1.
Andorran parliamentary election, 2009
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Parliamentary elections were held in Andorra on 26 April 2009, the fourth under the 1993 Constitution. The Social Democrats hold fourteen seats in the General Council, against eleven for the Liberals, the electorate, restricted to Andorran citizens, was 20,298 voters out of a population of about 85,000. There were 114 candidates for 28 seats, more than one candidate for every 200 voters, the main issue in the elections is the possible changes required to Andorras economic model to facilitate its international relations. He committed the government to drafting changes to the banking secrecy laws by 1 September 2009. He also announced that he would not be leading the Liberal Party of Andorra in the elections so as to devote his time to negotiating tax treaties with other countries, such agreements would also abolish the punitive customs duties which France and Spain impose on Andorran exports. The Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party have agreed to cooperate in the drafting of the new legislation, the negotiation of tax treaties is complicated by the present tax structure of Andorra. The state is funded mostly by indirect taxation, such as levies on water supplies and telecommunications, and by fees for administrative permits. The Social Democratic Party proposes the introduction of tax and value added tax, albeit at low rates. Andorra for Change rejects any changes whatsoever to the current system, the Social Democratic Party favours expanding these into a fully fledged association agreement, the Liberal Party is more reticent, but has promised to cooperate in any discussions. The parish lists and the national list are independent of one another, law 28/2007, Llei 28/2007, del 22 de novembre, qualificada de modificació de la Llei qualificada del règim electoral i del referèndum
2.
General Council (Andorra)
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The General Council is the unicameral parliament of Andorra. It is sometimes referred to as the General Council of the Valleys because it was the name and to distinguish it from similarly named bodies in the Val dAran. The parish lists and the national list are independent of one another and this is a recent development, originally, the seven parishes had each returned four deputies. The Council appoints a presiding officer, titled the Síndic general, and a deputy, the current Síndic general is Vicenç Mateu Zamora of the Democrats for Andorra. The General Council elects the Head of Government, who presides over the Executive Council, the Head of Government appoints the remaining seven members of the Executive Council. The current Head of Government, is Antoni Martí, political parties are a recent innovation, the first party was formed in 1976, and they only gained legal recognition in 1992. The most recent Andorran parliamentary election was March 2015, the General Council has the second-highest proportion of women legislators, and the highest in the developed world. Exactly half of its members are women, the first parliament in Andorra was established in 1419, as the Consell de la Terra. Councillors were elected by the population, and the council appointed syndics to manage the administration of the principality, the General Council was dissolved on their order in June 1933, and a special election called to re-elect it. The opportunity was taken to change the laws, at this point, all men over twenty-five could vote. In 1970, the vote was extended to women over twenty-five, in 1971 the qualifying age for all electors was lowered to twenty-one, women gained the right to run for office in 1973, and in 1978 a referendum was held on the matter of further reform. Later that year, a parish was formed, bringing the numbers of councillors to twenty-eight. In 1982, the Executive Council was created, comprising the Executive Council President, List of First Syndics of the General Council of the Valleys List of General Syndics of the General Council of the Valleys Politics of Andorra List of legislatures by country Official website
3.
Social Democratic Party (Andorra)
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The Social Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in Andorra. The party was established in the run-up to the March 2001 parliamentary elections when the National Democratic Group split in two, with the Democratic Party also being formed, the new party received 28. 7% of the vote and won six seats. The party won six seats at the level, whilst the alliance won six seats at the parish level. With a total of twelve seats, the party remained in opposition, the April 2009 parliamentary elections saw the party renew its alliance with GUPI and some independents. The alliance won 14 of the 28 seats and PS leader Jaume Bartumeu became Prime Minister, in 2010 the APC withdrew its support for the PS-led government, and in 2011 the General Council rejected the governments budget, forcing early elections. The April 2011 parliamentary elections saw the PS receive 34. 8% of the vote, in the March 2015 parliamentary elections, the party ran in alliance with the Greens of Andorra, Citizens Initiative and independent candidates. The alliances vote share fell to 24%, winning three seats
4.
Andorra for Change
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Andorra for Change is a political party in Andorra. The party was established in 2009 under the leadership of Eusebi Nomen Calvet, supported by Democratic Renewal, the APC won three seats. The party initially supported the Social Democratic Party government of Jaume Bartumeu, after the 2011 budget was rejected by the General Council, early elections were called. In the elections the party lost all three seats
5.
Prime Minister of Andorra
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The Head of Government of the Principality of Andorra, alternatively known as the Prime Minister of Andorra, is the chief executive of the government of Andorra. They are appointed by the General Council, the position was created in 1982 after constitutional reforms separated the executive and legislative power. Òscar Ribas Reig was elected as the countrys first Head of Government on 4 January 1982, the current Head of Government is Antoni Martí, who has been in office since 31 March 2015
6.
Andorra
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Created under a charter in 988, the present principality was formed in 1278. It is known as a principality as it is a monarchy headed by two Co-Princes – the Roman Catholic Bishop of Urgell in Spain, and the President of France. Andorra is the sixth-smallest nation in Europe, having an area of 468 km2 and its capital Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe, at an elevation of 1,023 metres above sea level. The official language is Catalan, although Spanish, Portuguese, Andorras tourism services an estimated 10.2 million visitors annually. It is not a member of the European Union, but the euro is the official currency and it has been a member of the United Nations since 1993. In 2013, the people of Andorra had the highest life expectancy in the world at 81 years, the origin of the word Andorra is unknown, although several hypotheses have been formulated. The word Andosini or Andosins may derive from the Basque handia whose meaning is big or giant, the Andorran toponymy shows evidence of Basque language in the area. Another theory suggests that the word Andorra may derive from the old word Anorra that contains the Basque word ur, another theory suggests that Andorra may derive from Arabic al-durra, meaning The forest. Other theories suggest that the term derives from the Navarro-Aragonese andurrial, la Balma de la Margineda found by archaeologists at Sant Julia de Loria were the first temporal settled in 10000 BC as a passing place between the two sides of the Pyrenees. The seasonal camp was located for hunting and fishing by the groups of hunter-gatherers from Ariege. During the Neolithic Age the group of humans moved to the Valley of Madriu as a permanent camp in 6640 BC, the population of the valley grew cereals, raised domestic livestock and developed a commercial trade with people from the Segre and Occitania. Other archaeological deposits include the Tombs of Segudet and Feixa del Moro both dated in 4900-4300 BC as an example of the Urn culture in Andorra, the model of small settlements begin to evolved as an complex urbanism during the Bronze Age. We can found metallurgical items of iron, ancient coins and relicaries in the ancient sanctuaries scattered around the country, the inhabitants of the valleys were traditionally associated with the Iberians and historically located in Andorra as the Iberian tribe Andosins or Andosini during the VII and II centuries BC. Influenced by Aquitanias, Basque and Iberian languages the locals developed some current toponyms, early writings and documents relating this group of people goes back to the second century BC by the Greek writer Polybius in his Histories during the Punic Wars. Some of the most significant remains of this era are the Castle of the Roc dEnclar, lAnxiu in Les Escaldes and it is known the presence of Roman influence from the II century BC to the V century AD. The places found with more Roman presence are in Camp Vermell in Sant Julia de Loria, people continued trading, mainly with wine and cereals, with the Roman cities of Urgellet and all across Segre through the Via Romana Strata Ceretana. After the fall of the Roman Empire Andorra was under the influence of the Visigoths, not directly from the Kingdom of Toledo by distance, the Visigoths remained during 200 years in the valleys, a period in which Christianization takes place within the country. The fall of the Visigoths came from the Muslim Empire and its conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, Andorra remained away from these invasions by the Franks
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Politics of Andorra
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The politics of Andorra take place in a framework of a parliamentary constitutional diarchy, and a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government, with the Head of Government of Andorra as chief executive, legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature, before 1993, Andorras political system had no clear division of powers into executive, legislative, and judicial branches. A constitution ratified and approved in 1993 establishes Andorra as a parliamentary democracy that retains the President of France and Bishop of Urgell as co-princes. However, the head of government retains executive power, the two co-princes serve coequally with limited powers that do not include an individual veto over government acts. They are each represented in Andorra by a personal representative, under the 1993 constitution, the co-princes continue as heads of state, but the head of government retains executive power. The two co-princes serve coequally with limited powers that do not include veto over government acts, both are represented in Andorra by a delegate, although since 1993, both France and Spain have their own embassies. The way the two princes are chosen makes Andorra one of the most politically distinct nations on earth, one co-prince is the man or woman who is currently serving as President of France, currently Francois Hollande. The other is the current Roman Catholic bishop of the Catalan city of La Seu dUrgell, as neither prince lives in Andorra, their role is almost entirely ceremonial. In 1981, the Executive Council, consisting of the Cap de Govern, every four years, after the general elections, the General Council elects the head of government, who, in turn, chooses the other members of the Executive Council. Andorras main legislative body is the 28-member General Council, the sindic, the subsindic and the members of the Council are elected in the general elections to be held every four years. The Council meets throughout the year on certain dates set by tradition or as required, at least one representative from each parish must be present for the General Council to meet. Historically, within the General Council, four deputies apiece from each of the seven individual parishes have provided representation and this system allowed parishes with as few as 350 voters the same number of representatives as larger parishes with up to 2,600 voters. To correct this imbalance, a provision in the new constitution modifies the structure, under the new format, half of the representatives are chosen by the traditional system, and the other half selected from nationwide lists. A sindic and a subsindic are chosen by the General Council to implement its decisions and they serve three-year terms and may be reappointed once. Sindics have virtually no discretionary powers, and all decisions must be approved by the Council as a whole. Courts apply the laws of Andorra, supplemented with Roman law. Civil cases are first heard by the Court of Batlles – a group of four judges, Appeals are heard in the Court of Appeals
8.
Co-Princes of Andorra
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The Co-Princes of Andorra are the two rulers of the Principality of Andorra, a landlocked microstate lying in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. Founded in 1278 through a treaty between the Bishop of Urgell and the French Count of Foix, this unique arrangement has persisted through medieval times to the present day. The French president is also the person to be a monarch. Each Co-Prince appoints a representative, the French Co-Prince currently being represented by Jean-Pierre Hugues. Tradition holds that Charlemagne granted a charter to the Andorran people in return for their fighting against the Moors, the feudal overlord of this territory was at first the Count of Urgell. In 988, however, the count, Borrell II, gave Andorra to the Diocese of Urgell in exchange for land in Cerdanya, the Bishop of Urgell, based in Seu dUrgell, has ruled Andorra ever since. In 1095, the Lord and the Bishop signed a declaration of their co-sovereignty over Andorra, arnalda, daughter of Arnau of Caboet, married the Viscount of Castellbò, and both became Viscounts of Castellbò and Cerdanya. Their daughter, Ermessenda, married Roger Bernat II, the French Count of Foix and they became, respectively, count and countess of Foix, viscount and viscountess of Castellbò and Cerdanya, and also co-sovereigns of Andorra. In the 11th century, a dispute arose between the bishop of Urgell and the count of Foix, the conflict was mediated by Aragon in 1278, and led to the signing of the first paréage, which provided that Andorras sovereignty be shared between the count and the bishop. This gave the principality its territory and political form, and marked the commencement of Andorras unique monarchical arrangement. Over the years, the French title to Andorra passed from the counts of Foix to the kings of Navarre. After King Henry III of Navarre became King Henry IV of France, he issued an edict in 1607 establishing the King of France, in 1812–13, the First French Empire annexed Catalonia and divided it into four départements, with Andorra forming part of the district of Puigcerdà. Following the defeat of Napoleon I, this annexation was reversed and Andorra reverted to its former independence, the French head of state—whether king, emperor, or president—has continued to serve as a co-prince of Andorra ever since. On July 12,1934, Andorras monarchical system was challenged by an adventurer named Boris Skossyreff, though initially enjoying some support within Andorras political establishment, he was ultimately arrested by Spanish authorities on July 20 of that year after declaring war on the Bishop of Urgell. Skossyfreff was expelled, and was never considered to have been the Andorran monarch in any legal sense, before 1993, Andorra had no codified constitution, and the exact prerogatives of the co-princes were not specifically defined in law. It clarified the continuance of the unique Andorran monarchy, and also delineated the precise role and this medieval custom was subsequently abandoned in 1993. In 2009, French president Nicolas Sarkozy threatened to abdicate as Co-prince if the principality did not change its laws to eliminate its longstanding status as a tax haven. The Constitution of Andorra carefully defines the role and prerogatives of the co-princes of Andorra today
9.
Emmanuel Macron
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Emmanuel Macron is a French politician, senior civil servant, and former investment banker. Born in Amiens, he studied Philosophy at Paris Nanterre University and he went on to become an Inspector of Finances in the Inspectorate General of Finances before becoming an investment banker at Rothschild & Cie Banque. He resigned in August 2016 in order to launch a bid in the 2017 presidential election, in November 2016, Macron declared that he would run in the election under the banner of En Marche. A centrist movement he founded in April 2016, born in Amiens, Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron is the son of Jean-Michel Macron, Professor of Neurology at the University of Picardy, and Françoise Macron-Noguès, a physician. He was educated mostly at the Jésuites de la Providence lycée in Amiens before his parents sent him to finish his last year of school at the high school Lycée Henri-IV in Paris. He studied Philosophy at the University of Paris-Ouest Nanterre La Défense and he obtained a Masters degree in Public Affairs at Sciences Po, before training for a senior civil service career at the École nationale dadministration, graduating in 2004. Macron worked as an Inspector of Finances in the French Ministry of Economy between 2004 and 2008, in 2007, he served as deputy rapporteur for the Commission to improve French growth headed by Jacques Attali. While an investment banker, Macron closed a deal between Nestlé and Pfizer, which in part allowed him to amass a small fortune reportedly in the region of €2,800,000. Macron was a member of the Socialist Party from 2006 to 2009, in 2015, he stated that he was no longer a member of the PS and was now an Independent. From 2012 to 2014, he served as deputy secretary-general of the Élysée and he was appointed Minister of Economy, Industry and Digital Data in the second Valls Cabinet on 26 August 2014, replacing Arnaud Montebourg. As Minister of the Economy, Macron was at the forefront of pushing through business-friendly reforms, in February 2015, he pledged that the government would force through reforms despite opposition from the parliament. On 30 August 2016, Macron resigned from the government ahead of the 2017 presidential election and this came shortly after he founded his own progressive political movement, En Marche. An independent political party, for which he was reprimanded by President Hollande, Macron founded En Marche. in Amiens, the city of his birth. On 16 November 2016, Macron formally declared his candidacy for the French presidency after months of speculation, in his announcement speech, Macron called for a democratic revolution and promised to unblock France. He eventually laid out his 150-page formal program on 2 March, publishing it online, as well as numerous others – many of them from the Socialist Party, but also a significant number of centrist and centre-right politicians. Macron has been described by observers as a social liberal. Macron has notably advocated in favor of the market and reducing the public-finances deficit. He first publicly used the term liberal to describe himself in a 2015 interview with Le Monde and he added that he is neither right nor left and that he advocates a collective solidarity
10.
Administrative divisions of Andorra
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Andorra consists of seven communities known as parishes. Until relatively recently, it had only six parishes, the seventh, Andorra la Vella is the capital of Andorra. Some parishes have a territorial subdivision, Ordino, La Massana and Sant Julià de Lòria are subdivided into quarts. Those mostly coincide with villages, which are found in all parishes, each parish has its own elected mayor who is the nominal head of the local government known as a comú in Catalan. ISO 3166-2, AD List of cities in Andorra Media related to Parishes of Andorra at Wikimedia Commons
11.
Parishes of Andorra
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Andorra consists of seven communities known as parishes. Until relatively recently, it had only six parishes, the seventh, Andorra la Vella is the capital of Andorra. Some parishes have a territorial subdivision, Ordino, La Massana and Sant Julià de Lòria are subdivided into quarts. Those mostly coincide with villages, which are found in all parishes, each parish has its own elected mayor who is the nominal head of the local government known as a comú in Catalan. ISO 3166-2, AD List of cities in Andorra Media related to Parishes of Andorra at Wikimedia Commons
12.
Elections in Andorra
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Elections in Andorra gives information on election and election results in Andorra. Andorra elects on national level a legislature, the General Council has 28 members, elected for a four-year term,14 in two-seat constituencies and 14 by proportional representation. Andorra has a multi-party system, with two parties and a third party that is electorally successful. Electoral calendar Electoral system Adam Carrs Election Archive Parties and Elections in Europe
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Foreign relations of Andorra
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Since the establishment of sovereignty with the ratification of the constitution in 1993, Andorra has moved to become an active member of the international community. In July 1993, Andorra established its first diplomatic mission in the world to the United Nations, Andorra maintains six embassies abroad, in Austria, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal and the United States. The principalitys permanent mission to the United Nations in New York also serves as their embassy to Canada, Mexico, Foreign affairs are supervised by the Ministry of External Affairs. On request a passport stamp can be obtained at the border. Since 1991, Andorra has had an agreement with the European Union. Disputes - international, none Andorra has had a union with the European Union since 1991 though it excludes agricultural produce. Andorra also maintains its border controls by staying outside of Schengen, Andorra has a monetary agreement with the EU allowing it to make the euro its official currency, and permitting it to issue euro coins. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 February 1996, on 8 June 2011, Andorra became the 76th member state of the United Nations to recognise the independence of the Republic of Kosovo. The Kosovo Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that the two countries would form diplomatic relations very shortly, previously in 2008, Andorra was hesitant to recognise the Republic of Kosovos independence due to a possible precedent in the region and due to pressure from Spain. Andorra and Kosovo established diplomatic relations on 14 September 2011, both countries have established diplomatic relations in 2005. The United States established diplomatic relations with Andorra on 21 February 1995, the U. S. Ambassador to Spain is also accredited as Ambassador to Andorra. United States Consulate General officials based in Barcelona are responsible for the conduct of relations with Andorra. The then-Permanent Representative of Andorra to the United Nations, Carles Font-Rossell, was accredited as Andorras first Ambassador to the United States as of 14 March 2008, the current Ambassador, serving since 2 November 2009, is Narcís Casal de Fonsdeviela. Border between Andorra and Spain This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook website https and this article incorporates public domain material from the United States Department of State website http, //www. state. gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/index. htm. S
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