A
premier is an executive official of
government.
In many nations, the title "premier" is used interchangeably with "
prime minister": for example, the "Italian Premier" or the "Italian Prime Minister". In the
People's Republic of China, "premier" is more common, but "prime minister" is still used (see
Premier of the People's Republic of China).
In
Bermuda, a
British overseas territories, the elected
head of government is called the "premier". In other overseas territories, elected heads are called the
chief minister.
"Premier" is the title of the heads of government in the
provinces and territories of
Canada,
provinces of
South Africa, the
states of
Australia, and the nation of
Niue. In some of these cases, the formal title remains "Prime Minister" but "Premier" is used to avoid confusion with the national prime minister.
A premier will normally be a
head of government, but is not always the
head of state. In
presidential systems, the two roles are often combined into one, whereas in
parliamentary systems of government the two are usually kept separate. An example of a nation having separate roles for the Premier/Prime Minister and the President is the Fifth French Republic. In the cases of Australia and Canada, care should be taken not to confuse the title of "Premier" with "
Prime Minister". A "Premier" is the
head of government of a province (in Canada) or state (in Australia); the "Prime Minister" is the national, or federal, head of government.
In the
Soviet Union, the title of Premier was applied to the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars or, after 1946, to the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR.
A second in command to a Premier is designated as a
Vice-Premier or
Deputy Premier.
See also
Category:Government occupations
Premier
Category:Titles
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