| Captains Regent of San Marino | |
|---|---|
| Capitani Reggenti di San Marino | |
 | |
since 1 April 2025 | |
| Style | The Most Excellent |
| Type | Head of state |
| Seat | Palazzo Pubblico |
| Appointer | Grand and General Council Two-round system |
| Term length | Six months, reeligible after three years respite |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of San Marino Declaration on the Rights of the Citizens (1600) |
| Formation | Thirteenth century |
| Salary | €6,000 per month[1] |
Captains Regent (Italian:Capitani Reggenti;Romagnol:Capitèn Regìnt) are the twoheads of state of theRepublic of San Marino. They are elected every six months by theGrand and General Council, the country'slegislative body. Normally the Regents are chosen from parties in coalition and serve a six-month term. The investiture of the Captains Regent takes place on 1 April and 1 October every year. This tradition dates back at least to 1243.[2]
The practice of dual heads of government (diarchy) is derived directly from the customs of theRoman Republic, equivalent to theconsuls ofancient Rome, except the Captains Regent hold no executive power.
The establishment of the regency took place during the first half of the thirteenth century, when they had the role of managing justice, a task similar to the competence ofmagistrates.[citation needed] During that period they were called consuls, which derived fromancient Rome.[citation needed] The first two known consuls were elected on 12 December 1243 by theGrand and General Council with a six-month term which is still used today.[citation needed]
At the end of the thirteenth century, the name of the institution started to change, as one took the title of "captain" and the other one of "defender", then in 1317 they became captain and rector.[citation needed] One usually belonged to the upper class, to guarantee the possession of skills necessary to govern the Republic with competence, and one to the working class.[citation needed]
A 1972 law abolished all the restrictions which prevented women from taking public positions.Maria Lea Pedini-Angelini, was elected the first female Captain Regent on 1 April 1981.[3] On 1 April 2017, for the first time two women,Vanessa D'Ambrosio andMimma Zavoli, occupied the posts of Captains Regent, until their term ended on 1 October 2017.
As of 1 April 2020, after electing its eighteenth female Captain Regent, San Marino is the country that has had the mostfemale heads of state in the world (however, many other countries have had a female head of state for longer than the combined 10.5 years of these 18 Captains Regent).
|
|---|
Captains Regent are elected every six months by theGrand and General Council, they usually belong to opposite parties to grant an amount of balance and an equal supervision. The electoral procedure is disciplined by a 1945 law, which is mainly based on theLeges Statutae Republicae Sancti Marini of 1600.[4]
The pair is elected if it achieves an absolute majority; there is asecond ballot if no pair gets enough votes.
To be eligible for election the candidate should have the following requirements:
Investiture ceremonies take place on 1 April and 1 October every year, and are prescribed byLeges Statutae Republicae Sancti Marini. In the morning, in the Piazza della Libertà, theSammarinese Armed Forces are assembled for the flag-raising ceremony taking place. As the flag is hoisted to the national anthem, the artillery unit fires a gun salute. The newly elected Captains Regent proceed from thePalazzo Pubblico to theBasilica of San Marino where aHigh Mass is led by theBishop of San Marino in celebration of their assumption of office. Theentourage returns to the palazzo, where the official address is made and the elected Captains Regent are sworn in according to the oath describes in the Statutes of 1600. The outgoing Captains Regent place the collar of the Order of San Marino on the new Captains Regent, finalizing the transfer of power. The swearing in ends as the band plays the national anthem and the outgoing Captains Regent afterward take their leave. The procession then heads to Palazzo Valloni for the assumption of the Captain's Throne and the residency.
Finally, the Armed Forces assemble once more for a flag lowering ceremony.[5]
The Regency is considered the supreme office of theRepublic. The Captains Regent are thehead of state, a function which they carry out as a single body, with a reciprocal right ofveto. They have the right to be addressed with thehonorific title ofExcellency.
The Captains Regent are impartial and their power is mainly symbolic, as their main duty is to represent the country and to guarantee the constitutional order. They supervise theGrand and General Council, theCongress of State and theCouncil of XII, but without any right to vote or to decide. They dissolve the parliament when the legislature is over or when it is unable to form a stable government. The Captains Regent also have the power to promulgate and order the publication of the laws approved by the Grand and General Council.
The Captains Regent cannot be prosecuted in any way during their mandate, at the end of which they are subject to the Regency Syndicate. This judgement, established by theStatutes of 1499, is now fulfilled by theGuarantors' Panel on the Constitutionality of Rules, following the revision of the Declaration on the Citizens' Rights. The procedure provides that, within fifteen days after the conclusion of their mandate, every citizen registered in the electoral lists may submit claims against the Captains Regent "for what they have and have not done" during their mandate.