San Marino’s rotating dual regents guard against power concentration
Pope Leo XIV on Saturday called the Republic of San Marino a model of political freedom and civic responsibility during a one-day visit to the world’s oldest surviving republic. Addressing local authorities, the pope praised the nation’s centuries-old republican traditions while cautioning against systems that concentrate control.
Leo reflected on the legacy of Saints Marino and Leone, whom he credited with helping build a society rooted in freedom, mutual respect and community. The two saints, he said, translated the Christian message into “a new community and political model, strongly characterized by the Christian principles of freedom, mutual respect and communion,” a legacy he said continues to shape the republic today.
San Marino, a nation of about 35,000 people completely surrounded by the Italian state, traces its origins to the fourth century. It is governed by a 60-member parliament that elects two captains regent every six months to serve jointly as heads of state, a power-sharing arrangement designed to prevent the concentration of authority.
The pope’s remarks cast that rotating dual-leadership structure as an institutional reflection of the civic virtues he praised, framing San Marino’s republican traditions as a check against political and economic systems that place power above the human person.