Head of State and Government

As state and government , the position is called, the function of Head of State and the Government combined. This is typical for the presidential system as in the USA or Mexico . For example, the President of the United States , but also many Latin American presidents, are both heads of state and government. In Europe, however, the two functions are usually separate. An exception is the Republic of Cyprus , whose president is also both head of state and government. Beyond the presidential systems, the unification of the offices of heads of state and government also occurs in the system of parliamentary executive power (e.g. South Africa ).

The members of the European Council are referred to as heads of state and government (in the plural) in Article 15 of the EU Treaty . Per Member State participates either the respective head of state or head of government, depending on who owns the wider European policy responsibilities. Who that is ultimately depends on the political system of the Member State.