It’s time to elect the president in Germany – the country’s highest office.
First: Time for a quick reminder. The president isn’t this guy. That’s German
Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He’s head of government.
The president is Frank-Walter Steinmeier. He’s head of state.
So. Back to where we were.
The president is elected every five years by Germany’s Federal Convention.
That’s the Convention's only job.
Half of the Convention is made up of all MPs from here the Bundestag – Germany's lower
house of parliament. The other half is a mix of representatives from each of Germany’s 16 states.
Most of those representatives are members of the state-level parliaments.
But they can also be people from all walks of public life.
Some well-known names casting their vote in the 2022 presidential election
include top virologist Christian Drosten, footballer Leon Goretzka,
drag queen Gloria Viagra and…former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Özlem Türeci, the co-founder of COVID vaccine developer BioNTech,
as well as a number of intensive care unit workers also have a vote.
So who can be German president?
There are just three requirements:
You have to have German citizenship
Have the right to vote in federal elections
And be older than 40
Since the Federal Republic was founded in 1949
there have been 12 presidents – and seven since German unification in 1990.
The post has only ever been held by men.
For historical reasons today’s role is largely symbolic.
Let’s take a look back. The last President of the
Weimar Republic Paul von Hindenburg — the Reich President as he was known
back then — made devastating use of his presidential powers.
Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as chancellor and also signed off
the 1933 Enabling Act which gave the Nazi regime emergency powers.
To prevent history repeating itself, the powers of today’s German president are extremely limited.
The president can neither appoint a chancellor, nor issue emergency decrees.
Nor do they have supreme command over Germany’s armed forces.
So what does the German president do?
The president represents Germany at home and abroad and concludes treaties with foreign states.
They also appoint German envoys and receive foreign dignitaries.
The president also proposes a chancellor. After parliament elects the chancellor,
the president officially assigns them and their ministers their roles.
They also have the power to dissolve parliament...and
laws only come into effect after the president has signed them.
They also appoint and dismiss federal judges,
have the power to pardon people, and award thousands of honors.
Make it to your 100th or 105th birthday in Germany, and you’ll also get a
special congratulations from the president.
The same goes for couples celebrating their 65th, 70th and 75th wedding anniversaries.
Herzlichen Glückwünsch!
At the request of parents,
a German president can also act as a godparent to a family’s seventh or subsequent child.
Since 1949 German presidents have become godfathers to more than 81,000 children!
But don’t expect birthday presents or sleepovers here
at the presidential residence. The role as honorary godparent is symbolic.
The German president has in fact two official residences:
Here at Schloss Bellevue in Berlin. And Villa Hammerschmidt in Bonn.
Ultimately, the German president is expected to have a positive impact on society.
They should be a non-partisan personality of integrity.
Many presidents have used their speeches or Christmas address to
highlight issues occupying the nation and connect with society at home.
Most recently, during the pandemic,
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on Germans to remain united.
The coming term for Germany’s president
looks to be a tumultuous one — with challenges both at home and abroad.