Profiles of Ceremonial Heads of State
When a country abolishes a monarchy, or has an absentee monarch who lives in another nation, a replacement head of state must be selected. Otherwise who will cut the ribbons and hand out medals? Historically, many nations have simply adopted the presidential model of government, in which the most important ceremonial and political roles of state are fused together into one office- the executive President- who is like a prime minister and king in one.
However some countries believe separating the ceremonial from the political is actually a good thing. As a result these nations have adopted a system of government in which the head of government is the prime minister but the head of state is some ceremonial person who doesn't have any political powers but is still expected to make speeches on holidays and visit sick people in the hospital.
In these countries there is always an ongoing debate as to what kind of person should be selected to best fulfill this psuedo-monarchical role. Like the kings and queens they replace, ceremonial heads of state are expected to be non-partisan and neutral. They are expected to embody the very nation itself, and serve as an inspirational and respectable figure for all citizens to admire.
That's the theory at least. Here are the ceremonial heads of state* in some of the leading western nations that use the parliamentary system:
Governor Generals in Commonwealth Realms
Appointed by the Prime Minister of the country
| Country | Name | Past career |
| Canada | Michealle Jean | television host |
| Australia | Major-General Michael Jeffery | soldier |
| Jamaica | Kenneth Hall | professor, university chancellor |
| Bahamas | Arthur Hanna | politician (cabinet minister) |
| New Zealand | Dame Sylvia Cartwright | Supreme Court Justice |
| Barbados | Sir Clifford Husbands | Supreme Court Justice |
Cermonial Presidents
Elected directly by the public
| Country | Name | Past career | Party |
| Austria | Heinz Fischer | politician (cabinet minister) | Social Democrat |
| Iceland | Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson | politician (cabinet minister, party leader) | People's Alliance |
| Israel | Moshe Katsav | politician (cabinet minister, mayor) | Likud Party |
| Ireland | Mary McAleese | journalist, professor, failed politician | Fianna Fáil |
| Portugal | Jorge Sampaio | politician (MP, party leader, mayor) | Socialist |
Elected by joint session of parliament
| Country | Name | Past career | elected by |
| Italy | Carlo Ciampi | Governor of the Bank of Italy, finance minister, non-partisan interim Prime Minister | bi-partisan coalition of Forza Italia and Leftist Democrats |
| Czech Rep. | Václav Klaus | Politician (cabinet minister, Prime Minister) | left-wing coalition of Social Democrats and Communists |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Dr. Max Richards | chemical engineer, university president | majority party, the People's National Movement |
| Greece | Karolos Papoulias | Politician (cabinet minister, MP) | bi-partisan coalition of Socialists and New Democrats |
| Germany | Horst Köhler | International Monteary Fund president, partisan political advisor | right-wing coalition of Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union |
| India | Dr. Abdul Kalam | nuclear scientist, advisor to Defense Department | bi-partisan coalition of National Democratic Alliance and Congress Party |
Discussion questions:
1) do you think all of these people qualify as politically non-partisan? Which heads of state have backgrounds which makes you question their neutrality in the political process?
2) Canada chose a television host to be Governor General. Do you agree that this was a stupid idea? Why or why not?
3) Do you think England would be better off if there was no Queen and Tony Blair was free to reign as Supreme Dictator For Life? Make a chart listing the possible pros and cons of this idea.
4) The President of Germany has weird dots on the "o" in his name. Discuss.
*yes, yes the Governor General is not actually head of state, I know I know.