State Council of Romania
The State Council was the highest executive body of Communist Romania from 1961 to 1989. It was the collective head of state before the creation of the office of President in 1974.
Powers
1961–1974
The State Council was created in 1961 with an amendment to the 1952 Constitution, replacing the Presidium of the Great [National Assembly (Socialist Republic of Romania)|Great National Assembly] as the permanent organ of the GNA. It consisted of a president, three vice presidents and thirteen members. By the end of the Communist era, it comprised a president, four vice presidents, a secretary and 15 members.According to Article 63 of the 1965 Constitution, the State Council was "highest [organ of state power|the supreme organ of state power] in permanent session." It was elected by the GNA from among its members and held office for the GNA's duration—in practice, five years. As with all government bodies in Romania, it was nominally subordinate to the GNA. In practice, by 1989, all but two of its members were also members of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party and also held important party posts.
The Constitution vested the State Council with two kinds of power. Article 63 detailed the powers that were permanently vested in the State Council, such as:
- Setting election dates
- Ratifying any treaty that didn't entail changing Romanian law
- Organizing referendums
- Appointing and recalling the commander of the armed forces and the heads of state organs
- Granting citizenship, amnesty and asylum
- Representing the state in international relations
- Appointing diplomatic representatives
- Establishing military ranks
- Establishing decorations and honorary titles
Article 68 stated that all State Council decisions were to be made collectively. However, outside of Romania, the president of the State Council was reckoned as the country's head of state. Whenever the leader of the Communist Party was also State Council president, he derived his real power from his party post–an arrangement analogous to the current power structure in China, where the country's paramount leader serves as President of the [People's Republic of China|President], but derives his real power from his post as Leader of the [Chinese Communist Party|party leader].
1974 amendments
The State Council's prerogatives were significantly reduced by constitutional amendments passed in 1974. Most notably, its presidency was upgraded to a full-fledged executive post, the President of the Republic. He continued to serve as ex officio president of the State Council, and was empowered to act on any matter that didn't require a plenary session of that body. He also assumed several powers that had previously been vested in the State Council as a whole, including conducting international relations and appointing and dismissing ministers and the heads of central agencies. When the GNA was not in session, the president could appoint and dismiss the president of the Supreme Court and the prosecutor general without State Council approval; indeed, under the 1974 amendments the president was not even required to consult his State Council colleagues when making such decisions. The State Council also lost the right to grant citizenship and asylum and to appoint the supreme commander of the armed forces. It also lost the right to grant amnesty when the GNA was in session.In practice, after 1974 the State Council was largely emasculated by Ceaușescu, who served as both leader of the Communist Party and President of the Republic. By using his power to act on all issues that didn't require a formal plenum, he frequently ruled by decree. He also usurped many of the State Council's powers, including the power to grant citizenship and asylum. However, his control over the country was so absolute that no one dared object.