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President of the Bundestag
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President of the Bundestag
The president of the Bundestag (German: Präsidentin des Deutschen Bundestages or Bundestagspräsidentin; Präsident when the office is held by a man) presides over the sessions of the Bundestag, the federal parliament of Germany, with functions similar to that of a speaker in other countries. In the German order of precedence, the office is ranked second after the president and before the chancellor.
The current office-holder is Julia Klöckner (CDU), who was elected during the first session of the 21st Bundestag on 25 March 2025.
The president of the Bundestag is elected during the constituent session of each election period after the federal elections or in a later session, if the office has fallen vacant, by all members of the Bundestag. The president has to be a member of the Bundestag. Until the election of the president, the session is chaired by the father of the House, the so-called Alterspräsident. Since 2017, this has been the longest serving member of the Bundestag; in 1949-2017, it was the oldest member of the Bundestag by age.
Usually, the president of the Bundestag is a member of the largest parliamentary group. This constitutional convention had emerged already in times of the Weimar Republic, but this is not required by law. The term ends with the election period, and there is no provision for an early removal. The term of the president can only end prematurely if they resign the position, leaves the Bundestag or dies. They can be reelected in the next election period provided they become a member of the Bundestag again.
Traditionally, the president of the Bundestag is proposed by the largest group, and elected uncontested. The only exception so far has been in 1954 after the unexpected death of Hermann Ehlers (CDU). Nominated by Hans Reif (FDP), Ernst Lemmer (CDU) stood against the "official" CDU/CSU candidate, Eugen Gerstenmaier, and lost after three ballots with a difference of 14 votes (204 for Gerstenmaier, 190 for Lemmer, 15 abstentions).
The president of the Bundestag has several deputies, the vice presidents of the Bundestag (Vizepräsident des Deutschen Bundestages or Bundestagsvizepräsident), who are supplied by the other parliamentary groups. The number of vice presidents was not fixed in the Bundestag's Geschäftsordnung (rules of order) since 1949, when two were elected, representing opposition and minor party FDP. As the reigning Union of CDU/CSU comprises two independent but complementary parties, CDU in all states but Bavaria, CSU only in Bavaria, the CSU got a deputy in 1953. Since 1961, the other large party, the SPD, also got a second deputy. When the Green party joined in 1983, the number was not increased, and their candidates were not elected. Same for the former communist party PDS after reunification in 1990.
In 1994, things changed when it was decided that each parliamentary group should be represented by at least one vice president. Since then, also Greens and PDS/Left have a deputy.
However, when the new AfD entered the parliament in 2017, as leaders of the opposition, none of their six candidates for vice president has ever been elected, and neither of the over 30 candidates in the 20th Bundestag since 2021. There is some controversy over this cordon sanitaire imposed against the far-right AfD, but the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany has ruled that even though the rules of order of the Bundestag give the AfD the right to a Vice-Presidential post, there is no obligation for any given member of the Bundestag to vote for any given candidate for Vice-President of the Bundestag and the office requires election by a majority vote of the Bundestag. Together, the president and the vice presidents make up the Presidium of the Bundestag.
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President of the Bundestag
The president of the Bundestag (German: Präsidentin des Deutschen Bundestages or Bundestagspräsidentin; Präsident when the office is held by a man) presides over the sessions of the Bundestag, the federal parliament of Germany, with functions similar to that of a speaker in other countries. In the German order of precedence, the office is ranked second after the president and before the chancellor.
The current office-holder is Julia Klöckner (CDU), who was elected during the first session of the 21st Bundestag on 25 March 2025.
The president of the Bundestag is elected during the constituent session of each election period after the federal elections or in a later session, if the office has fallen vacant, by all members of the Bundestag. The president has to be a member of the Bundestag. Until the election of the president, the session is chaired by the father of the House, the so-called Alterspräsident. Since 2017, this has been the longest serving member of the Bundestag; in 1949-2017, it was the oldest member of the Bundestag by age.
Usually, the president of the Bundestag is a member of the largest parliamentary group. This constitutional convention had emerged already in times of the Weimar Republic, but this is not required by law. The term ends with the election period, and there is no provision for an early removal. The term of the president can only end prematurely if they resign the position, leaves the Bundestag or dies. They can be reelected in the next election period provided they become a member of the Bundestag again.
Traditionally, the president of the Bundestag is proposed by the largest group, and elected uncontested. The only exception so far has been in 1954 after the unexpected death of Hermann Ehlers (CDU). Nominated by Hans Reif (FDP), Ernst Lemmer (CDU) stood against the "official" CDU/CSU candidate, Eugen Gerstenmaier, and lost after three ballots with a difference of 14 votes (204 for Gerstenmaier, 190 for Lemmer, 15 abstentions).
The president of the Bundestag has several deputies, the vice presidents of the Bundestag (Vizepräsident des Deutschen Bundestages or Bundestagsvizepräsident), who are supplied by the other parliamentary groups. The number of vice presidents was not fixed in the Bundestag's Geschäftsordnung (rules of order) since 1949, when two were elected, representing opposition and minor party FDP. As the reigning Union of CDU/CSU comprises two independent but complementary parties, CDU in all states but Bavaria, CSU only in Bavaria, the CSU got a deputy in 1953. Since 1961, the other large party, the SPD, also got a second deputy. When the Green party joined in 1983, the number was not increased, and their candidates were not elected. Same for the former communist party PDS after reunification in 1990.
In 1994, things changed when it was decided that each parliamentary group should be represented by at least one vice president. Since then, also Greens and PDS/Left have a deputy.
However, when the new AfD entered the parliament in 2017, as leaders of the opposition, none of their six candidates for vice president has ever been elected, and neither of the over 30 candidates in the 20th Bundestag since 2021. There is some controversy over this cordon sanitaire imposed against the far-right AfD, but the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany has ruled that even though the rules of order of the Bundestag give the AfD the right to a Vice-Presidential post, there is no obligation for any given member of the Bundestag to vote for any given candidate for Vice-President of the Bundestag and the office requires election by a majority vote of the Bundestag. Together, the president and the vice presidents make up the Presidium of the Bundestag.
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