Proconsul Neral
Proconsul was the common title given to the official in the Romulan Senate directly below the praetor. Below the proconsul was the vice-proconsul, who may also be addressed as "proconsul". (TNG: "Face Of The Enemy") Further below these two consul positions was the first consul. (ENT: "The Aenar")
Romulans to hold this position within the Romulan Star Empire during the latter half of the 24th century included Proconsuls Merrok and Neral. (DS9: "Broken Link", "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges"; TNG: "Unification I")
Claudius Marcus of the Roman Empire on the planet 892-IV also held the title proconsul and had significant influence over his people. (TOS: "Bread and Circuses")
In 2374, Captain Benjamin Sisko and Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax discussed the possibility of getting the Romulan Star Empire to join the Federation Alliance in the Dominion War. In their debate, Dax played the role of the Romulan Proconsul, opening with, "From where I'm sitting, the Dominion isn't a threat to me. I have a non-aggression pact with them. They're my allies." When Sisko questioned putting "faith in some piece of paper", Dax argued "Not at all. I've been watching them very closely since the beginning of the war, and so far, they've kept their part of the bargain." When Sisko pointed out that the Dominion violates Romulan territory "almost every day", Dax countered, "So they're crossing my backyard to give the Federation a bloody nose. I can't say that makes me very sad." After Sisko pointed out the naivity of that logic, arguing that they won't stop with the Federation, and "they'll be coming after you," Dax argued that they was speculation, and as proconsul, concluded that "[..] before I plunge my people into a conflict that will kill millions of loyal Romulan citizens, I need something more concrete than the self-serving argument of a Starfleet officer. I need proof of Dominion duplicity. Not more words, proof." At the conclusion of their argument, Sisko commented to Dax that she "would have made a decent Romulan." (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")
As with other governmental terms in the Romulan Empire, the title of proconsul is derived from the Roman title of proconsul. In the Roman Republic, a proconsul was a former consul who had been assigned a province or a military command as a reward for their service to the Roman state. The term was diminished but retained under the Roman Empire.