Acting Presidents and Temporary Presidential Succession in European Republics

Abstract

Virtually all republican constitutions foresee mechanisms to ensure the continuous functioning of the presidency as the highest-ranking institution. While such rules have been most prominently discussed in the context of constitutional crises, they also apply to other instances, e.g. resignation or temporary unavailability due to illness or international travel. However, the rules governing temporary presidential succession still belong to the lesser researched topics in political science and comparative constitutional law. This paper provides an overview of the constitutional stipulations on acting presidents and their powers in 31 European republics. Thereby, it compares the formal-legal arrangements and defines different models of temporary succession. Furthermore, it discusses the practical applications of the rules by referring to illustrative examples from selected cases.