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Cabinet of GermanyFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Cabinet of Germany (German:  Bundeskabinett  or Bundesregierung) is the chief executive body of the

Federal Republic of Germany. It consists of the Chancellor and the cabinet ministers. The fundamentals of the

cabinet's organization as well as the method of its election and appointment as well as the procedure for its

dismissal are set down in articles 62 through 69 of the Grundgesetz  (the Basic Law).

In contrast to the system under the Weimar Republic, the Bundestag may both only move a constructive vote

of no-confidence (by electing a new Chancellor if it has lost trust in the existing) and can also only choose to

dismiss the entire cabinet and not simply individual ministers. These procedures and mechanisms were put in

 place by the authors of the Basic Law to both prevent another dictatorship and to ensure that there will not be a

 political vacuum left by the removal of Chancellor through a vote of confidence and the failure to elect a new

one in their place, as had happened during the Weimar period with the Reichstag removing Chancellors but

failing to agree on the election of a new one. There is a grace period in-between the dismissal of a Chancellor

 by the Bundestag and until the Bundestag can elect a new Chancellor, so as to allow the federal government, if

it so wishes, to advise the Federal President to dissolve the Bundestag so that elections may be held.

Contents

◾ 1 Nomination

◾ 2 Functioning

◾ 3 Present German cabinet

◾ 4 See also

◾ 5 References

◾ 6 External links

omination

The Chancellor is elected by the federal parliament ( Bundestag ) after being proposed by the President.

Following the election, the Chancellor is appointed by the President. The ministers are appointed (and

dismissed) by the President upon proposal of the Chancellor. Eventually, before taking office, the Chancellor

and ministers swear an oath in front of the parliament.

Functioning

The Chancellor is responsible for guiding the cabinet and deciding its political direction

( Richtlinienkompetenz ). According to the principle of departmentalization ( Ressortprinzip), the cabinet

ministers are free to carry out their duties independently within the boundaries set by the Chancellor's political

directives. The Chancellor also decides the scope of each minister's duties. If two ministers disagree on a

 particular point, the cabinet resolves the conflict by a majority vote ( Kollegialprinzip or principle of

deference).

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The Chancellor is in charge of the government's administrative affairs, which are usually delegated to the head

of the Chancellery. Details are laid down in the government's rules for internal procedures (Geschäftsordnung ).

These state, for example, that the cabinet is quorate only if at least half of the ministers including the chair are

 present. The cabinet regularly convenes Wednesday mornings in the Chancellery.

According to established practice, decisions on important armaments exports are made by the Federal Security

Council ( Bundessicherheitsrat ), a cabinet committee chaired by the Chancellor. Pursuant to its (classified)

rules of procedure, its sessions are confidential. According to practice, the Federal Government presents anannual report on arms exports, which contains statistical information on export permits issued and gives figures

for the types of arms concerned as well as their destination. As a general rule, the Federal Government, if

asked, is required to inform the Bundestag that the Federal Security Council has approved a given armaments

export transaction or not.[1]

Present German cabinet

The current federal cabinet (in office since 17 December 2013), consists of the following ministers:

Office Image Incumbent Party In office

Chancellor Angela Merkel CDU22 November 2005 –

 present

Vice-Chancellor Federal Minister of Economic Affairs

and Energy

Sigmar Gabriel SPD 17 December 2013 – present

Federal Minister of Foreign AffairsFrank-Walter

Steinmeier SPD 17 December 2013 – present

Federal Minister of the Interior Thomas de

MaizièreCDU 17 December 2013 – present

Federal Minister of Justice and

Consumer Protection

Heiko Maas SPD 17 December 2013 – present

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Federal Minister of FinanceWolfgang

SchäubleCDU 28 October 2009 – present

Federal Minister of Labour and

Social AffairsAndrea Nahles SPD 17 December 2013 – present

Federal Minister of Food and

Agriculture

Christian

SchmidtCSU 17 February 2014 - present

Federal Minister of DefenceUrsula von der

LeyenCDU 17 December 2013 – present

Federal Minister for Family Affairs,

Senior Citizens, Women and Youth

Manuela

SchwesigSPD 17 December 2013 – present

Federal Minister of HealthHermann

GröheCDU 17 December 2013 – present

Federal Minister of Transport and

Digital Infrastructure

Alexander

Dobrindt

CSU 17 December 2013 – present

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Federal Minister for the

Environment, Nature

Conservation, Building and

 Nuclear Safety

Barbara

HendricksSPD 17 December 2013 – present

Federal Minister of Education and

Research

Johanna

Wanka

CDU 14 February 2013 – present

Federal Minister for Economic

Cooperation and DevelopmentGerd Müller CSU 17 December 2013 – present

Federal Minister for Special Tasks,

Head of the ChancelleryPeter Altmaier CDU 17 December 2013 – present

See also

◾ List of ministers of the Federal Republic of Germany — an alphabetical list of former ministers

◾Council of Ministers ( Ministerrat ) of the German Democratic Republic

◾ Federal Constitutional Court of Germany

◾ German federal election, 2013

References

1. [2 BvE 5/11, Judgment of 21 October 2014: Right of Bundestag Members to be Informed of Exports of MilitaryEquipment After the Federal Security Council Grants Permits] Federal Constitutional Court of Germany, PressRelease No. 91/2014 of 21 October 2014.

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◾ Official English names of German ministers and ministries (German Foreign Office)

(http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/de/Infoservice/Terminologie/Bundesregierung/Englisch.pdf)

External links

◾ German cabinet website

(http://www.bundesregierung.de/Webs/Breg/DE/Bundesregierung/Bundeskabinett/bundeskabinett.html)(German)

◾ German cabinet website

(http://www.bundesregierung.de/Webs/Breg/EN/FederalGovernment/Cabinet/_node.html)(English)

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Categories: German Cabinet National cabinets

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