Presidium of the Bundestag (Germany)
| President of the Bundestag of the Federal Republic of Germany |
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| Legislative Branch of the German Federal Government |
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| Seat | Berlin, Germany |
| Appointer | Bundestag of Germany |
| Constituting instrument | German Basic Law |
| Inaugural holder | Erich Köhler |
| Formation | 1949 |
| Website | Official Website |
The President of the Bundestag (German: Präsident des Deutschen Bundestages or Bundestagspräsident) 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, his office is ranked second after the President and before the Chancellor. The current President of the Bundestag is Wolfgang Schäuble, since October 24, 2017.
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, the oldest member of the Bundestag.
Usually, the President of the Bundestag is a member of the largest parliamentary group. This custom 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 he or she resigns the position, leaves the Bundestag or dies. He can be reelected in the next election period provided he becomes a member of the Bundestag again.
Traditionally, the President of the Bundestag is elected uncontested. The only exception so far has been in 1954 after the unexpected death of Hermann Ehlers. Ernst Lemmer competed with 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).
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