"stipulates that these two officials are Andorra's heads of state. Indeed, this arrangement has existed for centuries, although at one time, the French king held the position now held by the French president. The Andorran Constitution's preamble reads : ""Article 1"" of the Andorran Constitution lays out the form that the State takes, namely the diarchy with the Bishop of Urgell and the President of France as joint heads of state. It also states the country's official name: ""Principat d'Andorra"". It furthermore states that Andorra's sovereignty lies with its people. It ends by listing Andorra's parishes. ""Article 2"" states that"
"Urgell in Spain and the President of the Republic of France. Andorra is the sixth-smallest nation in Europe, having an area of and a population of approximately . The Andorrans are a Romance ethnic group of originally Catalan descent. Andorra is the 16th-smallest country in the world by land and 11th-smallest country by population. Its capital Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe, at an elevation of above sea level. The official language is Catalan, although Spanish, Portuguese, and French are also commonly spoken. Andorra's tourism services an estimated 10.2 million visitors annually. It is not a"
"world's sole constitutional diarchy or co-principality. Located in the Pyrenees between Spain and France, it has two co-princes: the Bishop of Urgell (a prince-bishop) in Spain and the President of France (inherited ""ex officio"" from the French kings, who themselves inherited the title from the counts of Foix). It is the only situation in which an independent country's (co-)monarch is democratically elected by the citizens of another country. In a personal union, separate independent states share the same person as monarch, but each realm retains its separate laws and government. The sixteen separate Commonwealth realms are sometimes described as being"
"the majority sees them as both a link with Andorra's traditions and a way to balance the power of Andorra's two much larger neighbors. 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 Emmanuel Macron (it has historically been any head of state of France, including kings and emperors of the French). The other is the current Roman Catholic bishop of the Catalan city of La Seu d'Urgell, currently Joan Enric Vives i Sicilia. As"
"missionaries are active and operate without restriction. The Constitution acknowledges a special relationship with the Catholic Church ""in accordance with Andorran tradition"" and recognizes the ""full legal capacity"" of the bodies of the Catholic Church, granting them legal status ""in accordance with their own rules."" One of the two constitutionally designated princes of the country (who serves equally as joint head of state with the president of France) is Bishop Joan Enric Vives Sicília of the Spanish town of La Seu d'Urgell. The Catholic religious celebration on September 8 of the Verge de Meritxell (Virgin of Meritxell) is a national"
"Catholic Church in Andorra The Catholic Church in Andorra is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are over 60,000 Catholics in Andorra, over 90% of the total population, and the country forms part of the Spanish Diocese of Urgell, whose bishop is also one of the country's Co-Princes. The country has never had a diocese and belongs to the Diocese of Urgell, whose bishop, together with the President of the French Republic, shares the role of head of state of the tiny country. From a historical point of view Andorra"
"La Seu d'Urgell La Seu d'Urgell (; , formerly in ) is a town located in the Catalan Pyrenees in Spain. La Seu d'Urgell is also the capital of the comarca Alt Urgell, head of the judicial district of la Seu d'Urgell and the seat of Bishop of Urgell, one of the Andorra co-princes. It is in the district of Alt Pirineu i Aran (""High Pyrenees and Aran""), and is the town with the most inhabitants, having 17.4% of the district population. La Seu d'Urgell and Puigcerdà together have 30% of the population of the area. It is located at"
"Andorra Andorra (; ), officially the Principality of Andorra (), also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra (), is a sovereign landlocked microstate on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees, bordered by France in the north and Spain in the south. Believed to have been created by Charlemagne, Andorra was ruled by the Count of Urgell until 988 when it was transferred to the Diocese of Urgell, and the present principality was formed by a charter in 1278. It is known as a principality as it is a diarchy headed by two Co-Princes: the Catholic Bishop of"
"in November 2007. The co-princes of Andorra are the president of the French Republic, who is elected by the French people, and the Bishop of La Seu d'Urgell, who is appointed by the Pope. The absolute monarch of Vatican City, the Pope, is elected by the College of Cardinals. The current ruler is Pope Francis. Luxembourg also used agnatic primogeniture until 20 June 2011, when absolute primogeniture was introduced. One issue that occasionally rises is whether the monarchies are too expensive when compared to republics, or whether particular monarchies are more expensive than others, to maintain. This comparison may be"
"was modernized in 1993 after the Andorran constitutional referendum, when the constitution was drafted by the Co-Princes and the General Council and approved on 14 March by 74.2% of voters, with a 76% turnout. The first elections under the new constitution were held later in the year. The same year Andorra became a member of the United Nations and the Council of Europe. Andorra is a parliamentary co-principality with the President of France and the Catholic Bishop of Urgell (Catalonia, Spain) as Co-Princes. This peculiarity makes the President of France, in his capacity as Prince of Andorra, an elected reigning"
"1659. As such the 33 towns of the northern Cerdanya (now in France) came under the diocese's control. The Roman Catholic Church controls the metropolitan church of Tarragona, with its see or capital of the Seu d’Urgell (Urgell See). It contains 7630 km² and a population of 200,761 according to the 2000 census and is the largest bishopric of the eight that have a see in Catalonia. In contrast, it is the most sparsely populated. The diocese borders the bishoprics of Vic, Solsona, Lleida, Barbastro-Monzón , Toulouse, Pamiers and Perpignan. It has been deeply linked for many years to the"
"François Hollande François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande (; born 12 August 1954) is a French politician who served as President of France and ""ex officio"" Co-Prince of Andorra from 2012 to 2017. He was previously the First Secretary of the Socialist Party from 1997 to 2008, Mayor of Tulle from 2001 to 2008, and President of the Corrèze General Council from 2008 to 2012. Hollande also served in the National Assembly of France twice for the department of Corrèze's 1st constituency from 1988 to 1993, and again from 1997 to 2012. Born in Rouen and raised in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hollande began"
"of the Generalitat of Catalonia (in Catalan: ""president de la Generalitat de Catalunya"") is the highest representative of Catalonia, and is also responsible of leading the government's action. Since the restoration of the Generalitat on the return of democracy in Spain, the presidents of Catalonia have been Josep Tarradellas (1977–1980, president in exile since 1954), Jordi Pujol (1980–2003), Pasqual Maragall (2003–2006), José Montilla (2006–2010), Artur Mas (2010–2016), Carles Puigdemont (2016–2017) and, after the imposition of direct rule from Madrid, Quim Torra (2018–). The Executive Council (in Catalan: ""Consell Executiu"") or Government (""Govern""), is the body responsible of the government of"
"Pope, elected at the papal conclave), and Andorra (technically a semi-elective diarchy, the joint heads of state being the elected President of France and the Bishop of Urgell, appointed by the Pope). Most of the monarchies in Europe are constitutional monarchies, which means that the monarch does not influence the politics of the state: either the monarch is legally prohibited from doing so, or the monarch does not utilize the political powers vested in the office by convention. The exceptions are Liechtenstein and Monaco, which are usually considered semi-constitutional monarchies due to the large influence the princes still have on"
"History of Andorra Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra (), also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra (), is a sovereign landlocked microstate in Southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. Andorra claims it is the last independent survivor of the Marca Hispanica, the buffer states created by Charlemagne to keep the Islamic Moors from advancing into Christian France. Tradition holds that Charlemagne granted a charter to the Andorran people in return for their fighting the Moors. In the 9th century, Charlemagne's grandson, Charles the Bald, named the Count of Urgell"
"in the 20th century and became republics, especially in the wake of either World War I or World War II. Monarchies established during the interbellum period were: Andorra has been a co-principality since the signing of a paréage in 1278, when the count of Foix and the bishop of La Seu d'Urgell agreed to share sovereignty over the landlocked country. After the title of the count of Foix had been passed to the kings of Navarre, and after Henry of Navarre had become Henry IV of France, an edict was issued in 1607 which established the French head of state"
"action. Since the restoration of the Generalitat on the return of democracy in Spain, the presidents of Catalonia have been Josep Tarradellas (1977–1980, president in exile since 1954), Jordi Pujol (1980–2003), Pasqual Maragall (2003–2006), José Montilla (2006–2010), Artur Mas (2010–2016), Carles Puigdemont (2016–2017) and, after the imposition of direct rule from Madrid, Quim Torra (2018–). The Executive Council (in Catalan: ""Consell Executiu"") or Government (""Govern""), is the body responsible of the government of the Generalitat, it holds executive and regulatory power. It comprises the president of the Generalitat, the First Minister (or the Vice President) and the Ministers (""consellers""). Its"
"as the legal successor to the count of Foix in regard to the paréage. Andorra was annexed by the First French Empire together with Catalonia in 1812–1813. After the Empire's demise, Andorra became independent again. The current joint monarchs are Bishop Joan Enric Vives Sicília and President Emmanuel Macron of France. Belgium has been a kingdom since 21 July 1831 without interruption, after it became independent from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands with Léopold I as its first king. Belgium is the only remaining popular monarchy in the world: The monarch is formally known as the ""King of the"
"elected by the members of the assembly. The head of state is President Emmanuel Macron of France as represented by High Administrator Philippe Paolantoni, who was appointed in August 2006. The head of government is President of the Territorial Assembly Nivaleta Iloai. The Council of the Territory consists of three kings (kings of the three traditional chiefdoms) and three members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the Territorial Assembly. The legislative branch consists of the unicameral Territorial Assembly or ""Assemblée territoriale"" of 20 seats; the members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms. Wallis and"
"Andorra–France relations Andorra–France relations have existed since 1278, when Andorra was granted sovereignty through paréage by the Count of Foix in southern France. The countries always share a head of state; the same person (currently Emmanuel Macron) holds the office of President of France and that of co-Prince of Andorra. Over a quarter of Andorra's annual trade is done with France. In 2000, Andorran exports to France were worth 11.9 million USD, compared to 269.7 million USD worth of French imports. This creates a total Franco-Andorran trade benefit of 257.8 million USD towards France. As Andorra is such a small"
"forms part of the European Union – the largest landmass for an area outside of Europe (since Greenland left the European Community in 1985), with one of the longest EU external boundaries. It is one of only three European Union territories outside Europe that is not an island (the others being the Spanish Autonomous Cities in Africa, Ceuta and Melilla). As an integral part of France, its head of state is the President of the French Republic, and its head of government is the Prime Minister of France. The French Government and its agencies have responsibility for a wide range"
"the French constitution of 28 September 1958, and has universal suffrage for those over 18 years of age. The French president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term; the high administrator is appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the Territorial Government and the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly. The head of state is President Emmanuel Macron of France as represented by the Administrator-Superior Michel Jeanjean (since July 2010). The President of the Territorial Assembly is Petelo Hanisi since 11 December 2013."
"Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France and ""ex officio"" Co-Prince of Andorra from 16 May 2007 until 15 May 2012. Born in Paris, he is of 1/2 Hungarian Protestant, 1/4 Greek Jewish and 1/4 French Catholic origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine from 1983 to 2002, he was Minister of the Budget under Prime Minister Édouard Balladur (1993–1995) during François Mitterrand's second term. During Jacques Chirac's second presidential term he served as Minister of the Interior and as Minister of Finances. He was the"
"Guarantees (""Consell de Garanties Estatutàries"") The Parliament of Catalonia (in Catalan: ""Parlament de Catalunya"") is the legislative body of the Generalitat and represents the citizens of Catalonia. It is elected every four years by universal suffrage, and it has powers to legislate in different matters such as education, health, culture, internal institutional and territorial organization, election and control of the president of the Generalitat and the Government, budget and other affairs, according with the Statute of Autonomy. The last Catalan election was held on 21 December 2017, and its current president is Roger Torrent, incumbent since January 2018. The president"
"Catalonia. It is elected every four years by universal suffrage, and it has powers to legislate in different matters such as education, health, culture, internal institutional and territorial organization, election and control of the president of the Generalitat and the Government, budget and others, according with the Statute of Autonomy. The last Catalan election was held on 21 December 2017, and its current president is Roger Torrent, incumbent since January 2018. The president of the Generalitat of Catalonia (in Catalan: ""president de la Generalitat de Catalunya"") is the highest representative of Catalonia, and is also responsible of leading the government's"
"Joan Enric Vives Sicília Joan-Enric Vives i Sicília, (born 24 July 1949) is the current Bishop of Urgell, a Catholic diocese, and ""ex officio"" Co-Prince of Andorra. He holds the rank of archbishop and monarch. Vives i Sicília was born in 1949 in Barcelona as the third son of Francesc Vives i Pons and of Cornèlia Sicília Ibáñez, who were small retailers. He entered the Seminary in 1965 and studied Humanities, Philosophy and Theology. In 1974, Vives was ordained a priest in his native parish Santa Maria del Taulat de Barcelona. Father Vives i Sicília was later nominated as Auxiliary"
"and accepting illegal campaign contributions at the issue of this custody. Governmental functions Electoral mandates European Parliament National Assembly of France Regional Council General Council Municipal Council Political functions Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France and ""ex officio"" Co-Prince of Andorra from 16 May 2007 until 15 May 2012. Born in Paris, he is of 1/2 Hungarian Protestant, 1/4 Greek Jewish and 1/4 French Catholic origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine from 1983 to 2002, he was Minister of the Budget under Prime Minister"
"of the first World War, and approved by both France and the Holy See with the Briand-Ceretti Agreement. As a consequence, although France is one of the countries in the world where State and Church are most separated, the French Head of State is paradoxically the only temporal power in the world still nominating Catholic bishops, namely the Bishop of Metz and the Archbishop of Strasbourg. They are approved by the Pope and in practice selected by him, but formally nominated by the French President following diplomatic exchanges with the Holy See through the nunciature. During the application of the"
"the poor. The claim brought an angry reaction and rejection from Hollande, who said he had spent his life dedicated to the under-privileged. Hollande was raised Catholic, but became an agnostic later in life. He now considers himself to be an atheist, but still professes respect for all religious practices. Manila: Freedom of the City of Manila (26 February 2015). Hollande has had a number of books and academic works published, including: François Hollande François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande (; born 12 August 1954) is a French politician who served as President of France and ""ex officio"" Co-Prince of Andorra"
"President of the Government of Catalonia The President of the Government of Catalonia (, ) is one of the bodies that the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia stipulates as part of the Generalitat de Catalunya, others being the Parliament, the government, the Consell de Garanties Estatutàries and the Síndic de Greuges. The president also serves as head of government of Catalonia, leading the executive branch of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Catalan government. As of 15 May 2018, Quim Torra took on the title and powers of the President of the Government of Catalonia; after winning with a simple majority"
"every four years) and appointing the regional ministers (officially called Consellers or Consejeros) and other high offices as stipulated by law. As ordinary representative of the state in the region, he promulgates laws in the region in name of the king. The President is member of the Catalan government and leads and coordinates it. He selects and may dismiss the Consellers, call for a meeting of the executive council, and act as its chairmain. Further, he signs decrees accorded by the executive council and order them to be published. He can also call for an extraordinary meeting of the Catalan"
"Montclar d'Urgell Montclar d'Urgell is a village in the province of Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain. The village and its surrounding area previously formed its own municipality, but it is now (since 1970) an exclave of Agramunt. It is also an exclave of the ""comarca"" of Urgell, lying within the comarca of Noguera. The village is located on the crest of the Montclar mountain range, that crosses out from east to west. The Urgell canal passes through crossing the Montclar range through a tunnel. Montclar is linked by road to the local C-14 between Artesa de Segre and Agramunt. The majestic"
"Catalonia. The cathedral gives the name of the city. Originally referred to as the City of Urgell, it is now called ""See of Urgell (""La Seu d'Urgell""), derived from the Latin ""Sedes Urgelli"", meaning that the town is the episcopal see of the Bishop of Urgell). The cathedral is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, patroness of the city, and has a 13th-century statue known as the Mother of God of Urgell (""Mare de Déu d'Urgell"") and also as the Virgin of Andorra. The 16th-century composer Joan Brudieu was ""maestro di capilla"" of the cathedral from 1548 to 1591. La Seu"