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Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany

As its head, the Federal Chancellor runs the federal government. Her or she determines and is responsible for general policy.

He or she is elected by the German Bundestag at the proposal of the Federal President and then appointed by the latter. Before the end of the legislative term, the Federal Chancellor may be dismissed by parliament only through a “vote of no confidence”.

Federal ministers are appointed and dismissed at the proposal of the Federal Chancellor.

The following bodies are directly subordinate to the Federal Chancellor:
The Federal Chancellor must not hold another salaried position, carry on a trade, pursue a profession or have a similar function. The Basic Law does not stipulate that the Federal Chancellor must be a member of the German Bundestag.
 
Federal Chancellors’ terms of office
Konrad Adenauer (CDU)
15 Sep. 1949 to
16 Oct. 1963
Dr. Ludwig Erhard (CDU)
16 Oct. 1963 to
1 Dec. 1966
Kurt Georg Kiesinger (CDU)
1 Dec. 1966 to
21 Oct. 1969
Willy Brandt (SPD)
21 Oct. 1969 to
7 May 1974
Helmut Schmidt (SPD)
16 May 1974 to
1 Oct. 1982
Dr. Helmut Kohl (CDU)
1 Oct. 1982 to
27 Oct. 1998
Gerhard Schröder (SPD)
27 Oct. 1998 to
22 Nov. 2005
Dr. Angela Merkel (CDU)
22 Nov. 2005 to
  

Legal bases
Articles 62 - 67 of the Basic Law (GG)

Last update: December 2010

 


See also: ©2012 The Federal Returning Officer