# Presidential succession **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 22, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-succession/482532 "2009-01-22T22:24:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-succession/482532/1 "2009-01-22T22:24:40Z")
How does presidential succession work in other countries? Say if the president of France or Russia dies, do they have the same system we do in U.S. - that is the vice-president takes over, or if the vice president dies, they start going through the cabinet members. Howabout in Britain, what if the Prime Minister dies, who takes over? Does the Queen just appoint someone in that case? ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-succession/482532/2 "2009-01-22T23:33:45Z")
In Russia the Prime Minister becomes Acting President if the President dies or resigns and a new election is held in a couple of months. That’s how Putin got in. ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-succession/482532/3 "2009-01-22T23:48:20Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > In Russia the Prime Minister becomes Acting President if the President dies or resigns and a new election is held in a couple of months. That’s how Putin got in. Why? Isn’t the Russian president their head of state more than their head of government? Seems like a bit of a downgrade. Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-succession/482532/4 "2009-01-22T23:52:24Z")
In the U.K, we have a deputy Prime Minister, but that’s really for short term matters, like if the PM is abroad or unwell. If the PM were to die or resign then the ruling party would elect or appoint a new Prime Minister. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-succession/482532/5 "2009-01-23T00:10:30Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > How does presidential succession work in other countries? Say if the president of France or Russia dies, do they have the same system we do in U.S. In France, new presidential elections are held within 35 days (there’s no vice-president). Meanwhile, the president of the Senate replaces the president(_). Lacking a president of the Senate, presidential powers would be entrusted to the cabinet, acting collectively. (_) Happened twice under the fifth republic, and the same guy was president of the senate both times. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-succession/482532/6 "2009-01-23T06:46:51Z")
In Canada, same as what **Quartz** said - the Deputy Prime Minister would take over the running of the government, while the party chose a new leader. Once the party chooses its new leader, the Gov Gen would appoint the new leader of the party as Prime Minister and ask him to form a government. At least, that’s my guess - we’ve not had a Prime Minister die in office in over a century, and the last time it happened, the party structure wasn’t nearly as firm, so there are no modern precedents. I would also guess that if the Deputy PM wanted to run for the leadership, he might be expected to step down from the position, to avoid getting any advantage over the other candidates, but if the Deputy doesn’t have any leadership ambitions, he would serve as a caretaker while the party holds its leadership contest. The Deputy doesn’t have any inherent constitutional authority, unlike the Veep in the US, and no right to succeed long-term as Prime Minister. The Deputy only holds that office because the now-deceased Prime Minister appointed him to be Deputy Prime Minister.