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Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister. In others countries a "minister of state" is a holder of a more senior position, such as a cabinet minister or even a head of government.
High government ranks
In several national traditions, the title is reserved for government members of cabinet rank, often a formal distinction within it, or even its chief.
- In Brasil, Minister of State (Portuguese: Ministro de Estado) is the title borne by all members of the Federal Cabinet.
- France: Under the Fifth Republic, Minister of State (Ministre d'État in French) is an honorific title bestowed during his nomination on a Portfolio Minister who by his or her attributions or achievements deserves special recognition. Ministres d'État, in the protocol, rank after the Prime Minister and before the other Ministers but enjoy no other specific prerogatives. It is not to be confused with a Secretary of State (Secrétaire d'État), a Junior minister assisting a Minister and who may only attend cabinet meeting if the topic discussed touches his responsibilities. Former Ministres d'État include current French President Nicolas Sarkozy. There is currently only one Ministre d'État, Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development Jean-Louis Borloo.
- In Japan, Minister of State is the title borne by all members of the Japanese Cabinet.
- In Luxembourg, Minister of State (French: Ministre d'État) is a title borne by the Prime Minister. Unlike 'Prime Minister' (French: Premier ministre), which was instituted only in 1989, the title 'Minister of State' has been held by the head of government since 1848.
- Monaco: The Minister of State of Monaco is the principality's Head of government, subordinate to the Prince of Monaco and responsible for enforcing its laws.
- In Portugal, Minister of State (Ministro de Estado) is a member of the Council of Ministers who holds a more distinct position within the cabinet, roughly equivalent to Deputy Prime Minister.
- In Scandinavian states, the equivalent title Statsminister is used for the head of government (i.e. the prime minister), and compound titles of which Statsminister is a part may be used for major Portfolio Ministers.
- Spain: When Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo was Prime Minister of Spain (1981-1982), Ministers of State were created who held a more distinct position within the Government. However, this initiative did not last since his successors did not follow this path.
Minor government ranks
In various other nations, especially in former members of the British Empire, it is a junior rank, often subordinated to a cabinet member.
- Germany: Minister of State (Staatsminister in German) is the title given to a parliamentary state secretary (a member of parliament serving as a political aide to a cabinet minister) serving in the Foreign Office or the Federal Chancellor's Office. Accordingly, Staatsminister ranks between a State Secretary by career and a Federal Minister. While a Minister of State is a federal parliamentary state secretary to the federal chancellor or the federal minister of foreign affairs, a state minister is a cabinet minister of a German land. As a parliamentary system Germany has no Secretaries of State, who are members of a cabinet in a presidential system. Historically, the same title was used (sometimes alternating with others styles), notably as head of government in certain of the many constituent monarchies of pre-reunion Germany, e.g. in Hesse-Darmstadt, Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel), Lippe, Schaumburg-Lippe, in Hannover, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Reuss-Schleiz-Gera and Reuss Junior Line, electorate/kingdom Saxony, Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.
- Nigeria: A Minister of State is a junior Minister in the Nigerian Cabinet and is normally the principal deputy or one of the deputies to the Minister in a Federal Ministry. The Minister of State may in some cases be the head of a special department in the President's Office. By law, both senior Ministers and Ministers of State are regarded as Ministers of the Government of the Federation.
- India: A Minister of State is a junior Minister in the Federal or Central Government who may assist a cabinet minister or have independent charge of a ministry. A recently passed law restricts the number of ministers of state in the federal government- see a current listing of Indian ministers- Indian Cabinet
- Pakistan: Like in other former British colonies, a Minister of State in Pakistan is a junior Minister in the Federal Government who may assist a cabinet minister or have independent charge of a ministry. Pakistan Federal Cabinet
Subnational office
In the republic of Burma, the title was used for the Chief ministers of the following autonomous states, from 1947/48 till the abolition of that autonomy in 1962: Arakan State (Rakhine), Chin state, Karen State (Kayin), Kayah State (Karenni), Kachin State and Shan state
Other use
Netherlands and Belgium
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In the Netherlands (Minister van Staat in Dutch) and Belgium (also Ministre d'État in French), Minister of State is a title of honour awarded formally by the Monarch, but on the initiative of the government. It is given on a personal basis, for life rather than for a specified period. The title is granted for exceptional merits, generally to senior politicians at the end of their party career. Ministers of state are often former cabinet members or party leaders. Ministers of State advise the Sovereign in delicate situations, with moral authority but without formal competence.
- In Belgium they are entitled to a seat, alongside the members of the government in power, in the Crown Council; to date the Crown Council has been convened on only five occasions, the first being in 1870 for the Franco-Prussian War, and the latest in 1960 in connection with the independence of the Belgian Congo. Apart from that, the only privileges of being a "minister of state" are protocollary precedence on state occasions and a ministerial type car immatriculation. De facto, appointments tend to respect the almost obsessional balances between the Flemish and French-speaking communities as well as between the 'ministeriable' political families: mainly Christian-democrats, Socialists, Liberals, also (moderate) Nationalists, occasionally an Ecologist). Other former careers include those of Étienne Davignon (European Commissioner) and Luc Coene (prime-ministerial Kabinetschef, roughly Chief of staff). In January 2006 the membership reached 51 with Johan Vande Lanotte, shortly after he laid down his portfolio and title of Vice-Prime Minister to head the Flemish Socialist SP.A party. After formateur Yves Leterme returned his commission in August 2007, king Albert II consulted 13 Ministers of State individually, without convening the crown council as such.
Ancien Régime France
In France during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration, the title "Ministre d'État" had a specific designation. The title first appeared under Louis XIII. The "ministres d'État", appointed by lettres patentes, attended meetings of the Conseil du Roi (which would later become the Conseil d'État). From 1661 on — at the start of Louis XIV's "personal reign" — the king called whomever he wished to his Council; invitations were only good for one session and needed to be renewed as long as the individual retained the king's confidence. However, having attended one session of the Council gave the person the right to be called "ministre d'État" for life, and also gave him the right to an annual life pension of roughly 20,000 livres. There were few "ministres d'État" at Council meetings (between three or four during the reign of Louis XIV); they also attended the "Conseil des Dépęches" (the "Counsel of Messages", concerning notices and administrative reports from the provinces).
Suppressed during the French Revolution, the title "ministre d'État" reappeared during the Bourbon Restoration as essentially an honorary title given (not systematically) to Ministers after their demission or their departure from office; refusal on behalf of the King to award this title to a demissioned Minister was seen as an affront.
British diplomacy
From 28 January 1944, the last two British Ministers Resident in the Middle East, concerned with former British protectorate Egypt, were styled Ministers of State in the Middle East
Sources and references
(incomplete)
- De Standaard (leading Flemish newspaper, in Dutch), e.g. January 31, 2006
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