Cabinet (Rhöntal)

The Government of Rhöntal (German:Rhöntaler Regierung) or more commonly called the Cabinet forms the excutive branch of the Political system of Rhöntal.

It's often called the Chancellor's Cabinet to emphasise the chancellor's dominant position among the ministersn.

Nomination
The constitution of Rhöntal dictates that the Chancellor is elected by the parliament. Following the election, the Chancellor is appointed by the Monarch. The ministers are appointed (and dismissed) by the monarch upon proposal of the Chancellor. Eventually, before taking office, the Chancellor and ministers swear an oath in front of the parliament.

Functioning
The Chancellor is responsible for guiding the cabinet and deciding its political direction. According to the principle of departmentalization (Ressortprinzip), the cabinet ministers are free to carry out their duties independently within the boundaries set by the Chancellor's political directives. The Chancellor also decides the scope of each minister's duties. If two ministers disagree on a particular point, the cabinet resolves the conflict by a majority vote (Kollegialprinzip or principle of deference).

The Chancellor is in charge of the government's administrative affairs, which are usually delegated to the Goverment Secretary. Details are laid down in the government's rules for internal procedures (Geschäftsordnung). These state, e.g., that the cabinet is quorate only if at least three of it's five most important members (chancellor, exterior, exterior, justice, finance, defence and keeper) including the chair are present as well as half of the ministers overall. The cabinet regularly convenes Monday mornings in the Government Secretariat.

The minister's ordinance grant former members of government a pension under the provision that they serve at least two years as ministers or parliamentary secretaries of state.

Beamtete and parliamentary secretaries of state as well as Ministers of State are not members of government according to formal law, they only supportthem in their work.

The Ministerialblatt is used as the government gazette.

Present Cabinet
The current federal cabinet (in office since 1 July 2010), consists of the following ministers:

Order of Substitution and Precendence
§ 22 der Kabinettsordnung regelt die Vertretungsreihenfolge bei Sitzungen der Regierung.

If the chancellor is absent the Keeper of the Privy Seal chairs meetings of the cabinet. In his absence the Minister who has been a member of the cabinet the longest is chairperson. If there are ministers who began their term at the same time the oldest chairs the meeting. These rules are only the long standing default the Chancellor is free to chance the order of substitution at his or her will. The order of substitution also provides a reference for all members of the cabinet who don not rank higher in the Rhöntal order of precedence.