Ducal Diet considers reform of municipal governments.

The Ducal Diet is considering a bill that would substantially alter the formal structure of municipal government in Marienbourg, replacing the system of periodically elected prefects in Pomerade and Blauberga with a model based on direct democracy and professional municipal administration.

Under the proposed legislation, the two municipalities would cease to elect their prefects through regular six-month elections. Instead, the resident populations would collectively exercise direct authority over the appointment and dismissal of their respective municipal executives. Rather than serving a fixed electoral term, each Prefect would be employed indefinitely as the chief administrator, subject to the continued confidence of the municipal population.

From electoral office to public administration

At present, Pomerade and Blauberga each elect a Prefect every six months to exercise devolved executive authority independently, without a municipal parliament. The principal checks on this authority are exercised by the Ducal Diet and by the residents through direct democracy.

The proposed reform preserves this practical structure but fundamentally changes how the Prefect assumes and retains office. The resident population of each municipality would constitute a Municipal Council, formed directly by the willing residents to exercise collective authority over the Prefect's employment. This Council would be responsible for selecting, contracting, supervising, and dismissing the municipal executive.

Residents as the Municipal Council

Unlike a conventional municipal council of elected representatives, this proposed institution would be composed directly of the eligible and willing residents themselves. It would possess no independent representative mandate, serving strictly as the institutional mechanism to manage the Prefect's employment.

Supporters argue this arrangement acknowledges the political reality of the municipalities—which have long been governed by the same prefects who own the local lands—while eliminating the need for frequent elections. Under this system, there would be no automatic six-month mandate or re-election campaigns. A Prefect could remain in office for years with ongoing public support, or be removed at any time if the population decides to terminate the contract through direct-democratic procedures.

A Prefect without a fixed term

While the title of Prefect is retained for its historical significance, the position would function as a contracted public administrator rather than a conventional politician. However, because Pomerade and Blauberga do not possess municipal legislatures, the Prefect would retain broad governmental authority, including the exercise of municipal regulatory and legislative functions devolved by the Duchy.

“This should not be confused with the creation of an ordinary city manager,” explained Guilherme Wünsch, member of the Diet for Blauberga (PP), during the parliamentary debate. “The Prefect will continue to govern. The difference is that [the Prefect] will govern under an employment relationship of confidence with the people rather than under a temporary electoral mandate.”

Direct democracy as the principal safeguard

Residents would retain their constitutional right to initiate investigations and complaints concerning municipal authorities. The Municipal Council itself would deliberate collectively on the Prefect's continued employment.

The bill's supporters argue this system provides greater flexibility than the current setup. A successful administrator could remain in office without unnecessary electoral interruptions every six months, while an unpopular or ineffective Prefect could have their contract terminated immediately, without the public having to wait for a fixed term to conclude.

No municipal legislature

This proposal differs from the conventional council–manager model used in other countries because it does not establish a municipal legislature. The population itself collectively performs the role of a council, but strictly for employment oversight. Legislative and regulatory authority at the municipal level would continue to be exercised directly by the Prefect.

Nevertheless, the people possess the constitutional right to initiate legislation in the Ducal Diet, with the proviso that legislation concerning individual municipalities requires only a majority vote from the representatives of that specific municipality.

Parliamentary debate

The bill has generated considerable discussion within the Ducal Diet. Deputies broadly agree on the need to adapt municipal institutions to the particular circumstances of Marienbourg. Supporters note that the existing six-month electoral cycle is unnecessarily frequent and allows non-resident registered voters to affect the lives of resident citizens.

Critics, however, have questioned whether the proposed system provides sufficiently detailed procedures for defining the operational relationship between the Municipal Council and the Prefect.

A new model for Marienbourg's municipalities

If adopted, the legislation would create an unusual model of local government, combining administrative continuity with direct democracy. Pomerade and Blauberga would remain highly devolved executive structures, while the Ducal Diet would retain constitutional oversight.

The Ducal Diet is expected to continue its consideration of the bill in the coming days before a final vote is scheduled. If approved, the new law would formally redefine the relationship between Marienbourg's municipal governments and the populations in whose name they govern.