Official Residence
The Head of government is often provided with an official residence, in the same way as Heads of state often are. The name of the residence is often used as a metonym or alternate title for 'the government' when the office is politically the highest, e.g. in the UK "Downing Street announced today..."
Well-known official residences of heads of government include:
- 10 Downing Street in London — Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (who also has a country residence Chequers)
- 7 Race Course Road (Panchavati) in New Delhi — Prime Minister of India
- Catshuis — Prime Minister of the Netherlands
- 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa — Prime Minister of Canada (who also has a country residence Harrington Lake)
- Kantei in Tokyo — Prime Minister of Japan
- Palazzo Chigi in Rome — Prime Minister of Italy
- Kirribilli House in Sydney; and The Lodge in Canberra — Prime Minister of Australia
- Hôtel Matignon in Paris— Prime Minister of France (a grand palace is called a hôtel in French)
- The Lambermont in Brussels — federal Prime Minister of Belgium
- Palacio de la Moncloa in Madrid — President of the Government, Spain
- Premier House in Wellington — Prime Minister of New Zealand
- Kesäranta in Helsinki — Prime Minister of Finland
- Sager House in Stockholm — Prime Minister of Sweden (who also has a country residence Harpsund)
- Zhongnanhai in Beijing — Premier of China
Fuller list in the official residence article.
Similarly the Heads of government of (con)federal entities below the level of the sovereign state (often without an actual Head of state, at least under international law) may also be given an official residence, sometimes used as an opportunity to display its aspirations of statehood. E.g. in Belgium:
- Hotel Errera in Brussels — Minister-president of the Flemish community and region
- Élysette in Namur — Minister-president of the Walloon region
However, Heads of governments' residences are usually far less grand than those (often called palace) of a Head of state (even a merely ceremonial one), unless they combine both roles, as for example:
- The White House (1600 Pennsylvania Avenue) in Washington, D.C. — President of the United States of America
Even the formal representative of the Head of State, such as a Governor-General, may well be housed in a grander palace-type residence, often with such names as Government House.
Read more about this topic: Head Of Government
Famous quotes containing the words official and/or residence:
“No sane local official who has hung up an empty stocking over the municipal fireplace, is going to shoot Santa Claus just before a hard Christmas.”
—Alfred E. Smith (1873–1944)
“The death of William Tecumseh Sherman, which took place to-day at his residence in the city of New York at 1 o’clock and 50 minutes p.m., is an event that will bring sorrow to the heart of every patriotic citizen. No living American was so loved and venerated as he.”
—Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901)