Which countries have a limited monarchy? Monarchical countries of foreign Europe

Reading historical novels with the constant presence of states ruled by kings, emperors, pharaohs, shahs, sultans, grand dukes and dukes, it seems that this is all a distant past. For generations, brought up on an atheistic, socialist and who knows what idea now, the citizens of Russia have forgotten that the monarchy is still strong all over the world - power from God. In different states, it is still legitimate and respected by the majority of its people. This article will tell you in which countries the monarchy has been preserved and how firmly it holds power in changed conditions.

Rulers of Europe, Middle East

The undoubted leader of monarchs around the world in terms of authority, length of time on the throne, and the power of their country with dominions throughout the planet, over which the Sun still does not set, is the Queen of Great Britain, the head of the British Commonwealth of Nations, Elizabeth II. She has ruled since 1952.

An interesting fact is that the representative of the ruling dynasty is not only the supreme commander, but also the head of the Anglican Church. Apparently, the Windsor monarchs solve with an iron hand not only worldly problems, but also religious matters, leaving nothing outside their control.

Despite the authoritarianism of Elizabeth II, the question of which countries have an absolute monarchy does not apply to her. In Great Britain there is a parliamentary monarchy, when in this case the queen's power is limited by the constitution, she performs mainly representative functions. It’s just hard to believe this.

The parliamentary type of constitutional monarchy is also in Denmark - since 1972, Queen Magrethe II, Sweden - since 1973, King Carl XVI Gustaf.

Kings also rule:

  • Spain – Philip VI (since 2014).
  • The Netherlands – Willem-Alexander (since 2013).
  • Belgium – Philip (since 2013).
  • Norway – Harald V (since 1991).

Monaco has been ruled by Prince Albert II since 2005. There is a curious situation in Andorra - there are two co-rulers: Prince Joan Enric Vives i Sicilha since 2003 and French President François Hollande since 2012.

In general, the vaunted European democracy against the background of the triumph of the monarchical system that came from time immemorial makes a rather strange impression. Despite the presence of parliaments and other elected institutions of power, the monarchs of many European states are not decorative, but real rulers, respected and loved by their people.

Which countries have an absolute monarchy? These are mainly Middle Eastern countries, such as:

  • Oman;
  • Qatar;
  • Saudi Arabia.

Here, monarchs have truly unlimited power, like the rulers of the past, having the ability to execute and pardon, to rule the country, in accordance only with their own opinion. Perhaps to give a hint of new democratic trends, in some of these countries the people can sometimes express their aspirations through deliberative organizations.

Monarchs of the New World

The form of government in many countries discovered by Europeans and called the New World, long ago and often earlier than the states of the Old World, was already ruled individually by local rajahs, sultans, emirs, as well as kings and emperors.

In which countries does the monarchy still exist today?

  • Japan. Emperor Akihito. Ruled since 1989. Wants to resign due to health reasons.
  • Malaysia. King Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah.
  • Cambodia. Ruled by King Norodom Sihamoni.
  • Brunei. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

Those who have visited Thailand know with what respect and love the people of the country treat their monarch. When there was an attempt to legislatively limit his power, a political crisis erupted in the country, which almost ended civil war. Recently, in October 2016, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who had ruled Thailand since 1946, died and a year of mourning was declared in the country.

The answers to the question - in which countries the monarchy has been preserved - are often very unexpected and provide food for thought. It turns out that half the world lives under the “oppression” of individual rulers, but not only does not create Marxist circles, printing proclamations calling for the overthrow of tyrants, but sincerely loves their monarchs, members of the ruling dynasties. For example, in the UK, Thailand, and.

A monarchical state or, in other words, a monarchy is a state in which power, in whole or in part, belongs to one person - the monarch. This could be a king, king, emperor or, for example, a sultan, but any monarch rules for life and passes on his power by inheritance.

Today there are 30 monarchical states in the world and 12 of them are monarchies in Europe. A list of monarchy countries located in Europe is given below.

List of monarchy countries in Europe

1. Norway is a kingdom, a constitutional monarchy;
2. Sweden is a kingdom, a constitutional monarchy;
3. Denmark is a kingdom, a constitutional monarchy;
4. Great Britain is a kingdom, a constitutional monarchy;
5. Belgium – kingdom, constitutional monarchy;
6. The Netherlands – kingdom, constitutional monarchy;
7. Luxembourg – duchy, constitutional monarchy;
8. Liechtenstein – principality, constitutional monarchy;
9. Spain is a kingdom, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy;
10. Andorra is a principality, a parliamentary principality with two co-rulers;
11. Monaco – principality, constitutional monarchy;
12. The Vatican is a papal state, an elective absolute theocratic monarchy.

All monarchies in Europe are countries in which the form of government is a constitutional monarchy, that is, one in which the power of the monarch is significantly limited by the elected parliament and the constitution adopted by it. The only exception is the Vatican, where absolute rule is exercised by the elected Pope.

gr. monarchia - autocracy) - a form of government in which the head of state is the monarch. IN modern world Two historical types of monarchy remain: absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy. The latter exists in two forms, differing in the degree of limitation of the power of the monarch: dualistic monarchy and parliamentary monarchy. A special type of M. is elective, combining elements of M. and the republic. Such a monarchy now exists in Malaysia, where the head of state is the monarch, elected for five years by a special meeting of representatives of the monarchical states that are part of the federation.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

MONARCHY

in the lane from Greek - autocracy) is a form of government in which supreme power for life (fully - absolute M.) or partially (limited M.) belongs to the sole head of state. M. is a form of government in which the head of state - a monarch (emperor, king, sultan, etc.) has a special legal status. His powers are primary, not derived from any power in the state; he acquires his post, as a rule, by inheritance and occupies it for life. In its development, M. goes through a number of stages, changing and acquiring new features. The first form of democracy was slaveholding society. Initially, it appeared in the form of oriental despotism, which many states of the Ancient East had - Babylon, Egypt, India. The monarchical form of government differed from eastern despotism Ancient Rome, which existed for more than five centuries. Specific to the feudal system were early feudal M. (from the 11th century BC to the 1st century AD) and class-representative M. (from the 10th to the 15th centuries). The latter is characterized by the strengthening of central power, the concentration in the hands of the monarch of the main levers of control, and reliance on the large nobility and broad sections of the urban population. Along with the strong power of the monarch, which was based on a powerful army and an extensive police apparatus, there were representative bodies: in Russia - Councils, in England - Parliament, in Poland - the Free Sejm, in France - the Estates General.

Depending on the legal status of the monarch, it is customary to distinguish between absolute and limited M. Absolute M. is characterized by the omnipotence of the monarch and the absence of any representative institutions of power; it arises in conditions of an agrarian system, i.e. characteristic (according to the terminology of K. Marx) for the slave-owning (for example, Rome of the dominant era - 3rd century AD) and feudal socio-economic formation. As a rule, the transition from an agrarian system to an industrial one in the process of bourgeois revolutions (XVII - XIX centuries) was accompanied by the abolition of absolute capital. Legally, the monarch is the source of any power; he determines the limits of power in the regulations issued by him. The basis of any law is the will of the monarch. Absolute M. is characterized by the following legal features:

1) concentration in the hands of the monarch of all power (the monarch issues laws, heads the executive branch, and rules the highest court);

2) personification of the state in the person of the monarch. Became catchphrase French king Louis XIV's "The State is I" best characterizes this feature of the monarchy - the individuality of rule. A monarchical state is a state in which power belongs to one person, and he uses this power at his own discretion and right. It is characterized by giving power a sacred (divine) origin, endowing it with religious content (a monarch is God’s anointed, i.e. a person endowed with unlimited power from God. Monarchs were often at the same time the highest clergy); 3) transfer of power by inheritance and the unlimited nature of its implementation; 4) release of the monarch from any responsibility (the irresponsibility of the monarch was expressed in the principle “The King cannot be wrong”). Absolute M. in modern conditions- exception. As a form of government, absolute democracy became most widespread in the era of late feudalism. Nowadays it has been preserved only in some countries of the East, where traditional patriarchal forms predominate. public life(for example, in Oman, Qatar, Brunei). As a unique form of conservation of the traditions of tribal patriarchal democracy ++ of the pre-instrumental era, absolute M. is preserved in countries with a fairly high level of economic development and developed social infrastructure (Saudi Arabia).

The democratization of public life and the desire to limit absolutist power contributed to the emergence of limited democracy—a form of government in which the power of the monarch is to one degree or another bound (limited) by law and constitution. Depending on the degree of such restriction, a distinction is made between dualistic and parliamentary parliament. Dualistic parliament is characterized by the fact that, along with the monarch, who retains legal and actual independence, there are representative institutions of power with legislative (legislative) and control functions. Executive power belongs to the monarch, who can exercise it directly or through the government (as was, in particular, characteristic of Russia at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries). Essentially, we are talking about the principle of separation of powers in the state, although in a very limited form. Although the monarch does not legislate, he is endowed with the right of absolute veto, i.e. the monarch is free to approve (give force) or not to approve the law. Only he had the right to pass emergency decrees equal in force to laws; can dissolve parliament (i.e. abolish the dualistic monarchy). This form of government was most common in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The modern dualistic monarchy, preserved only in the countries of the Middle East (Jordan, Morocco), is characterized by the presence of an elected representative body - parliament (in Jordan this is the Majlis), which has the right to pass laws and vote (approve) the budget. The monarch is the head of state, who simultaneously has prerogatives in the sphere of executive power. He also appoints a ruler responsible to him.

Modern developed states are characterized by a constitutional (parliamentary) form of M. This form of government is somewhat similar to a modern parliamentary republic and is characterized by the legal enshrinement in the country’s constitution of the principle of separation of powers with the simultaneous principle of the supremacy of parliament over the executive branch. The monarch, in relation to this form of government, is nothing more than a symbol of the nation, a kind of decoration. Thus, the Spanish Constitution of 1978 (Article 56) recognizes the king as a symbol of the unity and permanence of the state. The Japanese Constitution of 1946 is based on the premise that “the emperor is the symbol of the state and the unity of the nation” (Article 1). The legal status of the monarch, figuratively speaking, can be defined as follows: “He reigns, but does not rule.” The monarch has no real powers to govern the state. Its functions are mainly of a representative nature. The monarch affixes his signature to all the most important state acts. However, based on the principle “the monarch is not responsible” (cannot bear political and legal responsibility), such a signature requires a countersignature procedure (signed by the responsible minister or head of the executive branch). The monarch also affixes his signature to laws adopted by parliament, and is sometimes given the right of relative veto, but uses it extremely rarely. Constitutional (parliamentary) monarchy is a fairly common form of government. It exists in Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada, Austria and other countries (there are about 65 in total).

Modern government practice also knows non-traditional forms of voting. These include elective voting, which exists in countries where the structures of feudal and traditional society are preserved (Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates). In particular, the head of the Federation of Malaysia is elected by the Council of Rulers, which unites the heads of 11 monarchical states. In the United Arab Emirates, the emirs (the heads of the seven Gulf principalities that make up the UAE) elect the President of the UAE.

The so-called theocratic societies are also known, where the head of state, the monarch, is at the same time the head of one or another religious cult, representing one of the world religions. Such M. includes the Vatican, where the spiritual ruler of Catholics around the world is also the head of this state. Elements of this form of government are present in Saudi Arabia, where the head of state, the king, not only performs religious functions guardian of the main shrines of the Muslim world, but also the head of the Wahhabi branch of Islam.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

MONARCHY is a form of government in which the supreme power in the state is fully or partially owned by -no-mu face - mo-nar-hu (in some cases mo-nar-ham-so-pra-vi-te-lyam), about-la-giving-su -ve-re-none-that-and-is-an-object-under-given-st-va.

The establishment of a new monarchy is a re-zul-ta-tom of the expansion of the power of the pra-vi-te-lya (leader of the ple-me-ni , soyu-for-the-men, the head of the ran-ne-li-tich. iz-yav-le-niya na-ro-da.

In ancient times, the monarchy was in the form of a predominantly unlimited de-spotia (mostly ha-rak-ter-na for go-su- gifts of the Ancient World). The highest form of monarchy in the ancient world was the imperial power in Rome. In the Middle Ages, the most widespread form of government was the so-called representative mo-narchy . At the is-ho-de of Sred-ne-ve-ko-vya and in the na-cha-le of No-v-time-me-ni in Europe ut-verzh-yes-et-sya ab-so -fierce monarchy (see Ab-so-lu-tism, in Russia - sa-mo-der-zha-vie).

The main monarchical ti-tu-lys: duke, im-pe-ra-tor, prince, king, king, etc., in the countries of Vo-sto-ka - sul-tan, khan , fa-ra-on, shah, emir, etc.

In the process of the establishment of ka-pi-ta-li-societies, the monarchy in many countries was overthrown and replaced on the re-pub-li-can form of my rights (see Res-pub-li-ka) or trans-for-mi-ro-va-las into a constitutional monarchy . In a number of countries (Russia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, etc.), the monarchy fell as a result of revolutions. One of the forms of monarchy is theo-kra-tia, which has been spreading since ancient times and preserving - to this day.

More often than not, the mo-nar-hi-power of us is icy, when the di-na-stia is formed, but not ex- Xia and you-bo-ry mo-nar-ha, in particular during the pre-ry-va-niy of di-na-stia. There are three in a row in the next row: se-nyo-rat (the eldest in the family is on the throne), may-orat-ny (the throne is next to the eldest son of the mo-nar-ha) and to the right of the first-born-st-va ( the throne moves to the next one in the same line - he is succeeded by the eldest son, and -if he died before his father, then his eldest son, and after the end of his succession in the eldest the line of the throne moves to the senior representative of the next line).

In the system, the pre-sto-lo-na-sled-diya in de-vis-si-mo-sti from the rights of women are the following types when -mo-ge-ni-tu-ry: sa-li-che-skaya (for example, Japan), when the throne of mo-nar-ha can only be taken over by a man-chi- us; Kas-til-skaya (Is-pa-niya, etc.), when before-che-ri for-ni-ma-yut the throne, if from-someone or from-rek-she -there are no sons from the throne of the mo-nar-kha (at the same time, the youngest son has an advantage over the eldest sons). Ryu); Austria, until the reign of women, if in op-re-de-la-nyh in-ko-le-ny -yah di-na-stiy there is no man (for a long time he hasn’t used it); scandi-nav-skaya (Swe-den, etc.), us-ta-nav-li-vayu-sh-chaya rights of women and men to the throne according to the right of the first in-ro-st-va.

In the kon-sti-tu-tsi-on-monarchy there is a kon-sti-tu-tsiya and a de-st-vu-et par-la-ment. The kon-sti-tu-tsi-on-naya monarchy has two different types: the dua-li-sti-che-skaya monarchy and the par-la-men-tar-naya monarchy.

In the first juri-di-che-ski there are two centers of power (from here - dua-li-sti-che-skaya): the monarch is no longer because of the laws, they are accepted by the par-la-ment, but the management of the state-su-dar-st-vom is in ru- kah mo-nar-ha (for example, Yor-da-nia, Ku-wait, Ma-rok-ko). He knows the government (co-vet, ka-bi-no mi-st-st-rov), and it replies-st-ven-but only in front of him, but not in front of par-la-men-tom. In addition, the monarch has the right to issue a decree (decrees, decrees, re-sk-rip -you, etc.), which has no less, but actually more power than the law. Dua-li-sti-che-skaya monarchy exists in the countries of Europe and individual states of Asia (Nepal, Thailand , Japan) during the transition from an absolute monarchy to a par-la-men-tar or predominantly a par-la-men-tar.

In the par-la-men-tar-monarchy, the right-of-mind is the par-tiya, po-be-div-shay on the vy-bo-rah in the par-la-ment: the right-of-tel-st-in for-mi -ru-et-sya with this party (blo-com party-tiy, which has a big-shin-st-in-the-par-la-men-those) and is not responsible for-responsibility in front of par-la-men-tom, but not in front of mo-nar-hom. The mo-narch acts “according to the co-ve-tu” of the pra-vi-tel-st-va (prime-mi-ni-st-ra), for the action of the mo-nar -ha on the management of the state-su-dar-st-vom is not responsible for the government-st-ven-ness of the government. Par-la-men-tar-us monarchies are almost all the monarchical countries of Europe, Japan, the monarchical countries of So -friend-st-va.

In some countries, monarchies can take special forms.

Monarchy- a form of government in which supreme power belongs fully or partially to a representative of the ruling dynasty - a monarch (king, czar, shah, etc.). The monarch inherits state power in a certain order and acts as the sole head of state.

Signs of a monarchical form of government:

The existence of a sole bearer of supreme state power;

Dynastic succession to supreme power;

Lifelong ownership of power by the monarch: the laws of the monarchy do not provide for the removal of the monarch from power;

Lack of legal responsibility of the monarch for his actions (for example, according to the Military Regulations of Peter I, the sovereign is “an autocratic monarch who should not give an answer to anyone in the world about his affairs”).

Monarchy is a very flexible and viable form of government. It arose in a slave-owning society. Under feudalism it became the main form of government. The monarchical form of government has not lost its significance and exists in a number of modern bourgeois states (England, Spain, etc.).

Types of monarchy. From the point of view of the complete power of the monarch, there are two types of monarchies: absolute and constitutional.

Absolute (unlimited) monarchy form of government of a autocratic nature: the monarch alone makes laws, runs the government, controls justice ( Russia XVII- XVIII centuries, absolute monarchies of the era of feudalism, in the modern period - Brunei). The main feature of an absolute monarchy is the unlimited and unaccountable power of the monarch. In such a state there is no parliament - a legislative body elected by the population; there are no constitutional acts limiting the power of the monarch.

Currently, absolute monarchy is a rare form of government. It is recognized that by all indicators it exists in Oman and Brunei. There is no representative body here; the king is also the supreme judge.

Absolute monarchy is inherent authoritarian regime. A type of absolute monarchy - theocratic monarchy, those. a form of government in which the head of state simultaneously represents secular and religious authorities(Saudi Arabia).

Constitutional (limited) monarchy - a form of government in which the power of the monarch is limited by an elected body - parliament - and a special legal act - the constitution. Here there is a distribution of powers of supreme power between a single body - the monarch and a collective body - parliament. Constitutional monarchies currently exist, for example, in Great Britain, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Japan and other countries.


A constitutional monarchy can be dualistic and parliamentary. In a dualistic monarchy the organization of the highest bodies of state power is dual in nature: the monarch concentrates executive power in his hands, forms a government responsible to him, and legislative power belongs to parliament. At the same time, the monarch has the right to impose an absolute veto on laws adopted by parliament.

A dualistic monarchy arises in most cases at the junction of two historical eras - feudal and bourgeois. Currently, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait and some other states are recognized as such.

For parliamentary monarchy The following features are characteristic:

The power of the monarch is limited in all spheres of state power, there is no dualism of any kind;

Executive power is exercised by the government, which is constitutionally responsible to parliament rather than to the monarch;

The government is formed from representatives of the party that wins the elections;

The head of government becomes the leader of the party with the largest number of seats in parliament;

Laws are passed by parliament, and their signing by the monarch is a formal act.

The monarch traditionally retains certain powers. It performs mainly representative functions and symbolizes the unity of the nation. In some states, he appoints the head of government. The position of the monarch exists due to the national commitment to the monarchical form of government, the recognition of the monarchy as the most appropriate form of state power.

The preservation of this type of monarchy is due to the cultural and historical heritage of the country, tribute to traditions, trust in the monarch, and the peculiarities of national thinking (mentality). Most modern monarchies are distinguished by these features, for example, Great Britain, Belgium, Spain, Japan, etc.