Politics
Portugal has an administrative structure of 308 municipalities (the most stable subdivision of Portugal since the foundation of the country), which are subdivided into more than 4,000 parishes (secondary local administrative units). For continental Portugal the municipalities are gathered in 18 Districts, while the Islands have a Regional Government directly above them.
Spain is a constitutional monarchy organised as a parliamentary democracy.
Italy has been a democratic republic since 2 June, 1946, when the monarchy was abolished by popular referendum. The constitution was promulgated on 1 January, 1948. The 1948 Constitution of Italy established a bicameral parliament, consisting of a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate, with a separate judiciary, and an executive branch composed of a Council of Ministers, headed by the prime minister. The President of the Italian Republic is elected for seven years by the parliament sitting jointly with a small number of regional delegates.
Malta’s diplomatic and consular representation includes accreditation to 152 foreign countries and international organizations. Malta is host to 20 resident diplomatic missions, and 112 countries have non-resident diplomatic representation.
Cyprus is divided into six districts, whose capitals share the same name:
The districts are divides into municipalities.
Executive branch
Chief of State: President Karolos PAPOULIAS (since 12 March 2005, next to be held by February 2010) Head of Government: Prime Minister Konstandinos (Kostas) KARAMANLIS (since 7 March 2004) Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister Foreign Minister: Dora Bakoyannis
Legislative branch
System of government: Republic.
Constitution: December 8, 1991, amended by referendum October 18-19, 2003.
Branches: Executive: president (head of state), prime minister (head of government), Council of Ministers. Legislative: bicameral Parliament. Constitutional Court, High Court of Cassation and Justice, and lower courts.
Subdivisions: 41 counties plus the city of Bucharest.
After many years as a one-party Marxist state, Hungary became a multiparty parliamentary democracy in 1989. The unicameral legislature consists of the 386-seat national assembly, whose members are directly elected to four-year terms. The executive branch consists of a president, who is the chief of state and, along with the presidential council, is elected by the national assembly, and a prime minister, who is the head of government.
The Slovakian government type is parliamentary democracy.
Constitution was ratified on the 1st September 1992, effective 1 January 1993; changed in September 1998 to allow direct election of the president; amended February 2001 to allow Slovakia to apply for NATO and EU membership
Legislative branch: unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic or Narodna Rada Slovenskej Republiky (150 seats; members are elected on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms).
System of government: Federal Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: 1920; revised 1929 (reinstated May 1, 1945).
Branches: Executive - federal president (chief of state), chancellor (head of government), cabinet. Legislative - bicameral Federal Assembly (Parliament). Judicial - Constitutional Court, Administrative Court, Supreme Court.
Political parties: Social Democratic Party, People’s Party, Freedom Party, The Greens, Alliance for the Future of Austria.
Suffrage: Universal over 18.
