Council of Commoners

The Council of Commoners is a partially elected group of an unspecified amount of ministers who provide an advisory role to the High Council and the Prince-Sovereign of Montebianco by representing the interests of the common folk, the guilds, and the petite bourgeoisie. The Commoners are also responsible for providing a judicial role in the country should citizens require, and have the means to pay for, a trial.

The First Commoner, who is special in that they sit on the High Council, is elected by majority from the Council of Commoners. He has the privilege of speaking first, thus setting the agenda, in Commoner meetings. The Second Commoner and Third Commoner are his deputies should he be unable to attend. Other roles in the Council of Commoners, such as secretaries, are also nominated positions. Commoner Councillors tend not to receive a salary. The Guildhall commands the most seats.

The councillors meet in Serrentino usually once a week.

Members

Seats in the council are allocated by the council itself to certain organisations and individuals in the city who nominate councillors of their own choosing. These councillors serve for life. There is no upper or lower limit on the number of members in the Council meaning at points in history the number of seats have varied from below a hundred to over a thousand. Additionally, enterprises do not have to be native to Serrentino in order to gain seats - for example Societas Makesini was appointed a seat after it opened a branch in the city.

Even though the Montebianco military is not directly represented, the armouries and shipyards that supply them are. Because of this, the military wields some influence in the Council.

Other organisations that are represented include: the National Theatre, the Theatre Guild, merchant groups such as the InterNational Banking Clan and Tourmaline Brotherhood as well as noble families such as the Legionculia.