The mere fact of having been the longest-serving Head of State in the history of the contemporary world conferred on Queen Elizabeth II of England an indisputable rarity in today's world. A character who received her first lessons as a ruler from the greatest politician of her time and of her own country, Sir Winston Churchill, is reason enough to admire the trajectory of the life of a unique Queen, which came to an end this week. No head of state in the world could have had the experience and political maturity of Queen Elizabeth II of England at the time of her death. Can you imagine all that political wisdom contained in one person?
Being a witness and at the same time an active protagonist of the political changes in the world immediately after the post-war period gave Queen Elizabeth II a unique perspective, which is why there was no politician from any country who did not want to meet and exchange with her, as if she were a sort of oracle in search of the truth.
On the occasion of the death of Queen Elizabeth II of England, I think it is interesting to review the role of the English monarch in the system of government of that country or community of countries, given that there is no "codified" Constitution as we know it: "The British system of parliamentary government is not based on a written Constitution, but is the result of a gradual evolution going back several centuries"... "In the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) the supreme legislative authority is the Queen in Parliament, i.e. the Queen and the two Houses of Parliament: the House of Lords and the popularly elected House of Commons.”… "The three elements of Parliament are apparently separate; they are constituted on different principles; they do different work and in different places; and they only meet together on occasions when summoned by the Queen in the House of Lords. As the law-making body of the State, however, Parliament is a corporate body, and, with certain exceptions, cannot legislate without the concurrence of all its parts." (1)
In the absence of a "codified" Constitution, as we know it, the United Kingdom is governed by "written documents, within laws, court judgments, and treaties"... "Since the Revolution of 1688, the cornerstone of the British constitution has traditionally been the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, according to which statutes passed by Parliament are the supreme and ultimate source of its (the United Kingdom's) law." (see in Spanish Constitution of the United Kingdom, in https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constituci%C3%B3n_del_Reino_Unido).
The Queen (or the King from now on) has absolute powers over Parliament: "Parliament is summoned by royal proclamation and prorogued and dissolved by the Queen. At the commencement of each legislative stage, the Queen moves to Westminster in ceremonial procession and opens Parliament in person."... "Just as Parliament can only sit by command of the Crown, so for a law to come into force it requires the sanction of the Sovereign and the Royal Assent given to Bills, or bills, is usually communicated by the Speakers (or Presiding Officers) of both Houses. The sovereign right to withhold sanction has not been exercised since 1708. The Queen has the right to be consulted, the right to give encouragement, and the right of warning, but the right of veto has fallen into disuse." (1)
It is very interesting to consider that the English Parliament has its origin in the assistance needed by the Sovereign for the government of the country and in the formulation of policies: "During the 13th century several kings found their private revenues and the aids of the nobility insufficient to cover the expenses of government. Consequently, they summoned the Great Council (a congregation of prominent men, bishops, palatine dignitaries, tenants-in-chief - occupants of lands directly ceded by the King - and other personalities), but also representatives of the counties, cities and towns, primarily to obtain their assent to the imposition of extraordinary tribute. Thus, the Great Council came to be composed of two estates: those summoned in their own name (the tenants-in-chief) and those who were representatives of communities (the commons). In due course, both parties, together with the Sovereign, were called Parliament. The first time this term, which originally meant a meeting to parley or discuss, was used was in 1236." (1)
From all of the above it follows that the figure of the English Parliament is structurally, historically and indivisibly consubstantiated with the figure of the Queen (or King) herself. One cannot be conceived without the other. Over the centuries, many of the usages and customs have changed, but the formula of how to govern has been strengthened. Those usages and customs that have been written for centuries are its law that is modified with time. There can be no comparison between what these people have lived and developed in their experience of centuries, with our particular history of conquered and then liberated peoples; much less propose replicas of their system in our institutional reality.
But there is a determining aspect, as a recent article in La Tercera points out: the parties involved: "Experts point out that the problem with an uncodified Constitution is that it depends on the parties involved to continue respecting it (that is, the system of doing things). If they don't, then you have a constitutional crisis."... "We've always felt that we don't need those legal guarantees," Professor Meg Russell, director of the Constitution Unit at University College London, told The New York Times. "We don't need judges telling our politicians what to do because we are one of the most mature democracies in the world. We are stable. We do politics well. But I think we have probably become complacent." (ver La Tercera, El caso de Reino Unido: Un país sin Constitución, en https://www.latercera.com/reconstitucion/noticia/el-caso-de-reino-unido-un-pais-sin-constitucion/SHX352Q4HFAIHPFTCCH5W5I6QU/).
This means that it is NOT IN THE CONSTITUTION to respect or not the fundamental text, but in the moral character of those who lead a country, whether or not it has a "codified" Constitution. And that must start at the highest level of the power structure. The political system in the UK has worked exceptionally well for 70 years because Queen Elizabeth II was a Head of State who set her life to the exercise of what is morally right. And that is completely unusual in this age of behavioral and moral distortion of politicians around the world. The English system works because politicians, by and large, did in turn what their Queen did, following in some way her example. It will remain for history to see if the succession of Queen Elizabeth II retains that same level of public practice, because its future stability will depend on it.
This should also be an example for those who pretend to assume positions of power around the world, especially in our countries, which hold only a fraction of the institutional life of the English monarchy, looking a little beyond the punctual fact of the death of a Queen. What has happened with her death is the end of an era in political leadership, and the breaking of the last link that united us with a past where morals, values and the correct way of leading the people mattered. Welcome to the 21st century...
Caracas, September 11, 2022
Blog: https://ticsddhh.blogspot.com/
Email: luismanuel.aguana@gmail.com
Twitter:@laguana
(1)
The British Parliament. British Information Services,
Central Office of Information, No. R5448/74/Sp, Revision August 1974, London.
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