2 years ago. The Reichspräsident was the German head of state under the Weimar constitution, which was officially in force from 1919 to 1945.In English he was usually simply referred to as the President of Germany.The German title Reichspräsident literally means President of the Reich.. The French and German leaders join president Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico, an avowed socialist, who was the first world leader to condemn Facebook and Twitter for banning president Trump. Then came an arrest. A number of presidential offices have existed in Germany since the collapse of the German Empire in 1918. According to Article 60 (2) of the German Constitution, the president has the power to pardon. There is no need for a countersignature if the president proposes, appoints or dismisses the chancellor, convenes or dissolves the Bundestag according to Article 63, declares a legislative state of emergency, calls on a Chancellor and ministers to remain in office after the end of a Chancellor's term until a successor is elected or exercises his right to pardon on behalf of the federation, as these are exclusive powers of the president. As the Head of State, the German president is the figurehead of democracy and the guardian of the constitution. The president enjoys higher ranking at official functions than the chancellor, as he is the actual head of state. Dönitz agreed to the surrender to the Allies and was arrested a few days later.[29]. In the event that the Bundestag elects an individual for the office of chancellor by a plurality of votes, rather than a majority, on the 15th day of the election process, the president can, at their discretion, either appoint that individual as chancellor or dissolve the Bundestag, triggering a new election. (German), Official website of the Federal President of Germany, Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, head of government of one of the sixteen German states, President of the Senate and Mayor of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia, Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Records, Air transports of heads of state and government, Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, https://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/e/es20140610_2bve000413.html, "Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany", "Amtseid à la Obama – Verfassungsrechtliche Grundfragen und Probleme des Amtseids nach dem Grundgesetz". With the promulgation of the Grundgesetz in 1949, the office of President of the Federal Republic (in German: Bundespräsident) was created in West Germany. Upon the death of Paul von Hindenburg in August 1934 the office was left vacant, with Adolf Hitler becoming head of state as Führer und Reichskanzler (retroactively approved by a referendum). The president also had authority to dissolve the Reichstag, conduct foreign affairs, and command the armed forces. Under Article 59 (1) of the Basic Law (German Constitution), the president represents the Federal Republic of Germany in matters of international law, concludes treaties with foreign states on its behalf and accredits diplomats. DW takes a look at Germany's highest office, which plays a largely ceremonial role. The result of the election is often determined by party politics. Christian Wulff served the shortest tenure (1 year, 7 months and 18 days) of all presidents. This role for a president … However, after the "Jamaica coalition" talks failed in late 2017, President Steinmeier invited several Bundestag party leaders to try to still bring them together to form a working government. The resignation of German President Christian Wulff has once again called into question the role of the president. The President of Germany (German: Bundespräsident, literally: federal president) is the head of state of the Federal Republic of Germany. After a series of mutinies by German sailors and soldiers, Kaiser Wilhelm IIlost the support of his military and the German people, and he was forced to abdicate on November 9, 1918. According to a long-standing adage in German politics, "if you can create a President, you can form a government. Germany didn’t fare well after World War I, as it was thrown into troubling economic and social disorder. He also has important decisive power regarding the appointment of a chancellor who was elected by plurality only, or the dissolution of the Bundestag under certain circumstances. Acting heads of state are denoted by italics. Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (listen), typically known simply as Paul von Hindenburg (German: [ˈpaʊl fɔn ˈhɪndn̩bʊɐ̯k] (); 2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934), was a German general and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I and later became President of Germany from 1925 until his death in 1934. The Weimar Constitution of August 1919 created the office of President of Germany ( German: Reichspräsident ). If the office of president falls vacant, they temporarily assume the powers of the president and acts as head of state until a successor is elected, but does not assume the office of president as such (which would be unconstitutional, as no member of a legislature or government at federal or state level can be president at the same time). (So help me God.)[9]. As yet (2017), only four presidents (Heuss, Lübke, von Weizsäcker and Köhler) have been elected for a second term and only two of them (Heuss and von Weizsäcker) completed those terms, while Lübke and Köhler resigned during their second term. After the declaration of the president, the Bundestag has four weeks to discuss the draft law. During the same term and after the six months, the chancellor cannot use the procedure of Article 81 again. Bryde, in: von Münch/Kunig, GGK III, 5. His main responsibilities and actions are, however, mostly representative and ceremonial. The office of president is open to all Germans who are entitled to vote in Bundestag elections and have reached the age of 40, but no one may serve more than two consecutive five-year terms. There are some constraints on the "legislative state of emergency". Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born on December 28, 1856, in Staunton, Virginia. In other cases, elections have turned out to be much closer than expected. The election involved a form of the two-round system. Four presidents were ministers in the federal government before entering office (Lübke Agriculture, Heinemann Justice, Scheel, Steinmeier Foreign Affairs), two of them (Scheel, Steinmeier) having been Vice Chancellor of Germany. The German presidents, who can be elected to two consecutive five-year terms, have wide discretion about how they exercise their official duties.[5]. Unaffiliated with any political party, Gauck was a popular choice for the largely ceremonial role because of his history as a pro-democracy dissident… Read More; Steinmeier The president is involved in the formation of the Federal Government and remains in close cooperation with it. Electing the Federal President is the sole task of the Federal Convention. In 1949, Germany was divided into two states. Chancellor Adolf Hitler assumed the duties of head of state as Führer and Chancellor from 1934 until his suicide in April 1945. In Germany: The Merkel administration. He married a woman from his German … None of these three presidents of the Bundesrat acting as head of state, has used any of the more important powers of the president, as for example vetoing a law or dissolving the Bundestag, although they would have been entitled to do so under the same conditions as the 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. This means the president "has the authority to revoke or commute penal or disciplinary sentences in individual cases. who is the President of Germany? The president also uses a VIP helicopter operated by the Federal Police and VIP aircraft (Bombardier Global 5000, Airbus A319CJ, Airbus A310 or A340) operated by the Executive Transport Wing of the German Air Force. In some cases, a presidential speech has dominated German political debate for a year or more.[21]. Mr Adrian is President of the Deutscher Wetterdienst (German Weather Service), a … The following day, a provisional government was announced made up of members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Independent Social Democrat… [12] If this occurs, the president must dismiss the chancellor and appoint the successor elected by the Bundestag.[12]. At the EU, she is a strong federalist, and has called for “a united states of Europe – run along the lines of the federal states of Switzerland, Germany or the USA”. On taking office the president must take the following oath, stipulated by Article 56 of the Basic Law, in a joint session of the Bundestag and the Bundesrat (it is the only event that demands such a joint session constitutionally). The Weimar constitution provided that the president be directly elected and serve a seven-year term. Tommy Wilson, as he was called growing up, spent his childhood and teen years in Augusta, Georgia, and Columbia, South Carolina. Not only is he indirectly elected, but most of the real power was transferred to the chancellor. For example, in 2010, Wulff was expected to win on the first ballot, as the parties supporting him (CDU, CSU and FDP) had a stable absolute majority in the Federal Convention. It also has to be stated that the presdident may at his own discretion sign such a "vetoed" bill at any later time, if for example the Basic Law has been changed in the relevant aspect or if the bill in question has been amended according to his concerns, because his initial refusal to sign a bill is not technically a final veto. After a president has declared the state of emergency for the first time, the government has only six months to use the procedure for other law proposals. German presidents also hold talks with individual federal ministers and other senior officials at their own discretion. In order to exercise this power, they traditionally act above party politics.[8]. The standard of the president of Germany was adopted on 11 April 1921, and used in this design until 1933. According to article 81 of the German constitution, the president can declare a "Legislation Emergency" and allow the federal government and the Bundesrat to enact laws without the approval of the Bundestag. See answer Frank Walter Steinmeier Brainly User Brainly User Answer: Frank-Walter Steinmeier. [20], Though candidates are usually selected by a political party or parties, the president nonetheless is traditionally expected to refrain from being an active member of any party after assuming office. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune flew back to Germany on Sunday for treatment in hospital for complications in his foot resulting from a coronavirus infection, the presidency said. The president is chosen by the legislature and delegates of the individual German states. All federal laws must be signed by the president before they can come into effect. The East German constitution of October 1949 created the office of President of the German Democratic Republic (German: Präsident der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, DDR). If the charge is sustained, the court has the authority to remove the president from office. Upon the death of Paul von Hindenburg in August 1934 the office was left vacant, with Adolf Hitler becoming head of state as Führer und Reichskanzler. There are three living former German presidents: This article is about the position of President of Germany in the current Federal Republic of Germany. Warren T. Lv 7. The president can dismiss the chancellor, but only if the Bundestag passes a constructive vote of no confidence, electing a new chancellor with the Chancellor-majority at the same time. The convention consists of all Bundestag members, as well as an equal number of electors elected by the state legislatures in proportion to their respective populations. 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