Presidium of the Bundestag

The Presidium of the Bundestag is responsible for the routine administration of the Bundestag, including its clerical and research activities. The presidium consists of the President of the Bundestag and varying number of Vice Presidents, currently four.^[1]^[2]

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (April 2011)

Composition

Summarize

Perspective

The presidium is elected by the Bundestag at its first meeting after an election; by tradition, the largest faction in the Bundestag has the right to nominate a candidate for the post of president. On the first two ballots, a nominee needs a majority of all Bundestag members in order to be elected; on the third ballot a plurality (more yes than no votes) is sufficient. The president's term ends with the end of the legislature, but they can be re-elected, as long as they are re-elected as member of the Bundestag and, de facto, as long as their faction remains the largest.^[3]

Besides the president, the presidium also includes a varying number of vice presidents, who are also elected at the first session of each legislative period (according to the same majority-conditions).

Until 1994, the number and distribution of Vice Presidents among the factions was not regulated in the standing rules, but was negotiated at the beginning of each legislative session. In the 1st Bundestag (1949–1953), two Vice Presidents were elected, one each for the second and third largest factions (SPD and FDP); in the 2nd Bundestag (1953–1957), three Vice Presidents were elected, with the three largest factions each providing one (CDU/CSU, SPD and FDP). In the 3rd Bundestag (1957–1961), the same procedure was initially followed, but later the fourth-largest faction (DP/FVP) was also granted a Vice President. From the 4th to the 9th Bundestag (1961–1983), only three factions were represented in Parliament (CDU/CSU, SPD and FDP); during this period, the custom developed of electing four Vice Presidents, with the second-largest faction providing two and the others one each. This was maintained in the 10th, 11th and 12th Bundestag (1983–1994), although further factions were again represented with Alliance 90/The Greens and (from the 12th Bundestag) the PDS. Although these factions put forward their own candidates for the presidium, they had no chance due to the agreement of the other factions.

At the beginning of the 13th Bundestag (1994–1998), the election of the Vice Presidents was then regulated in the standing rules: Since then, the number of vice presidents to be elected must be at least equal to the number of factions, and each faction has the right to propose a candidate for one of the positions, against whom no opposing candidate can be brought forward. However, each individual vice president must still be elected by the entire house. If a faction fails to nominate a candidate who receives majority support, it cannot fill its seat on the Presidium, which then remains vacant. After the in parts right-wing extremist AfD-faction, whose candidates for the presidium had regularly not been elected, had filed a lawsuit against this practice, the Federal Constitutional Court in 2022 upheld the regulation; the court clarified that the factions have a right to nominate for positions in the presidium, but that this nomination is subject to the condition of election.^[4]

Optionally, the Bundestag can decide to elect additional vice presidents. Since 1994, this has happened twice; in the 16th Bundestag (2005–2009), the SPD was allowed to nominate a second Vice President following inter-party agreement;^[5] in the 18th Bundestag (2013–2017), the CDU/CSU and SPD-factions were each allowed to nominate a second Vice President.

The standing rules of the Bundestag also stipulate that in the event of the absence or vacancy of the entire Presidium, the President by right of age shall chair the session. Up to and including the 18th Bundestag (2013–2017), this was the oldest member; since the 19th Bundestag (2017–2021), it has been the longest-serving member of the Bundestag. This rule is of particular relevance in the first session of each legislative term until the election of the President.