Yonderian Parliament

The Yonderian Parliament, Parlement Yonderre (Burgoignesc) or Yondersche Volksting (Gothic) (lit. the people's thing, people's assembly), is the unicameral national legislature of the Serene Grand Duchy Yonderre. Established in 1833, it meets in Gillaumebourg in central Collinebourg.

The Parliament passes all laws, approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government. It is also responsible for adopting the state's budgets and approving the state's accounts. As set out in the Yonderian Constitution, the Parliament is directly subordinated to the Grand Duke of Yonderre who wields executive power to veto and overturn laws passed by government. In practice, however, the Grand Duke seldom interferes in the work of the parliament.

The Parliament consists of 179 representatives. General elections must be held every five years, but it is within the powers of the Steward of the Realm to ask the monarch to call for an election before the term has elapsed. On a vote of no confidence, the Parliament may force a single Minister or the entire government to resign. Members are democratically elected by proportional representation: 135 in districts using the method and with 44. The Yonderian political system has traditionally generated coalitions as individual parties have only rarely been able to muster the 90 seats needed to form government.

History
The Yonderian Parliament was formed in 1833 as a result of reforms made to the Yonderian Constitution during the Yonderian Golden Age. The Parliament was elected by common vote among men and consisted mainly of independent farmers, traders, and merchants as well as the educated classes. From 1833 to 1888 the right of vote for the Parliament was restricted to the wealthiest, and some of its members were appointed by the Grand Duke, thus it predominantly represented the landed gentry and other conservatives. In 1888, a new voting system was adopted by popular demand whereby voting rights for county elections were granted to all men over 18 years of age, whereas the right to vote in national elections for Parliament became a privileged position to be earned through services to the nation and democracy known as the Grand Vote.

Because of the large number of parties represented in the chamber, it is all but impossible for one party to win the 90 seats necessary for a majority. No party has achieved this since 1901 when the Conservative People's Party held 93 seats. All Yonderian governments since then have been coalitions or one-party minority governments. For this reason, a long-standing provision in the constitution allows a government to take office without getting a vote of confidence and stay in office as long as it does not lose a vote of no confidence. One consequence is that, unlike in most other parliamentary systems, a Yonderian government can never be sure its legislative agenda will pass, and it must assemble a majority for each individual piece of legislation.

Voter legibility
Yonderre has semi-universal suffrage: In federal elections, all citizens over 18 years of age who live in the realm and who have not been declared incapable of managing their own affairs may vote for their County election. For national elections, a prospective voter must have earned the right to vote for Parliament, known as the Grand Vote. The Grand Vote is earned through services to the nation and democracy, typically military service, services to arts and sciences or indeed to politics. It is also typically awarded to teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, public servants and medical professionals. The Courts of the Grand Vote deliberates over submitted requests to be granted the Grand Vote. As of 2019, Yonderre has more than 40 million Grand Voters, representing around 58% of all Yonderian citizens over 18 years of age. The Grand Vote cannot be revoked once awarded except in special cases (typically treason) that are presented in High Court.

Speaker
The Speaker is the presiding officer of the Parliament. The Speaker determines which members may speak, and is responsible for maintaining order during debates. The position was created in 1845 and the inaugural holder of the office was CG von Kunz. The current Speaker is Anton de Carre of United Yonderre. The Speaker and a further four Deputy Speakers are elected by members of Parliament following each general election. The Speaker's badge of office is a black spiked mace thought to have been used during the Conquest of Joanusterre on permanent loan to Parliament from the Ducal War Museum.