| Parliament name |
- |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name (generic / translated) |
Deutscher Bundestag / German Bundestag |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
Bundesrat / Federal Council
|
| APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE |
| Title |
President of the German Bundestag |
| Term |
- duration: 4 years (term of House);
- reasons for interruption of the term of office: death, loss of mandate, resignation, early end of the electoral term |
| Appointment |
- elected by all the Members of the Parliament
- election is held at the opening of the constituent meeting of the newly elected Bundestag |
| Eligibility |
- any Member of the Parliament
- in keeping with German parliamentary custom, the largest parliamentary group claims the office of President
- candidatures submitted at the constituent meeting immediately before the election procedure |
| Voting system |
- formal vote by secret ballot
- after first ballot, new candidates may be proposed for the second ballot. Subsequent ballots are confined to the 2 candidates who have received the largest number of votes.
- several rounds are held if majority of the Members of the Bundestag is not obtained in first ballot and possibly second ballot - for subsequent ballots, candidate receiving the largest number of votes is elected. |
| Procedures / results |
- the oldest Member of Parliament (President by age) - or the next oldest -presides over the Assembly during the voting
- the President by age assisted by 2 secretaries supervises the voting
- the results are announced by the President by age, shortly after the election
- no procedure is foreseen for challenging the results |
| STATUS |
| Status |
- ranks second after the Federal President
- takes precedence over the President of the Bundesrat
- presides over joint meetings of both Houses (for the swearing-in of the Federal President)
- represents the Bundestag in relations with other constitutional organs, the courts and in public
- represents the Assembly or can be represented by Members in international bodies
- chairs the Presidium, the Council of Elders and the Joint Committee (Parliament in a state of emergency), consisting of Members of the Bundestag and the Bundesrat
- in the absence of the President, the Vice-President, member of the second largest parliamentary Group, can assume his/her role and functions |
| Board |
- composed of the Presidium and the Council of Elders
- the Presidium is formed by the President and the Vice-Presidents - the Council of Elders is formed by the President, the Vice-Presidents and 23 further Members appointed by the parliamentary groups in proportion to their size
- the Council of Elders decides on the internal affairs of the Bundestag insofar as they do not fall within the competence of the President or the Presidium - decides on the use to be made of the premises set aside for the Bundestag - prepares a draft of the budget from which the Budget Committee may only depart after consultation with the Council of Elders
- the Presidium and the Council of Elders meet once during each parliamentary week and meetings are convened by the President
- they perform a supporting and advisory function. |
| Material facilities |
- same benefits as Members of Parliament (MPs)
- in addition, taxable allowance amounting to the remuneration of MPs (7,668 euros per month, as of Nov. 2009)
- official car and expense allowance for the official car
- expense allowance of 3,868 euros
- official expense allowance (remuneration for representational duties) of 1,023 euros per month, as of Nov. 2009
- office
- official residence |
| FUNCTIONS |
| Organization of parliamentary business |
- convenes sessions
- in exceptional cases, establishes the date of sessions and modifies the agenda (the date and agenda are usually agreed on in the Council of Elders)
- organizes the debates and sets speaking time
- examines the admissibility of bills and amendments
- in specific exceptional cases, refers a text to a committee for study |
| Chairing of public sittings |
- opens, adjourns and closes sittings
- ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders
- makes announcements concerning the Assembly
- takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures
- gives and withdraws permission to speak. The list of speakers is prepared by the Secretariat.
- establishes the order in which amendments are taken up
- opens, conducts and closes the voting procedure
- authenticates the adopted texts
- interprets the rules or other regulations governing the life of the Assembly during sittings |
| Special powers |
- implements the annual budget prepared by the Council of Elders
- recruits, assigns and dismisses staff
- appoints the Clerk with the consent of the Presidium
- organizes the services of Parliament with the support of the Secretary General
- represents the Bundestag in relations with foreign Parliaments
- is responsible for safety and, in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in the Chamber |
| Speaking and voting rights, other functions |
- takes the floor in legislative debates and vacates the Chair for that purpose
- takes part in voting and vacates the Chair for that purpose
- intervenes in the parliamentary oversight procedure by checking, with the assistance of the administration, whether the questions submitted are in keeping with the provisions of the Rules of Procedure |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Presidency module
