Subdivisions of the Batavian Empire

Whilst the Batavian Empire is a unitary state, it is divided into a great number of subdivisions, most notably departments. All of these subdivisions have their own forms of local decentralised governance as in a quasi-federalised state.

Departments
The Batavian Empire is subdivided into a total of 117 departments, containing well over 99% of the Empire's population. From its respective capital, a department has a regional government that has shared competences with the national government on a number of issues. Most notably on issues like transport/infrastructure, spatial planning and cultural issues, but also on many more. The constitution does not, or hardly mention any exclusive competences for departmental governments, but the conventional rule is that wherever the national government has not explicitly legislated, departments are free to do so within the existing legal frameworks. This slightly vague distribution of legislative power has resulted in various clashes between regional governments on one side, and the national government on the other side. When departmental policy is inconsistent with national legislation, ministers are often able to unilaterally override departments, be it sometimes with the help of the Consulate. When departmental policy is inconsistent with the law of the land, the Attorney General often prosecutes to bring the case before the High Court, which solves the issue as a mediator.

In some areas of governance, such as law enforcement, departments have a vital supporting function. All departments are led by Imperial Governors, which are directly appointed by the Crown, be it often with the support of the regional legislatures. The number of departments is laid out in the 2045 Regional Governance Act, which has a unique provision that it can be unilaterally altered by a Senate supermajority. As such, the number of departments is not set in stone, and occasionally new departments are created or existing ones are merged together. There are no requirements when it comes to the size of departments, nor in extent nor population.

Executive leadership of departments
The executive leadership of departments is in the hands of the Imperial Governor and the so-called Executive Administration. Governors are appointed directly by the crown and serve as the 'head of department', taking up the duties similar to those in the hands of the Emperor on the national level. Imperial Governors officially serve at the pleasure of the Crown, but are, by convention, evaluated on a five-year basis, after which Governors hand in their notice and the Emperor decides whether to accept or decline it. Upon the appointment of a new Imperial Governor, a departmental legislature is allowed a 'consultative vote' on the proposed candidate. If the departmental legislature demonstrates strong objections to the nominee, the Crown often reconsiders, due to the importance of a smooth relationship between executive and legislature. The Crown, however, is under no legal obligation to do so, and can also decide to push forward with the nomination regardless, which regularly happens in the case of a political stalemate. Governors are the most important liaison between departments and the Crown.

Whilst Governors are appointed by the Crown, a party or a coalition of parties form an Executive Administration, comprising of a number of Executives who execute policies directed by the legislature. Executives can be deemed the equivalent of cabinet members on a regional level. The number of Executives depends on a variety of factors and is officially determined by the departmental legislatures, which also have the power to dismiss Executives or the Executive Administration in its entirety by way of a successful motion of no-confidence. Each Administration is headed by a Lieutenant Chancellor, who is elected through an investiture vote as soon as an absolute majority of deputies agree on a candidate. Lieutenant Chancellors chair Executive Administration meetings, almost always in combination of taking up a certain portfolio like other Executives, making them primus inter pares. Whilst the Lieutenant Chancellor and the Executive Administration have considerable powers on a variety of issues, the Imperial Governor has exclusive competence on matters relating to law enforcement and security.

Departmental Legislatures
Departmental Legislatures are the legislative branches on the regional level. Whilst the law does not explicitly mention the name of departmental legislature, they ar most commonly referred to as State Assemblies. Since 2042, however, departments have the power to name their legislature themselves, if they so wish. This has led to a range of names in regionally recognised languages. Despite their difference in outlook, all State Assemblies have to conform to the same rules and procedures as laid out in the 2045 Regional Governance Act.

The quantity of deputies per State Assembly is also set by law and varies per department. State Assemblies have a set minimum of 25 seats, after which 5 seats are added for every 500.000 inhabitants up to a maximum of 300 seats, meaning all departments with a population higher than 37,5 million are only awarded the maximum of 300 seats. Deputies for State Assemblies are elected in the same way as the members of the House of Consuls, with every department being subdivided into electoral districts. A handfuls of departments, however, elects its deputies on the basis of one at-large department wide constituency.

Elections for State Assemblies are held on a fixed-term basis of every 4 years, however, snap elections are frequent and can happen in three ways.


 * 1) Dissolution by decree: an Imperial Governor reserves the right to dissolve a State Assembly by decree, after which the presiding officer will inform the Assembly and will decide on a date of the snap elections, together with the governor. Dissolution by decree is prohibited in the first 100 sitting days after fixed-term elections, as well as in the last 365 sitting days before the next fixed-term elections.
 * 2) Legislative dissolution: if a majority of the State Assembly votes in favour of its own dissolution, the presiding officer will inform the Imperial Governor, who will then together decide on the date of the snap elections. Legislative dissolution is prohibited in the first 100 sitting days after fixed-term elections, as well as in the last 365 sitting days before the next fixed-term elections.

After a snap election, the newly elected deputies will serve for the remainder of the tenure of the previous assembly, until the 4-year fixed-term elections are held again.

If a Senate seat vacancy were to occur due to the resignation or death of the serving Senator for the department, the Imperial Governor, on the advice of the presiding officer, can nominate an acting Senator that will serve for the remainder of the former Senator's term. The State Assembly has to confirm the acting Senator's nomination.

The national government reserves the right to temporarily suspend departmental governance, either through Provision 2A of the 2045 Regional Governance Act with a simple majority in both houses, or, alternatively by Imperial Decree. Through the 2A Provision, departmental governance can only be suspended up until the next fixed-term elections, by Imperial Decree, the suspension can last until the decree is repealed or nullified by the Senate three months after its enactment. If a departmental government is suspended by Imperial Decree, fixed-term elections will take place, but elected deputies will be barred from taking their seats until the suspension is lifted.

Political Representation in State Assemblies
The conduct of State Assembly elections is laid out in the 2045 Regional Governance Act and are, like all other elections in the Batavian Empire, organised and moderated by the Joint Election Committee (JEC). The law prescribes that elections for State Assemblies are conducted through a proportional closed-list system via D'Hondt method, whereby departments need to be subdivided into at least 2 multi-member constituencies. This last requirement is not present for departments with a population under 100,000, which are permitted to function as one at-large constituency. Legislation on multi-member constituencies is a reserved matter for the Executive Council and the State Assembly, but departments are advised by the JEC to use already existing baronies as multi-member constituencies.

The last fixed-term election for all State Assemblies was held on 21 May 2053.

Baronies
The second-tier subdivisions in the Batavian Empire are so-called baronies. Most departments are subdivided into baronies, which have their own form of local governance.



Crown Territory
Crown Territories are administrative divisons which fall under direct imperial controll. The Emperor has full authority over the territories and rules them without any influence from the Consulate. Crown Territories are low populated places which lack the development to be departments. A misunderstanding is that the teeritories are always lower populated than departments, for instance, the territory of Greenland has more citizens than the departments of Falkand and Dutch Atlantic, but is still a territory instead of a department.

Formation of Crown Territories
Four current territories were created by decree of the Emperor after the Act of the Constitution was adapted. In the Constitution is clarified that Crown Territories can become departments if the Emperor proposes a so called Departmental Integration Bill to the Senate. The Senate can accept or reject the proposal of the Emperor with a simple majority. If a majority is reached the Crown Territory nominated for department is transformed into a department within a year after the approval.

When the Dutch-Shanghai was added to the empire in 2050 the Emperor launched a decree, stating Dutch-Shanghai were to be a crown territory, making it the largest crown territory with about 1.4 million inhabitants, more than all the existing crown territories plus the ten lowest populated departments combined. The Senate can approve the decree after a period of three months.

Existing epartments can also be changed back into departments by executive order of the Emperor. The moment the Emperor launched the executive order the members of the department’s executive branch are sacked, the departmental legislature is dissolved, the judiciary is frozen and the influence of the national legislature and cabinet is immediately nullified. The Emperor is transferred full authority. (This scenario is not to be confused with a declaration of a state of emergency, which can be implemented by the Imperial-Governor of the region and will also efficiently nullify all influence from the legislative power of the department.) After the Emperor signs the decree the National Senate can vote to reject the decree after a period of three months have expired and re-install are government branches by simple majority.

Administration of Crown Territories
In theory, the Crown Territories are directly ruled by the Emperor, but the Emperor also appoints a Grand Pensionary whose job is to implement the policy of the Emperor in the territory. The Grand Pensionary is accompanied by some other regents, each taking responsibility of a certain portfolio, such as education or healthcare. The regents and the Grand Pensionary serves at the Emperor's wish and can be replaced any time by the Emperor.

The Crown Territories do not have a legislative branch, since bills are made and checked by the Emperor himself. The only influence of the people in the territory is by a People's Consultation which is held every 6 months in which citizens can express their ideas through a referendum. The People's Consultation is not binding and can be rejected by the Emperor.

Imperial City
An Imperial City is a city which falls under direct authority of the Emperor. It is not the same as a Crown Territory since the citizens of the Imperial City can vote in both the elections of the House as the Senate. They can even send three Senators instead of the one senator every department can send.

Formation of Imperial Cities
There is currently only one Imperial City, which is the capital city of Amsterdam. Imperial Cities were created by executive order of the Emperor after the Act of the Constitution was adapted. The Imperial City was made after the old Reichsstädte idea of the Holy Roman Empire, which were cities under direct control of the Emperor to secure safety and order. A very important difference is that the Emperor, as commander-in-chief, is not allowed to enter the city with the Batavian Army without a ⅔ approval of the Senate.

The Emperor can form Imperial Cities with suggesting a proposal to the Senate which can be approved or disapproved with a simple majority. The Senate cannot take the initiative to vote to adjourn an Imperial City themselves. They can however take initiative to form another Imperial City without proposal from the Emperor.

Administration of Imperial Cities
The Emperor appoints a Chancellor to rule the city in his name, but is also actively engaged in the administration of the city himself. The Chancellor is sometimes referred to as Imperial-Mayor and is supported by a group of Alderman, each with a different portfolio. The Alderman are chosen by the Chancellor upon taking office. The Chancellor serves at the Emperor's pleasure and can be dismissed any time.

Imperial Cities have an Assembly elected via first-past-the-post to advise the Chancellor and to which the Chancellor is unofficially accountable. Additionaly, citizens of Imperial cities elect Consuls to the House of Consuls, which give citizens the right to choose the course for the rest of the Empire. They can also send three Senators to the Senate which is more than a department can send.

Military Administered Zones
Military Administered Zones (MAZ's) are areas in the Batavian Empire where the military has complete authority. MAZ's are beyond the influence of the elected government and citizens of a MAZ cannot vote for anyone in any election.

Formation of Military Administered Zones
When the Act of the Constitution was approved Emperor Saviël-Citus was afraid that a democratically elected government could be too soft on the United States, allowing them to re-enforce their forces and launch a counterattack on the Batavian Empire. To prevent this he kept the Canadian Anticosti island under military authority. The elected parliament and government would have no say in it's government which would be a direct concern of the Emperor.

MAZ's can only be formed if occupied territories are not yet deemed ready for fusion with the Empire, when the land is military-strategic to important. As soon as a land is integrated within the Empire it can only become a MAZ again by executive order of the Emperor, if there is already a State of War declared.

Administration of Military Administered Zones
Military Administered Zones fall under direct authority of the United Batavian Forces. But because the Emperor is commander in chief the MAZ's are directly under his influence. However, it is not integrated within the Empire the Batavian Constitution does apply in these regions, to ensure the rights of citizens and prevent them from being some sort of Guantanamo Bay. The officer highest in rank in the Military Administered Zone forms the administration in name of the Emperor, who stays in complete charge of the MAZ. There is currently only one MAZ which is the Anticosti Island in Canada.