A
deputy prime minister or
vice prime minister is, in some counties, a
government ministerA minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
who can take the position of acting
prime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a
vice presidentA vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
, but is significantly different, though both positions are "number two" offices. The position of deputy prime minister should not be confused with the
CanadianCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
office of the
Deputy MinisterIn Canada, a deputy minister is the senior civil servant in a government department. He or she takes political direction from an elected minister. Responsibility for the department's day-to-day operations, budget and program development lie with the deputy minister...
of the
Prime Minister of CanadaThe Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, which is a non-political civil servant position (Nor does the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada act as a "number two"). The states of
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and provinces of
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
each have the analogous office of
deputy premier. In the
devolvedDevolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
administrations of the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, an analogous position is that of the
deputy first minister.
Deputy prime minister traditionally serve as acting prime minister when the real prime minister is temporarily absent or incapable of exercising his/her power. For this reason the deputy prime minister is often asked to succeed to the prime minister's office following the prime minister's sudden death or unexpected resignation, although this is not necessarily constitutionally mandated.
Deputy prime minister is often a job that is held simultaneously with another ministry, and is usually given to one of the most senior, experienced ministers of the cabinet.
A deputy prime minister may also be
deputy leaderA deputy leader in the Westminster system is the second-in-command of a political party, behind the party leader. Deputy leaders often become deputy prime minister when their parties are elected to government. In opposition, deputy leaders often lead Question Time sessions when the party leader is...
of the governing party, or the leader of the junior party of a
coalition governmentA coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
.
Little scholarly attention has focused on deputy prime ministers. A 2009 study in
Political Science identified nine 'qualities' of deputy prime ministership: temperament; relationships with their Cabinet and caucus; relationships with their party; popularity with the public; media skills; achievements as deputy prime minister; relationship with the prime minister; leadership ambition; and method of succession.
By contrast, the structure of the
Government of RussiaThe Government of the Russian Federation exercises executive power in the Russian Federation. The members of the government are the prime minister , the deputy prime ministers, and the federal ministers...
and
Cabinet of Ministers of UkraineThe Cabinet of Ukraine is the highest body of state executive power in Ukraine also referred to as the Government of Ukraine...
foresees the positions of several deputy prime ministers or vice prime ministers. In the case of the
Russian governmentThe Government of the Russian Federation exercises executive power in the Russian Federation. The members of the government are the prime minister , the deputy prime ministers, and the federal ministers...
, the
Prime MinisterThe Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation The use of the term "Prime Minister" is strictly informal and is not allowed for by the Russian Constitution and other laws....
is responsible for defining the scope of the duties for each of his or her deputies, who also may head a specific ministry - e.g. the former Minister of Finance of Russia, Alexey Kudrin also serves as one of the deputies of the prime ministers or
vice-premiers. One or two of these deputy prime ministers may hold the title of a
First Deputy Prime Minister. The Russian federal law indicates that in accordance with the order established in advance,
one of the deputy prime ministers may temporarily substitute for the Prime Minister in his or her absence. Customarily, however, it is to one of the "First" Deputy Prime Ministers that the prime-ministerial duties may be delegated. At the same time, in the case of Prime Minister's resignation, the law allows the President of Russia to choose
any of the current vice-premiers to serve as an
acting Prime Minister until the confirmation of the new government.
Country-related articles
Deputy Prime Minister of AustraliaThe Deputy Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the second-most senior officer in the Government of Australia. The Deputy Prime Ministership has been a ministerial portfolio since 1968, and the Deputy Prime Minister is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime...
Deputy Prime Minister of the BahamasThis is a list of Prime Ministers and other Heads of Government of the Bahamas.- Office of the Prime Minister :The Prime Minister of the Bahamas is the head of the government of the Bahamas. He is also the Minister of Finance and the Member of Parliament for New Providence and North Abaco...
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- (position not currently in use)
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Vice-Chancellor of GermanyThe Vice-Chancellor of Germany is, according to protocol, the second highest position in the Cabinet of GermanyIn case of the Chancellor's absence, the vice-chancellor acts in his or her place, for instance by heading cabinet meetings...
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Deputy Prime Minister of IndiaThe Deputy Prime Minister of India is a member of the Indian cabinet in the Indian government. The post is not a constitutional post and seldom carries any specific powers. Generally a Deputy Prime Minister also holds other key portfolios like Home minister or Finance Minister...
- (position not currently in use)
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(Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland) Deputy Prime Minister of Israel Deputy Prime Minister of Japan Deputy Prime Minister of Macedonia
Deputy Prime Minister of MalaysiaDeputy Prime Minister of Malaysia is the second highest political office in Malaysia. There has been ten deputy prime ministers since the office was created in 1957. Although there has always been a Deputy Prime Minister since independence, there is nothing preventing a Prime Minister from not...
Deputy Prime Minister of MaltaThe Deputy Prime Minister of Malta is the second-most senior officer in the Government of Malta after the Prime Minister of Malta being a minister in his own right.-Constitutional Functions:...
Deputy Prime Minister of MauritiusThe Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius is a senior member of the Cabinet of Ministers in the country .He/she is appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.Having the same name ,this position is not to be confused with the Vice Prime Minister of Mauritius who is just a senior...
Deputy Prime Minister of the NetherlandsThe Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the official Deputy of the Head of Government of the Netherlands. In the absence of the Prime Minister the deputy prime minister takes over his functions, such as chairing the Cabinet of the Netherlands...
Deputy Prime Minister of New ZealandThe Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand is second most senior officer in the Government of New Zealand, although this seniority does not necessarily translate into power....
Deputy Prime Minister of Poland Vice Premier of the Republic of China First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union First Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union
First Vice President of the Government (Spain)The First Vice President of the Government of Spain , usually known in English as the First Deputy Prime Minister of Spain, is the second in command to the Prime Minister of Spain, filling in for him when he is absent or incapable of exercising his power. The person for the post is usually...
Deputy Prime Minister of SwedenThe Swedish constitution allows the Prime Minister to appoint one of the Ministers in the cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister , in case the Prime Minister for some reason is prevented from performing his or her duties...
Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand
Deputy Prime Minister of TurkeyThe Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey is the official Deputy of the Head of Government of Turkey. Conventionally all of the junior partners in the coalition, get one deputy, they are ranked according to the size of their respective parties- See also :...
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Deputy Prime Minister of the United KingdomThe Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a senior member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not a permanent position, existing only at the discretion of the Prime Minister, who may appoint to other offices...