In theory it does make sense to have someone who can veto everything on behalf of the state if the government goes weapons grade guano.
In Democratic countries which have a President but not a Presidential System (so, like Germany and Portugal, and unlike the US and France) that’s basically the entirety of the power of the President.
Personally I vastly prefer a figurehead President who has at most limited to power to dissolve parliament (for when, as you say, “the government goes weapons grade guano”) which gets actually chosen on a vote and kicked out if he or she turns out to be worse than they seemed before getting the position.
From the places I lived in, I above all detested the Constitutional Monarchy in Britain, with the Royal being filthy rich and a cornerstone of a web of patronage that was part of, if not most of, the reason why the country has massive class division and discrimination by European standards. My experience in The Netherlands was nowhere as bad, though.
Also used to use the tram like everybody else, back in the day.
Meanwhile in the UK there are actually laws just for the Royal Family, like the one that temporary closes parts of the airspace for the Royal Family Helicopter to pass through.
Mind you, this is far from the only way in which The Netherlands has a far, FAR, FAR more egalitarian spirit at all levels of society and laws than Britain, and I say this as somebody who has lived in both countries.
In Democratic countries which have a President but not a Presidential System (so, like Germany and Portugal, and unlike the US and France) that’s basically the entirety of the power of the President.
Personally I vastly prefer a figurehead President who has at most limited to power to dissolve parliament (for when, as you say, “the government goes weapons grade guano”) which gets actually chosen on a vote and kicked out if he or she turns out to be worse than they seemed before getting the position.
From the places I lived in, I above all detested the Constitutional Monarchy in Britain, with the Royal being filthy rich and a cornerstone of a web of patronage that was part of, if not most of, the reason why the country has massive class division and discrimination by European standards. My experience in The Netherlands was nowhere as bad, though.
Our king is ok. Just wants to fly jets.
Also used to use the tram like everybody else, back in the day.
Meanwhile in the UK there are actually laws just for the Royal Family, like the one that temporary closes parts of the airspace for the Royal Family Helicopter to pass through.
Mind you, this is far from the only way in which The Netherlands has a far, FAR, FAR more egalitarian spirit at all levels of society and laws than Britain, and I say this as somebody who has lived in both countries.