Overview - The executive branch of the Empire of Valessia is structured in the following manner; The highest overall authority is the Hierarch, a semi-hereditary monarch equivalent to an Emperor. The highest civilian authority is the Heritep who is the equivalent to a Prime Minister. The Hierarch overseas what is known as the Imperial Ministry which is a catch all for anything dealing with the Imperial Family and their lives, property and affairs. Meanwhile the Heritep overseas the vast bureaucracy that makes up the various Ministries of the Empire. Together the Hierarch and the Heritep are the two leading figures in the Empire. While the Heritep handles the day to day affairs as well as spearheads policy and the enforcement of laws it is not uncommon for the Hierarch to suggest policy or laws to the legislature.
Hierarch - The position is semi-hereditary in the fact that the Hierarch nominates a preferred heir who must be confirmed by the Succession Council (usually made up of family members) who must vote in a 2/3rds majority to approve the heir. The Hierarch has broad authorities that aren't entirely enumerated in the Imperial Charter though by precedent their intervention in politics is limited so as to allow the government of the day to handle the running of the Empire. The current Hierarch is
Nesea Loxias who assumed the Mantle of the Empire fifteen years prior. Under her direction the Hierarch and the Imperial Ministry have been responsible for pushing the legislature to adopt more militarist policy in response to stellar affairs.
Heritep - The position of Heritep is an elected position from within whatever party or coalition of parties can command a governing majority in the legislature. It is tradition for the head of the party or coalition to become the Heritep though there are examples of other members being put forward from within a party rather than the party head. The Heritep is expected to handle the day to day affairs of the Empire and to appoint the heads of the various Ministries that oversee the Empire. The current Heritep is
Osrei Seten who hails from the Hedj-Khem (White and Black) party which is mostly centrist but has accepted the mandate to pursue a more militarist policy headed by the Hierarch.
Executive Agencies - The various agencies of the Empire's sprawling bureaucracy are numerous and have competing interests from time to time. The heads of each Agency or Ministry as they are called is a Minister. Each Minister is appointed by the sitting Heritep and confirmed both by the Legislature and the Hierarch. Throughout the Empire's history various ministries and ministers have risen in prominence and power but today four ministries are collectively known as
"The Brokers" for their sway on policy making, they are the Ministries of State Security, Aerospace and Defense, Foreign Affairs and Commerce.
Current Major Agencies (Cabinet Level) -
- Ministry of State Security*
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs*
- Ministry of Commerce and Economic Development*
- Ministry of Aerospace and Defense*
- Ministry of Offworld Affairs
- Ministry of Science and Technology
- Ministry of Culture
- Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry
- Ministry of Justice
- Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation
- Ministry of Energy
- Ministry of Labor and Social Policy
- Ministry of Education
- Ministry of Health
*Ministries that are collectively known as "The Brokers"
The Top Officials - The top officials are widely regarded to be dually led by the Hierarch and the Heritep though the following are those that are also seen as incredibly important to the running of the nation. The four are also all apart of Heritep Seten's Hedj-Khem party.
- Phylas Axias - Ministry of State Security
- Thrasymedes Oropheus - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Timais Xethe - Ministry of Commerce and Economic Development
- Egina Koritto - Ministry of Aerospace and Defense
Modern Appearance - The current shape of the Executive Branch of the Empire started to form in the 17th Century when the first Heritep's were given day to day authority by the Hierarchs of the time. Over the following centuries those Heriteps were able to slow but surely develop the Ministries to oversee the Empire as it grew and it's power became supreme. Following a civil war in the mid-20th Century the Heriteps were able to formally codify the current structure of the Empire and for the most part the Ministries have been the same. The newest Ministry would be that of State Security which was formally the Ministries of the Interior, National Security and National Intelligence.