presidential_system, in which the President (or equivalent) is both the head of state and the head of the government. See also "First_Minister" , "Premier", "Chief_Minister" "Chancellor" and "Taoiseach": alternative titles usually equivalent in meaning to "prime minister." In some presidential or semi-presidential systems such as those of France, Russia, South Korea, or Taiwan the prime minister is an official generally appointed by the President but approved by the legislature and responsible for carrying out the directives of the President and managing the civil service. 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. ==Entry into office== In parliamentary systems a prime minister can enter into office by a number of means. * '''by appointment by the head of state without the need for confirmation by parliament'''; Examples: New_Zealand, the United_Kingdom, where the Monarch appoints a prime minister without the need for confirmation from Parliament, which gets its first chance to indicate its view on the new government in the vote on the Speech_from_the_Throne, in which the new government outlines its legislative programme. The method of prime ministerial appointment by the British sovereign is known as Kissing_Hands. In Austria the chancellor takes office immediately after appointment and swear in by the Federal president. * '''appointment by the head of state ''after'' parliament ''nominates'' a candidate;''' Example: The Republic_of_Ireland where the President_of_Ireland appoints the Taoiseach on the nomination of the Dáil_Éireann.) * '''appointment by the head of state ''after'' the majority parliamentary party ''nominates'' a candidate;''' Example: the Australian federal government, Canada, India, and New_Zealand. * '''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 (constitution) the Bundestag votes on a candidate nominated by the Federal President. In these cases, parliament can choose another candidate who then would be appointed by the head of state.) * '''the head of state appoints a prime minister who has a set timescale within which s/he must gain a vote of confidence;''' (Example: Italy.) * '''direct election by parliament''' (the Premiers of the Northwest_Territories and Nunavut); * '''direct election by the public''' (Example: Israel, 1996-2001.); The prime minister is elected in a general election, with no regard to political affiliation. * '''appointment by a state office holder other than the head of state or his/her representative;''' Example: Under the modern ''Instrument of Government 1974'', which came into force in 1975, the power of commissioning someone to form a government was moved from the Monarch_of_Sweden to the Speaker of Parliament, who, once it has been approved, formally makes the appointment. ''Though most prime ministers are 'appointed', they are generally, if inaccurately, described as 'elected'.'' ==Prime ministers and constitutions== Image:Goughwhitlam2.jpg'''
Prime_Minister_of_Australia in the 1970s]] The position, power and status of prime ministers differ depending on the age of the constitution in individuals. '''Britain'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. '''Australia's''' Constitution makes no mention of a prime minister of Australia. The office has a ''de facto'' existence at the head of the Executive Council. '''Ireland's''' constitution, Bunreacht_na_hÉireann (1937) provided for the office of taoiseach in detail, listing powers, functions and duties. '''Germany's''' Basic Law (1949) lists the powers, functions and duties of the federal Chancellor. ==Exit from office== Contrary to popular and Journalistic Myth, most prime ministers in Parliamentary systems are not appointed for a specific term of office and in effect may remain in power through a number of Elections 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 House of Commons after a General_election to reshuffle her cabinet. Some states, however, do have a term of office of the prime minister linked to the period in office on the parliament. Hence the Irish Taoiseach is formally 'Renominated' after every general election. (Some Constitutional experts have questioned whether this process is actually in keeping with the provisions of the Irish constitution, which ''appear'' to suggest a Taoiseach should remain in office, without the requirement of a Renomination, unless s/he has clearly lost the general election.) The position of prime minister is normally chosen from the political party that commands majority of seats in the lower house of parliament. Image:Indira_Gandhi.jpg'''
Prime_Minister_of_India from 1966-1977 and 1980-1984]] In parliamentary systems, Governments are generally required to have the confidence of the lower house of parliament (though a small minority of parliaments, by giving a right to block Supply to Upper_houses, 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 Constitutional systems require either: a) a letter of resignation or b) a request of a parliamentary dissolution. The latter in effect allows the government to appeal the Opposition of parliament to the Electorate. However in many Jurisdictions 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 Britain, 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). ==Titles== A number of different terms are used to describe prime ministers. The German prime minister is actually titled Federal Chancellor while the Irish prime minister is called the Taoiseach. In many cases, though commonly used, "prime minister" is not the official title of the office-holder; the Spanish prime minister is the President_of_the_Government (''Presidente del Gobierno''). 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 Federations, the head of government of a State or Province is most commonly known as the Premier or Chief_Minister. ==Style of a prime minister== The title ''prime minister'' is a job title that does not form part of the prime minister's name. It is therefore poor style to refer to “Prime Minister Blair”, just as it would be strange to call someone “Bus Driver Edwards”. The correct form is "Prime Minister Tony Blair" or "Tony Blair, Prime Minister". This mistake is particularly common in the United States, where a high office title is often adopted as if it were a military rank. The title of prime minister is lost when the officer holder ceases to be prime minister. This is not the case for some comparable positions in the United States, which can cause some confusion. When former Prime Minister of New Zealand Jim_Bolger became the Ambassador to the United States, he was referred to as “Prime Minister Bolger”, which was both poor style and factually incorrect. Commonwealth_Realm prime ministers are often Privy Counsellors entitled to the style ''the right honourable''. In the New_Zealand_Parliament's debating chamber the Prime Minister is referred to as ''the Right Honourable the Prime Minister'', rather than by name. In non-Commonwealth countries the prime minister may be entitled to the style of Excellency like a President. ==Articles on prime ministers== * Prime_Minister_of_Australia * Chancellor_of_Austria * Chancellor_of_China * Prime_Minister_of_Belgium * Prime_Minister_of_Canada * Prime_Minister_of_Denmark * Prime_Minister_of_France * Prime Minister of Fiji * Chancellor_of_Germany * Prime_Minister_of_India * Prime_Minister_of_Iran * Taoiseach of Ireland * Prime_Minister_of_Israel * Prime_Minister_of_Japan * Prime_Minister_of_Malaysia * Prime Minister of the Netherlands * Prime_Minister_of_Newfoundland (historical) * Prime_Minister_of_New_Zealand * Prime_Minister_of_Norway * Prime_Minister_of_Pakistan * Prime_Minister_of_the_Republic_of_Poland * Prime_Minister_of_Rwanda * Prime_Minister_of_Serbia * Prime_Minister_of_Slovenia * President_of_the_Government_of_Spain * Prime_Minister_of_Sweden * Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom ==Lists of prime ministers== The following table groups the list of past and present prime ministers and details information available in those lists. {| border=1 cellpadding=1 cellspacing=0 |- |align=center|'''Country''' |align=center|''' List starts ''' |align=center|''' Table shows
parties? ''' |align=center|''' Term given by
years or dates? ''' |align=center|'''Present Incumbent''' |- |Afghanistan||1953||-||years||None |- |Albania||1914||-||years||Sali_Berisha |- |Algeria||1962||yes||years||Ahmed_Ouyahia |- |Angola||1975||-||dates||Fernando_da_Piedade_Dias_dos_Santos |- |Antigua and Barbuda||1981||-||years||Baldwin_Spencer |- |Armenia||1918||yes||dates||Andranik_Markaryan |- |Australia||1901||yes||dates||John_Howard |- |Bahamas||1967||-||dates||Perry_Christie |- |Bangladesh||1971||yes||dates||Khaleda_Zia |- |Barbados||1954||-||years||Owen_Arthur |- |Belgium||1918||-||dates||Guy_Verhofstadt |- |Belize||1973||yes||years||Said_Musa |- |Bulgaria||1879||yes||dates||Sergei_Stanishev |- |Burkina Faso||1971||-||dates||Paramanga_Ernest_Yonli |- |Cameroon||1960||-||dates||Peter_Mafany_Musonge |- |Canada||1867||yes||dates||Paul_Martin |- |Cape Verde||1975||-||dates||José_Maria_Neves |- |Central African Republic||1958||-||dates||Célestin_Gaombalet |- |Chad||1978||-||dates||Pascal_Yoadimnadji |- |China, People's Republic of||1911||-||dates||Wen_Jiabao |- |Cook Islands||1965||yes||dates||Jim_Marurai |- |Croatia||1990||-||dates||Ivo_Sanader |- |Czech Republic/Czechoslovakia||1969||-||years||Stanislav_Gross |- |Denmark||1848||-||years||Anders_Fogh_Rasmussen |- |Djibouti||1977||-||dates||Dileita_Mohamed_Dileita |- |Dominica||1960||-||dates||Roosevelt_Skerrit |- |Egypt||1878||-||years||Ahmed_Nazif |- |Equatorial Guinea||1963||-||dates||Miguel_Abia_Biteo_Borico |- |Estonia||1991||-||dates||Andrus_Ansip |- |Fiji||1966||-||dates||Laisenia_Qarase |- |Finland||1917||yes||years||Matti_Vanhanen |- |France||1815||-||years||Dominique_de_Villepin |- |Georgia||1918||yes||dates||Zurab_Nogaideli |- |Greece||1833||-||dates||Kostas_Karamanlis |- |Greenland||1979||-||years||Hans_Enoksen |- |Grenada||1954||-||years||Keith_Mitchell |- |Guinea||1972||-||dates||François_Lonseny_Fall |- |Guyana||1953||-||dates||Sam_Hinds |- |Hungary||1848||-||dates||Ferenc_Gyurcsány |- |Iceland||1904||-||dates||Halldór_Ásgrímsson |- |India||1947||yes||dates||Manmohan_Singh |- |Iran||1824||-||years||Mir-Hossein_Mousavi till 1989 |- |Iraq||1920||-||years||Iyad_Allawi |- |Ireland||1937||yes||dates||Bertie_Ahern |- |Israel||1948||-||years||Ariel_Sharon |- |Italy||1861||-||years||Silvio_Berlusconi |- |Jamaica||1959||-||years||Percival_Patterson |- |Japan||1885||-||years||Junichiro_Koizumi |- |Korea, North||1948||n/a||years||Pak_Pong_Ju |- |Korea, South||1948||-||years||Lee_Hai-chan |- |Latvia||1990||yes||dates||Indulis_Emsis |- |Lebanon||1926||-||dates||Najib_Mikati |- |Lithuania||1990||yes||dates||Algirdas_Mykolas_Brazauskas |- |Luxembourg||1959||-||years||Jean-Claude_Juncker |- |Malaysia||1957||yes||years||Abdullah_Ahmad_Badawi |- |Malta||1921||yes||years||Lawrence_Gonzi |- |Mongolia||1912||yes||dates||Tsakhiagiyn_Elbegdorj |- |Myanmar (Burma)||1948||yes||dates||Soe_Win |- |Nepal||1953||-||dates||Sher_Bahadur_Deuba |- |Netherlands||1945||yes||dates||Jan_Peter_Balkenende |- |New Zealand||1856||yes||dates||Helen_Clark |- |Newfoundland||1855||yes||dates||(Post Abolished) |- |Norway||1814||-||years||Jens_Stoltenberg |- |Pakistan||1947||-||dates||Shaukat_Aziz |- |Palestine||2003||-||unknown||Ahmad_Qurei |- |Papua New Guinea||1975||-||years||Michael_Somare |- |Poland||1917||-||dates||Kazimierz_Marcinkiewicz |- |Portugal||1834||yes||dates||José_Sócrates |- |Romania||1862||-||years||Ca(lin Popescu-Ta(riceanu |- |Russia||1991||yes||dates||Mikhail_Fradkov |- |Saint Kitts and Nevis||1960||-||dates||Denzil_Douglas |- |Saint Lucia||1960||-||dates||Kenny_Anthony |- |Saint Vincent and the Grenadines||1956||-||dates||Ralph_Gonsalves |- |São Tomé and Principe||1974||yes||dates||Damiao_Vaz_d'Almeida |- |Serbia||1805||-||years||Vojislav_Kostunica |- |Singapore||1965||-||dates||Lee_Hsien_Loong |- |Slovakia||1918||-||dates||Mikuláš Dzurinda |- |Slovenia||1990||yes||years||Janez_Janša |- |South Africa||1910||-||dates||(Post Abolished) |- |Spain||1902||yes||years||José_Luis_Rodríguez_Zapatero |- |Sri Lanka||1948||-||dates||Mahinda_Rajapakse |- |Sweden||1876||yes||years||Göran_Persson |- |Thailand||1932||-||years||Thaksin_Shinawatra |- |Trinidad and Tobago||1956||-||dates||Patrick_Manning |- |Turkey||1920||yes||dates||Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |- |Tuvalu||1975||n/a||dates||Saufatu_Sopoanga |- |Ukraine||1990||-||dates||Yuriy_Yehanurov |- |United Arab Emirates||1971||-||years||Maktoum_Bin_Rashid_al-Maktoum |- |United Kingdom||1721||yes||dates||Tony_Blair |- |Uzbekistan||1995||-||dates||Shavkat_Mirziyayev |- |Vanuatu||1980||yes||dates||Serge_Vohor |- |Vietnam||1976||yes||dates||Phan_Van_Khai |- |Yemen||1990||yes||years||Abdul_Qadir_Bajamal |} ==See also== *Chancellor *List_of_democracy_and_elections-related_topics *Murdered Prime Ministers *President *Monarch *Governor-General *Head_of_state *List_of_national_leaders *Heads_of_state_timeline ==External links== *website of the Prime Minister of Australia *website of the Prime Minister of Barbados *website of the Prime Minister of Belgium *website of the Prime Minister of Canada *website of the Prime Minister of France *website of the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic (Greece) *website of the Prime Minister of Hungary *website of the Prime Minister of Iceland *website of the Prime Minister of India *website of the Taoiseach of Ireland *website of the Prime Minister of Israel *website of the Prime Minister of Japan *website of the Prime Minister of South Korea *website of the Prime Minister of Malaysia *website of the Prime Minister of The Netherlands *website of the Prime Minister of New Zealand *website of the Prime Minister of Norway *website of the Prime Minister of Poland *website of the Chairman of Serbia and Montenegro Council *website of the Prime Minister of Slovenia *website of the President of the Government of Spain *website of the Prime Minister of Thailand *website of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago *home page of 10 Downing St, residence & office of the Prime Minister of the UK {{Heads of government}} Prime minister Category:Government_occupations Prime minister Ca:Primer_ministre Cs:Pr(edseda_vlády Da:Statsminister De:Premierminister Et:Peaminister Es:Primer_Ministro Fa:????????? Fr:Premier_ministre He:???_????? Hu:Miniszterelnök Is:Forsætisráðherra Id:Perdana_Menteri Ja:?? Ka:???????-???????? Ko:?? Lv:Premjerministrs Zh-min-nan:Siú-siòng Nl:Minister-president Nb:Premierminister Pl:Premier Pt:Primeiro-ministro Simple:Prime_Minister Sl:Ministrski_predsednik Fi:Pääministeri Sv:Premiärminister Th:???????????? Vi:Thu?_tu+o+'ng Zh:??