Chancellor of Germany

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Incumbent
Olaf Scholz

since 8 December 2021

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The Chancellor of Germany ( ) is the head of government of Germany. The Chancellor is the chief executive of the Federal Republic of Germany and is responsible for selecting all other members of the government and chairing cabinet meetings. The office of Chancellor is the equivalent of a Prime Minister in many other countries.

History

The role of Chancellor has its origins in the North German Confederation (1867–1871) and the German Empire (1871–1918), where the Chancellor was appointed by the German Emperor. The modern office of Chancellor was established with the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. The first Chancellor of the Federal Republic was Konrad Adenauer, who served from 1949 to 1963.

Appointment

The Chancellor is elected by the Bundestag, the federal parliament of Germany, upon the proposal of the President of Germany. The Chancellor must receive an absolute majority of the votes in the Bundestag. Once elected, the Chancellor is appointed by the President.

Powers and Duties

The Chancellor has significant powers and responsibilities, including:

• Leading the federal government and setting government policy.
• Appointing and dismissing federal ministers.
• Representing Germany in international affairs.
• Overseeing the implementation of federal laws.

The Chancellor's authority is derived from the Basic Law (Grundgesetz), which is the constitution of Germany.

Term and Succession

The Chancellor serves a term of four years and can be re-elected indefinitely. The Chancellor can be removed from office by a constructive vote of no confidence in the Bundestag, which requires the election of a successor by an absolute majority.

List of Chancellors

• Konrad Adenauer (1949–1963)
• Ludwig Erhard (1963–1966)
• Kurt Georg Kiesinger (1966–1969)
• Willy Brandt (1969–1974)
• Walter Scheel (Acting, 1974)
• Helmut Schmidt (1974–1982)
• Helmut Kohl (1982–1998)
• Gerhard Schröder (1998–2005)
• Angela Merkel (2005–2021)
• Olaf Scholz (2021–present)

See Also

• President of Germany
• Bundestag
• Federal Republic of Germany
• Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany
• Cabinet of Germany
• Constructive vote of no confidence

Related Pages

• Politics of Germany
• Government of Germany
• History of Germany
• Federalism in Germany