Semantics or constitutional change?

[bobleponge]

A Pastis fuelled debate last night has actually got me thinking, and would appreciate feedback from anyone who knows, cares or has anything totally unrelated to add.

Italy used to be a kingdom, the last king was called Umberto (2nd?) and left office in the 1940's I think by natural causes. Since then, to my knowledge there has been no constitutional changes in Italy which means, perhaps, that there is a void. Mr Burlesconi is currently the PM of Italy but who is the head of state?

Germany was also discussed, Mrs Meurkel is the chancellor (PM) but since the Kaiser died in the 1930's after Hitler was elected chancellor, there hasnt been another one. Who is the German head of state?

My argument was that both of the above were de facto heads of state as there was nobody senior to them, but the drunken concensus around a very drunken table was that they werent, there had to be either somebody they answered to, or there was a vacant post.

Any ideas from anyone as I think this will be revisited next week.


Disclaimer: I hate Google so all facts and figures come from my own head and thus are likely to be wrong (except for a brief phone call last night).

[Jeanied]

Hi Bob - I googled and came up with the info that Germany and Italy both have presidents - I just have never heard of them! Horst Kohler and Giorgio Napolitano.

[bobleponge]

Ah ha!
There must therefore have been a constitutional change.
I have very vague notions of Kohler but never heard of the Italian one.
Many thanks Jeanie, can at least stop my head hurting over that subject.

[Jeanied]

I also discovered that Berlusconi is worth billions and is one of the richest men in Europe! Money is power, evidently!

[bobleponge]

He is Italy's richest man, has been for ages, dominates the television industry there, has been implicated several times in corruption charges but nothing has ever stuck. From memory this is his 3rd time as PM so he must be doing something right.

[Jeanied]

He is physically pretty repellent though! All those wee lasses must be averting their eyes and focusing on the wallet.

[zazen999]

Aah, brain function is a strange and wonderful thing.

Reading your thread Bob makes me want to eat shortbread.

How random is that?

[bobleponge]

Reading that you want to eat shortbread has made me want to eat it too, and I havent got any.
Reading the thread again has also made me not want to drink Pastis anymore.

[zazen999]

I haven't got any either.

[Nicos]

I have..I have!!!!

[zazen999]

Grrrrrrrrrrr

I bought some butter last night so I might have to make some.

[bobleponge]

At the risk of making this boring thread even more so, a thought has just struck me.
I wonder if, after German reunification, the constitution was amended, as I seem to recall that Eric Honicker was the East German president at the time??

Pfff no more Pastis for me

[Jeanied]

Another dip into google land - Erich Honacker was the leader of East Germany but fled in 1989 just before reunification which was 1990- he was indicted but died in exile. I know nothing about German history - or any history - but I google and type up what I find pretty fast!!

[ginger ninger]

I have a German sister-in-law and she doesnt know much about there history, its wasn't taught in school.

[ginger ninger]

Erich Honecker was the head of the German Socialist Union Party from 1971-89, he'd been imprisoned by the Nazis in 1935-1945, He oversaw the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961. He Died in May, 1994 in Chile.