After having come close to the constitutional crisis last year by putting pressure on two ministers, King Tupou VI again controversial, abolishing a ministerial portfolio. The King of Tonga abolished the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His Majesty’s new diplomatic services will depend directly on the sovereign, under the auspices of the Crown Prince.
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Tonga foreign affairs go under the control of the king
After 165 years of an absolute monarchical regime, close to a feudal system where the nobility enjoyed significant privileges, the Tonga finally opened to democracy in 2008. King Tupou V had finally yielded to the pressure of the people. From the start of his reign in 2006, he had to face important demonstrations. Tupou V will hear his people and make his country a constitutional monarchy, signing this new regime a few days before the sumptuous ceremonies of his enthronement. Tupou V reigned five and a half years. His younger brother, will succeed him on March 18, 2012 under the name of Tupou VI.
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In recent years, King Tupou VI, 66 years old, hardens his policy and seems to be closer to the conservative values of his father, King Tupou IV, than that of his brother, King Tupou V. In August 2017, the King dismissed the Prime Minister, former leader of a democratic movement, under the pressure of the nobility of the country which occupies nine seats in the Parliament of this archipelago of 170 islands. Tonga have more than 100,000 inhabitants.
In February 2024, King Tupou VI has once again immersed in government affairs by expressing his desire to dismiss the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense. The sovereign not enjoying such a prerogative, the act would have been unconstitutional. The Prime Minister will accept, in April 2024, to follow the recommendations of the monarch and to dismiss the two ministers. The two ministerial portfolios will then be offered to the Crown Prince Siaosi Tukuʻaho, 39.
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A step back that makes fear for the democracy of the Tonga
On August 8, 2025, a new law was adopted by the Tonga Parliament. This will allow the King of Tonga to have a direct look at the country’s foreign affairs. The Legislative Assembly passed a bill Who “Aims to modernize and strengthen the framework for conducting and implementing diplomatic and consular relations, while improving immigration control in accordance with national interests. »» This project of « modernisation » Go through the abolition of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the foundation of a new structure.
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will no longer be a government body, but it will be under the control of the king and its private council. The new firm in charge of the country’s foreign affairs will now be called Her Majesty diplomatic services. This cabinet remains under the auspices of the Crown Prince Siaosi Tukuʻaho. The new law adopted by the Tongien Parliament “Also aims to regulate the conduct of diplomatic and consular relations and to manage immigration services in accordance with national interest, as determined by His Majesty and his office”.
“Upon entry into force of the law, all employees, assets, files and obligations of the former Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be transferred to newly created diplomatic services”specifies the parliament. All diplomatic services, questions related to immigration and the services to the population such as the issuance of passports will no longer depend on the government but directly from the king. Will it be possible to refuse passport granting to dissidents? What will be the appeals to oppose in the event of a dispute? The Tonga survived largely thanks to aid and funding from abroad. Some observers fear that funding will become opaque and that funds can be diverted, since it will now be the diplomatic services of His Majesty to take care of it.
The modern state of the Tonga was founded in 1875 with the first sovereign, Tupou 1er, already considered as “supreme chief” of the archipelago since 1865. The country now has around thirty noble heads of which are chosen to sit in Parliament which has 26 parliamentarians. Since 2010, the Prime Minister has been chosen by Parliament and no longer directly by the King. He himself then forms his government, which is approved by Parliament.
A specialist explains to New Zealand radio Rnz How this change can be problematic for the country’s democracy. “The law was adopted in an emergency, without debate or opposition. It was adopted without more explanation ”. For political observers, this suggests a direct involvement of the sovereign. For the time being, the entire Ministry of Foreign Affairs is simply transferred, going from a government entity to a service dependent directly from the monarch and its private council. The fact that a government portfolio can be abolished without any debate and without warning worried. As for the Ministry of Defense, officially led by the Crown Prince since April 2024, the situation does not seem clear.
The local newspaper Kanva analyzes the situation and seems suspicious. This law “Sap directly” the reforms which aimed to transfer the executive power of the monarchy to the parliament and “Threat of compromising the fragile democratic progress of the Tonga”. The local newspaper recalls that in “Restoring royal authority on a key ministry, legislation is likely to rekindle” errors “” against which the previous monarch, King Tupou V, had formerly warned, namely: “A decline in responsible governance towards a monarchy without control. »»
