Although a largely unfamiliar face outside of the country, Frank-Walter Steinmeier is actually Germany’s head of state. He was elected in 2017 and is serving a five-year term. Much better known at home and abroad is Angela Merkel, the current Chancellor of Germany. She is serving her fourth term. Mrs. Merkel was elected in 2005 and will retire from politics at the end of her term in 2021. So, why is she better known? What are the roles of the German Chancellor versus the German President? Simply put, their relationship is similar to that between the British Queen and the British Prime Minister. While the roles of the German President and the British Queen are primarily ceremonial, the German Chancellor and the British Prime Minister are the effective leaders of their respective countries.
What is the role of the German President?
The President of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundespraesident der Bundesrepublik Deutschland), is essentially a ceremonial head of state who represents the country at expositions, sports and art events, dedications, parades and prominent funerals. He performs ribbon cuttings, groundbreakings and ship christenings. And he represents the country in International matters. He signs into law the bills that the coalition government has drafted, and he appoints the cabinet minister the chancellor wants. But he has no real power to exercise political authority in the day-to-day activities of the government. To ensure that the president is not provided with greater authority than the chancellor, he is not elected directly by the people, but by the Federal Assembly.
Roman Herzog (President of Germany from 1994 to 1999) once put it this way: “Because I, as president, have almost no decision-making power, it isn’t even possible to hold me accountable if someone translates proposals I make into law. On the other hand, when something I propose is not done, I can always point out that it would have been better if they had listened to me.” http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/unfiltered-democracy-why-germany-should-get-rid-of-the-presidency-a-809677.html
The first official residence of the German President is the Bellevue Palace in Berlin. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2016. www.walled-in-berlin.com
What is the role of the German Chancellor?
The German Chancellor (Bundeskanzler) is the de facto chief executive of country and the true head of the government. The Chancellor is elected by parliament once the President has made his proposal. He or she also determines who serves on the Cabinet, determines the number of cabinet ministers and dictates their duties. The German Chancellor is responsible for all government policies.
The official residence of the German Chancellor is the Federal Chancellery (Bundeskanzleramt) in Berlin. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2016. www.walled-in-berlin.com
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Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.
