The President of the United Federation of Planets (informally referred to as the Federation President) is the democratically elected head of state and head of government of the United Federation of Planets. As the leader of the Federation, the President is widely considered to be the most powerful person in both the alpha and beta quadrants.
Election and Term of Office[]
The Office of the President is created by Chapter XV of the Articles of the Federation. The President ascends to the office through a popular election and serves an unlimited number of four-year terms. Candidates are declared by the Federation Council, which reviews anonymous petitions for candidacy before declaring a candidate qualified. In the event of death, resignation, or other circumstances preventing the President from discharging the duties of their office, the Federation Council will declare one of their own members to be Acting President while a special election is called to fill out the remainder of the Presidential term.
Duties[]
The Federation's executive and legislative branches being relatively co-mingles, the President is required to preside over all full sessions of the Federation Council, the Federation Security Council, the Federation Economic and Social Council, and the Federation Trusteeship Council. The President's signature is required to ratify all laws, and may chose to veto and return bills to the Council, which in turn may attempt to over-ride the veto with a two-thirds vote.
The President is also the supreme commander of Starfleet (though the title of "Commander-in-Chief" is held by a specific officer appointed by the President), and their authority over-rides the orders of the Federation Security Council or the Admiralty.
In extreme circumstances, the President has the authority to declare martial law in any subdivision of the Federation, and in times of peace is the only person with that authority. The right to declare war, however, lies solely with the Federation Council.
The President is also the most senior diplomat in the Federation, though the Federation Council may over-ride the President in this area with a sufficient number of votes. The President does, however, possess the sole authority to appoint Federation Ambassadors to foreign powers.
Forms of Address[]
The proper form of address for a President of the United Federation of Planets depends upon the President's sex and species, and are as follows:
- "Mister President" if a male (any species)
- "Madam President" if a female (any species)
- "Zha President" if a zhen (Andorian)
- "Sha President" if a shen (Andorian)
- "Cha President" if a chan (Andorian)
- "Tha President" if a thaan (Andorian)
- "Shir President if an asexual president (of any asexual species)
Seat of Government[]
The President's office is on the fifteenth floor of the Palais de la Concorde in Paris, France, Earth. The President's private study, secretaries' offices, anteroom, private transporter room, and two large meeting rooms will the rest of the floor. The rest of the Presidential staff (including the Presidential Chief of Staff, speechwriters, advisers, etc.) have offices on the thirteenth and fourteenth floors of the building.
Security[]
The President is protected at all times by a unit of the Federation Diplomatic Protection Group, a civilian agency tasked with the safety of the President, high Federation officials, foreign diplomats, and the families of their various charges.
Presidents[]
Sources[]
President of the United Federation of Planets @ Memory-Alpha
President of the United Federation of Planets @ Memory-Beta