Asia & Pacific · reference
🇹🇴 Tonga
Constitutional monarchy with substantial royal power
SystemConstitutional monarchy with substantial royal power
Head of stateKing Tupou VI
Head of governmentPrime Minister Lord Fatafehi Fakafānua, in office since December 2025
LegislatureLegislative Assembly · 26 seats, of which 17 are elected by the people and 9 by hereditary nobles
ElectionsFree elections since the 2010 reforms, though nobles hold reserved seats and the king retains significant powers
Last election2025-11-20 · general election
Next election2029-11 · general election due
The Pacific's last Polynesian kingdom democratised partially in 2010 but the palace's influence over government, highlighted when foreign affairs were moved under a royal-linked agency in 2025, remains the enduring constitutional argument. Parliament chose the noble Lord Fakafānua as prime minister after the November 2025 election. Recovery from the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption and heavy debt to China weigh on the economy.
Live encyclopedic leader and election records · verified 2026-07-02
The Margin models elections where a competitive public record exists · all countries