PARLIAMENT

The legislative power of Kronenburg is in hands of the government (Oostkamer) and parliament (Noord-, Zuid- and Westkamer): parliament passes the bills that are most often designed by or by order of the Oostkamer. The head of state (the king) too is part of the legislative power: he has to sign bills into force. According to the current constitution, the king isn't however obliged to sign, but since 1981, no king has ever refused to sign a bill.

The Kronenburg parliamentary buildings are divided in four chambers, named after the four wind directions (north, east, south and west). Although the functions of these chambers have varied in the past, currently the Noordkamer is the house of representatives, the Oostkamer is the council of ministers, the Zuidkamer is the senate, while the Westkamer is an advisory body to the other chambers. More information about the Oostkamer can be found under 'government'.

The Noordkamer
What is now called Noordkamer was founded as a unicameral parliament in 1627. Until 1649 it was simply called the Raad ('Council') and after that the Volksvertegenwoordiging ('Parliament'). In the years during which the Kronenburgish kings still resided in Europe, Kronenburg was ruled by the Chairman of Parliament and his assistants. This situation changed during the reign of king William IV and his successors. Especially since parliament was moved to Alexanderstad and, due to the lay-out of the parliamentary buildings there, became known as the Noordkamer, it more and more got the function which it still has today: a body that passes bills and watches over the executive power. The members of the Noordkamer are elected once every four years. Since 2006, the Noordkamer has 175 members.

The Chairman of the Noordkamer isn't as important anymore as he was in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when he was practically acting head of state. Nowadays, the Chairman can become acting prime minister of an interim government, if the Oostkamer resigns with immediate effect or if it is sacked by the Noordkamer. If so, the vice chairman becomes acting chairman of the Noordkamer.

The Westkamer
In 1829, king Willem IV founded the Koninkrijksraad ('Council of the Realm') and filled it with his own supporters, so that it could counterbalance the power of the Noordkamer. Until 1949 this council (which was called Westkamer after the 1870's) had the task to re-evaluate the work done by the Noordkamer, but it also had advisory tasks. After 1949 the first task went to the newly founded Zuidkamer, while the Westkamer remained only an advisory body. The members of the Westkamer are appointed by the head of state, but since 1981 on the recommendation of the Noordkamer and the prime minister. An exception on this rule is the Zetel der Nassaus ('Seat of the Nassaus'), which is taken by the crown prince(ss) or the heir(ess) presumptive when he or she reaches the age of 20 years, until he or she ceases to be crown prince(ss) or heir(ess) presumptive (by becoming king or queen, by being replaced in the line of succession by someone else, etc.). Since 2006, the Westkamer has 34 seats, including the Zetel der Nassaus, which is currently empty.

The Zetel der Nassaus was taken by:
   1829 - 1934     crown prince Willem (after 1840 king Willem II of the Netherlands); he attended the meetings twice
   1851 - 1875     crown prince Alexander Friso (after 1875 king Alexander II Friso)
   1904 - 1943     crown prince Alexander (died before his mother, queen Marianne)
   1943 - 1953     crown prince Willem Hendrik (after 1953 king Willem V Hendrik)
   1959 - 1963     crown prince Jan (in 1963 king Jan II); he didn't attend any meetings
   1963 - 1963     prince Alexander Ernst, being the heir presumptive (after 1963 king Alexander III Ernst)
   1968 - 1991     crown prince Alexander Lodewijk (after 1991 king Alexander IV Lodewijk)
   1996 - 1999     crown prince Alexander Casimir (lost his position in the line of succession after his marriage)
   1999 - 2010     crown prince Johan Ernst (after 2010 king Ernst I Frederik)

The Zuidkamer
The youngest chamber of parliament was created after the constitution change of 1949 by the separation of the Westkamer tasks. Comparable to the institution of Senate in other countries, the Zuidkamer closely watches and evaluates the activities of the Noordkamer. Bills approved by the latter have to be passed by the Zuidkamer too, before they can go to the king for signing. The Zuidkamer can only approve or reject bills and doesn't have the power to change them. Normally the Zuidkamer only rejects a bill when a majority thinks it is a really bad idea. When there is discontent about mere details, the Zuidkamer doesn't vote, but sends the bill back to the Noordkamer for reconsideration. The bill that has the longest record of moving back and forth between Noordkamer and Zuidkamer, was the Bill on the Revision of Primary Education of 1972 - 1977, which was send back by the Zuidkamer as many as sixteen times in a period of five years.

The members of the Zuidkamer are elected by the municipal councils once every four years. Since 2006, the Zuidkamer has 81 members.

The Promulgation
Every year, on the first Friday of February, the king of Kronenburg opens the parliamentary year by reading the Promulgation ('Promulgatie' in Dutch; officially the Promulgatio Rerum Publicarum Regni Coronamburgensis). The first Friday of February is also the date on which the terms of newly elected parliaments and municipal councils as well as the newly formed government start.