Artikel 46: State Secretaries

Artikel 46
  1. State Secretaries may be appointed and dismissed by Royal Decree.
  2. A State Secretary shall act with ministerial authority in place of the Minister in cases in which the Minister considers it necessary; the State Secretary shall observe the Ministers instructions in such cases. Responsibility shall rest with the State Secretary without prejudice to the responsibility of the Minister.

In andere talen:

English

  1. State Secretaries may be appointed and dismissed by Royal Decree.
  2. A State Secretary shall act with ministerial authority in place of the Minister in cases in which the Minister considers it necessary; the State Secretary shall observe the Ministers instructions in such cases. Responsibility shall rest with the State Secretary without prejudice to the responsibility of the Minister.

Français

  1. Des secrétaires d'État peuvent être nommés et révoqués, par décret royal.
  2. Dans les cas où le ministre l'estime nécessaire, le secrétaire d'État agit à sa place comme ministre en se conformant à ses instructions. Le secrétaire dÉtat est responsable de ce chef, sans préjudice de la responsabilité du ministre.

Deutsch

  1. Durch königlichen Erlass können Staatssekretäre ernannt und entlassen werden.
  2. Ein Staatssekretär tritt in den Fällen, in denen der Minister dies für notwendig hält, unter Befolgung der Weisungen des Ministers an dessen Stelle. Der Staatssekretär ist in dieser Eigenschaft verantwortlich, unbeschadet der Verantwortung des Ministers.

Español

  1. Se podrán nombrar y separar Secretarios de Estado por real decreto.
  2. El Secretario de Estado suplirá al Ministro en los casos en que el Ministro lo considere necesario y se ajustará a las instrucciones de éste. En tal calidad, el Secretario de Estado es responsable, sin perjuicio de la responsabilidad del Ministro.

Explanation

Please note: Only the Dutch-language version of the Constitution has legal effect. 

State Secretaries are sought out and subsequently appointed during cabinet formation in the same way as ministers. State Secretaries have their own political responsibility for the policy area formally assigned to them by their minister, but which in practice is already broadly determined during the cabinet formation.

The State Secretary is independently accountable to Parliament. If Parliament loses confidence in a State Secretary, the latter will have to leave. The minister may then remain in office, although the minister is jointly responsible.

Conversely, a State Secretary does offer their resignation if the minister resigns for any reason. This follows from the principle that a minister should be able to decide for themselves whether and whom they wish to have as State Secretary.