Batavian Senate

The Batavian Senate is the upper chamber of the Batavian Consulate, with the House of Consuls being the lower chamber. Together both houses compose the national bicameral legislature of the Batavian Empire.
The composition and powers of the Senate are established by the Batavian Constitution. Each of the 117 departments is represented by one senator who serves a staggered term of two years. By virtue of being the nation's capital, the Imperial City of Amsterdam (ICA) is represented by three senators, giving the Senate a total of 120 senators. The Senate is presided by the Emperor, although a Speaker Pro Tempore is selected to manage the day-to-day business in his absence.
According to the principle of asymmetric bicameralism, the Senate's powers are similar to those of the House of Consuls, with a few notable exceptions. Most importantly, the Senate is unable to amend legislative proposals approved by the Senate, which means it is only able accept proposals as they are, or wholly reject them. Conversely, the Senate also has exclusive competences, most notably in its roles to oversee executive governance, international treaties and inter-territorial relations. 
== Constitutional position ==
=== Senate's nature ===
==== Composition ====
Section 3.2 of the Batavian Constitution establishes that the Senate must be composed of one Senator per department and three per Imperial City. Accordingly, the Senate is currently formed by 120 Senators.
==== Electoral system ====
The Batavian Constitution establishes that Senators are elected by universal, free, equal, direct, and secret suffrage. Senate elections are to be held according to staggered terms, with Senators serving a 2-year term. As a consequence, one-third of the Senate is renewed every eight months. The members of the Senate are elected by single-member majoritarian voting under a supplementary vote system.
There are currently 120 single-member constituencies for the Senate which belong to the 117 departments of the Batavian Empire, and the Imperial City of Amsterdam (ICA). According to the Batavian Constitution, each department shall be represented by one Senator, and the Imperial City by three. Whilst each department functions as a constituency at-large, the ICA is subdivided into two constituencies (ICA-1st and ICA-2nd) with the third Senator elected for the city at-large. Initially, Senators were elected in a two-round system where elections in which no candidate obtained an absolute majority (50%+1) of the votes would culminate in a run-off elections between the two candidates with the most votes a week later. In the 2051 Electoral Reform Act, however, this two-round system was replaced by a supplementary vote system. Under this system, all voters are able to vote cast a first and second preference vote. If no candidate receives an absolute majority (50%+1) of first-preference votes, all but the two candidates with the most first-preference votes are eliminated and there is a second count. In this second count, the second-preference votes of those who supported eliminated candidates are distributed among the two remaining candidates, so that one candidate achieves an absolute majority.
To be able to field a candidate in a constituency, the Batavian Constitution requires parties that are not represented as a parliamentary group in the House of Consuls or the Senate to collect signatures to support their candidacy. 3% of those registered to vote in a constituency are required to be on the ballot in that constituency, with each citizen only able to sign once for a party candidacy per election. 
==== Vacancies ====
In the event of an untimely vacancy of a seat in the Senate as a the result of a resignation, expulsion or death, the Constitution dictates that the duty falls on the legislature of the senator's department (or in the case of the ICA, the City Council of Amsterdam) to designate a new acting senator to serve out the remainder of the original term. Whilst the formulation of a process for the nomination of an acting senator is left entirely to the departmental legislature, an absolute majority in the legislature is required to elect them, confirming the indirect confidence of a majority of the department's population. Once such a majority is reached, the presiding officer of the respective departmental legislature informs the Chief Clerk of the Senate about the newly elected acting senator. If a vacancy remains unfilled for a period of 100 days, the Imperial-Governor of the senator's department (or in the case of the ICA, the Chancellor of Amsterdam) is able to appoint an acting senator by executive authority, subject to the condition that the remainder of the term would still exceed a period of 200 days. 
====Mandate====
The Senate is divided into three cycles, with the mandate of each cycle finishing exactly two years after their election or when the Senate is dissolved, which can take place jointly or separately with the dissolution of the Senate. The prerogative to dissolve the Senate belongs exclusively to the Emperor. During their mandate, Senators have some guarantees and privileges to carry out their responsibilities, including immunity from prosecution, a right which can only be withdrawn by the Grand Jury of the High Court.
===Bodies of the Senate===
Exercising the autonomy recognised by the Constitution to the Senate, its workings are for the largest part regulated by internal rules established by itself. In addition, however, there are also various provisions surrounding the Senate's governing bodies which are anchored in the Constitution itself. The Senate configures different government bodies to carry out its pertinent competencies. 
====Governing bodies====
The governing bodies of the Senate are the bodies under which authority the Senate is managed and include the Speaker Pro Tempore and the Presidium. 
The Speaker Pro Tempore is, in the absence of the emperor, the highest authority of the Senate, representing the institution. As the de facto head of the Senate, the Speaker also chairs the Presidium. In their duties, the Speaker Pro Tempore is supported by the Speaker's Office, which consists of several registrars, including the Chief Clerk of the Senate. To be impartial, the Speaker Pro Tempore surrenders their position as senator upon taking office. Although still a member of their party, the Speaker Pro Tempore is therefore not able to vote. In contrast to the Speaker of the House, the Speaker Pro Tempore is also not able to break a tied vote, with this duty instead falling upon the emperor directly. 
The Presidium is the collective body that represents the Senate and manages the day-to-day business of the chamber, preparing its budget and making all the necessary decisions to allow its proper functioning. The Presidium is chaired by the Speaker and comprises the two deputy speakers. Contrary to the speakership, the the role of deputy speaker can be combined with the role of senator. 
====Working Bodies====
The work of the Senate is conducted by three types of working bodies: the Plenary, the Core Committees, and the Special Committees. 
The Plenary serves as the central governing body of the Senate, enabling the upper house to make decisions collectively. It convenes when more than half of its members are present, representing the Senate's unity and functioning throughout its legislative sessions. These legislative sessions typically last eight months, occurring from February to August, September to May, or May to January, depending on the Senate's cycle. The agenda for these sessions is established by the Board of Spokespersons. Additionally, there are special sessions called Joint Sessions of the Consulate, convened at least once a year by the emperor for matters such as the State of the Empire and the presentation of the annual budget. The Speaker Pro Tempore of the Senate presides over these Joint Sessions. Between legislative sessions, the Senate goes through periods of imperial prorogation, lasting from 4 to 28 sitting days. During prorogations, the Senate is not in session, and any legislative progress is reset when the new legislative period begins. Typically, prorogations also serve as a recess before cycle elections, allowing incumbent senators to return to their districts for electoral campaigns.
The Core Committees are the five permanent committees that tackle the most important work that befalls on the Senate. These committees are the Procedure and Planning Committee, Judiciary Committee, Foreign Relations Committee, National Security Committee, and Constitution Committee. All committees are generally composed of a proportional number of senators depending on the numerical importance of the parliamentary groups. The PPC is considered the most important of the Core Committee, as it sets the legislative agenda and determines the procedures and time allotted in relation to the debates on bills subject to the Senate's approval. For this reason, the Procedure and Planning Committee is chaired by the Majority Leader. 
The Special Committees are committees that deal with specific issues that arise during the Senate's sessions. The Plenary has the ability to set up Special Committees to further scrutinise comprehensive legislative proposals by the House of Consuls or territorial matters. Just like Core Committees, Special Committees are composed of a proportional number of senators depending on the numerical importance of the parliamentary groups, with the exception of Special Committees meant to investigate ethics violations within the chamber itself. In case of the latter, senators are picked by lot. 
==Composition of the XXII legislature ==
The 22nd legislature of the Batavian Senate started on 23 January 2056 when the one-third of the Senate was constituted after the 2056 Senate elections. On 27 January, the Speaker Pro Tempore was officially appointed by the emperor, following their election the previous day. On 30 January, the rest of the presidium was elected by secret ballot and in the ballot box.
=== Plenary of the Senate===
=== Speaker Pro Tempore===
Whilst the Speaker Pro Tempore is appointed by the emperor, the Senate has the right to indicate a preference in the form of an election, which takes place upon the commencement of the each new legislative session every 8 months. All senators are eligible to run for the position of Speaker Pro Tempore, as well as any possible incumbent speaker. For the election, a first vote is carried out, secret and in a ballot box, with the candidates who run for said position. In this vote, the candidate who has obtained the most votes will be proposed as Speaker Pro Tempore, provided that they have the confidence of at least one-third of all senators (currently 40). In the event that no candidate receives the minimum of votes required, or the existence of a tie between two or more candidates, a successive votes are held until one candidate does emerge victorious. Once the Senate has proposed a candidate, the emperor appoints them Speaker Pro Tempore.
Election of the Speaker Pro Tempore (XXII Legislature)
Candidate 	Group/Party 	Group/Party 	Group/Party 	First Ballot
Candidate 	Group/Party 	Group/Party 	Group/Party 	Plurality (30>)
Rieko Akapito 	 	 	CD 	
José Manuel Neves 	 	 	SSFF/ANF 	
François de Salins	 	 	NUP/ECR 	
Lianne Jakson 	 	 	GPP/BGP 	
Blank votes 	Blank votes 	Blank votes 	Blank votes 	0
Invalid votes 	Invalid votes	Invalid votes	Invalid votes	0
Total: 	Total: 	Total: 	Total: 	120
===Presidium of the Senate===
After the election of the Speaker Pro Tempore, an election takes place for the two deputy speakers by secret ballot and ballot box, in which the two candidates with the most votes elected. The First Deputy Speaker will be the one who receives the most votes, with the runner-up becoming Second Deputy Speaker. In the event of a tie between candidates, a second vote is taken between the tied candidates to settle the order.
 
Position 	Holder 	Party	Party	Party
Speaker Pro Tempore 	Rieko Akapito 	 	 	CD
First Deputy Speaker 	Caroline Christensen	 	 	LP
Second Deputy Speaker	José Manuel Neves 	 	 	SSFF/ANF
==Senate Committees==
Contrary to the House of Consuls, which comprises a great number of legislative and non-legislative committees, the Senate only comprises five Core Committees that execute the chamber's most important work. In addition, there are three different kinds of temporary committees: legislative committees, bicameral conciliatory committees, and ethics committees. The Senate's five Core Committees are created to execute the unique tasks that befall upon the Senate. This includes, for example, the conduct of hearings for Supreme Court and ambassadorial nominees, or the scrutiny of international treaties and imperial decrees issued by the crown. In addition, the Constitution Committee also formulates and scrutinises unicameral amendments before they are put to the Plenary for debate. The Procedure and Planning Committee (PPC) is often considered to be the most influential of the Core Committees, as it sets the Senate's legislative agenda and determines the rules and procedures under which bills are presented, including the total amount of the presidium can allocate to senators. The PPC is chaired by the Senate Majority Leader or, in the absence therefore in the case of a vacancy, the Speaker Pro Tempore. 
In some cases, the Plenary can also decide to create temporary legislative committees to scrutinise complex and comprehensive bills from the House of Consuls before debate in the Plenary. Similarly, in the case of controversial proposals, the Plenary has the ability to set up a so-called bicameral conciliatory committee, consisting of both senators and consuls who have the ability to discuss legislative proposals at-length. When a breach of ethics is presumed to have taken place, the Speaker Pro Tempore has the power to create a temporary ethics investigative committee, comprising seven senators picked by lot to conduct in inquiry into said breach and, if necessary, recommend disciplinary measures to the Plenary. 
===Core Committees===
Committee 	Chair	Term
Procedure and Planning Committee (PPC)	 	
Constitution Committee (CC) 	 	
Judiciary Committee (JC) 	 	
Foreign Relations Committee (FRC) 	 	
National Security Committee (NSC) 	 	
== Design, Roles and Layout==
In its design and layout, the House of Consuls is often described as a mixture between continental and Anglo-Saxon legislatures, comprising features from both systems.
=== Spokespersons===
All parliamentary groups in the Senate are led by spokespersons. Spokespersons are elected by their parliamentary groups at the start of each legislative session and can be considered the main representatives of their political parties in the Senate. Whilst spokespersons are occasionally also party leaders, it is more common for party leaders to sit as Floor Leaders in the House of Consuls. Senate Spokespersons often speak on behalf of their parliamentary group in important debates, although it is also quite common that this convention is deviated from when other senators have higher stakes in the subjects being debated, for example due to their expertise or the department they are representing.
===Senate Majority Leader===
One of the Senate's pivotal roles is held by the Senate Majority Leader, typically occupied by one of the spokespersons. The Majority Leader's responsibilities parallel those of the Leader of the House in the House of Consuls. As the head of the PPC (Plenary Planning Committee), the Majority Leader wields significant influence over the Senate's legislative agenda. For example, Senators who wish to deviate from the established agenda generally need to seek the Majority Leader's approval in the chamber, unless they have the support of a majority of the Plenary to bypass them. Any Senator with the support of at least 10% of the Senate (currently situated at 12 Senators) can put themselves forward for the position of Majority Leader, after which the Speaker Pro Tempore has to schedule a formal vote within a period of 7 days from the moment of the candidate's registration with the Presidium. To be elected Majority Leader, an absolute majority (currently situated at 61 Senators) is required. In case of insufficient support, the same candidate can not present themselves again before the legislative session's prorogation. Once elected, the Majority Leader can serve the remainder of the legislative session, unless a motion of no-confidence in the Leader is carried by a simple majority, in which case the office will become vacant again until the election of an alternative candidate according to the same procedure. Due to the difficulty of obtaining the support of an absolute majority of Senators, it is not uncommon for the position of Majority Leader to remain vacant for extended periods, particularly in the case of governments with a minority status in the Senate. What sets the Majority Leader apart from the Leader of the House is that Majority Leaders can also come from opposition parties, provided they can garner united backing against a minority government in the Senate. In such cases, the Majority Leader can exert significant control over the government's legislative agenda, making it one of the most influential positions in the Consulate.
=== Senate Minority Leader ===
Although there is no formal mandate, it is a common practice for the spokesperson of the largest opposition party in the Senate, when the Majority Leader is associated with one of the governing parties, or the spokesperson of the largest government party in the Senate, when the Majority Leader is affiliated with one of the opposition parties, to be informally referred to as the "Minority Leader" by the Presidium. The role of Minority Leader does not entail any extra authority, although it is customary for the Minority Leader to receive more leeway in terms of speaking opportunities.
== List of Speakers Pro Tempore of the Batavian Senate ==
Legislature	Speaker Pro Tempore	Party	Party	Constituency 	Tenure 	Duration
I 	Lotte Grister 	 	LP 	ICA-1 	15 January, 2042 -
18 December, 2048	6 years, 11 months, 
4 days
II 	Lotte Grister 	 	LP 	ICA-1 	15 January, 2042 -
18 December, 2048	6 years, 11 months, 
4 days
III 	Lotte Grister 	 	LP 	ICA-1 	15 January, 2042 -
18 December, 2048	6 years, 11 months, 
4 days
IV 	Lotte Grister 	 	LP 	ICA-1 	15 January, 2042 -
18 December, 2048	6 years, 11 months, 
4 days
V 	Lotte Grister 	 	LP 	ICA-1 	15 January, 2042 -
18 December, 2048	6 years, 11 months, 
4 days
VI 	Lotte Grister 	 	LP 	ICA-1 	15 January, 2042 -
18 December, 2048	6 years, 11 months, 
4 days
VII 	Lotte Grister 	 	LP 	ICA-1 	15 January, 2042 -
18 December, 2048	6 years, 11 months, 
4 days
VIII 	Lotte Grister 	 	LP 	ICA-1 	15 January, 2042 -
18 December, 2048	6 years, 11 months, 
4 days
IX 	Lotte Grister 	 	LP 	ICA-1 	15 January, 2042 -
18 December, 2048	6 years, 11 months, 
4 days
X 	Lotte Grister 	 	LP 	ICA-1 	15 January, 2042 -
18 December, 2048	6 years, 11 months, 
4 days
XI 	Lotte Grister 	 	LP 	ICA-1 	15 January, 2042 -
18 December, 2048	6 years, 11 months, 
4 days
XII 	Lotte Grister 	 	LP 	ICA-1 	15 January, 2042 -
18 December, 2048	6 years, 11 months, 
4 days
XIII 	Lancine Bombar 	 	RPP 	Cote d'Ivoire	11 January, 2049 -
5 May, 2050	1 year, 3 months, 
25 days
XIV 	Lancine Bombar 	 	RPP 	Cote d'Ivoire	11 January, 2049 -
5 May, 2050	1 year, 3 months, 
25 days
XV 	Amanda Høckingen 	 	LP 	Finland 	31 May, 2050 -
17 November, 2050	5 months, 
18 days
XV 	Christoph Bumbura 	 	SSFF 	Burkina Faso 	24 November, 2050 -
3 September, 2054	3 years, 9 months, 
11 days
XVI 	Christoph Bumbura 	 	SSFF 	Burkina Faso 	24 November, 2050 -
3 September, 2054	3 years, 9 months, 
11 days
XVII 	Christoph Bumbura 	 	SSFF 	Burkina Faso 	24 November, 2050 -
3 September, 2054	3 years, 9 months, 
11 days
XVIII 	Christoph Bumbura 	 	SSFF 	Burkina Faso 	24 November, 2050 -
3 September, 2054	3 years, 9 months, 
11 days
IXX 	Christoph Bumbura 	 	SSFF 	Burkina Faso 	24 November, 2050 -
3 September, 2054	3 years, 9 months, 
11 days
XX 	Rieko Akapito 	 	CD 	East Pacific 	29 September, 2054 -	TBD
XXI 	Rieko Akapito 	 	CD 	East Pacific 	29 September, 2054 -	TBD
XXII 	Rieko Akapito 	 	CD 	East Pacific 	29 September, 2054 -	TBD
==Seating chart==
Category:Batavian Empire
Category:Politics of the Batavian Empire
Category:Politics of Official Nations