President of the German Bundesrat

President of the
Federal Council of the Federal Republic of Germany
Incumbent
Manuela Schwesig
since 1 November 2023
Legislative Branch of the
German Federal Government
SeatBerlin, Germany
AppointerBundesrat of Germany
Term lengthOne year
Constituting instrumentGerman Basic Law
Inaugural holderKarl Arnold
Formation1949
WebsiteOfficial Website

In Germany, the President of the Bundesrat or President of the Federal Council (German: Bundesratspräsident) is the chairperson (speaker) of the Bundesrat (Federal Council). The president is elected by the Bundesrat for a term of one year (usually from November 1 to October 31 in the next year). Traditionally, the presidency of the Bundesrat rotates among the leaders of the sixteen state governments. This is however only an established practice; theoretically the Bundesrat is free to elect any member it chooses, and a president could also be re-elected (which has happened once, in 1957). As well as acting as a chairperson, the president of the Bundesrat is ex officio deputy of the Federal President. The President of the German Federal Council is 4th in the German order of precedence. In addition, the main celebration of German Unity Day is traditionally held in the state that holds the presidency.

The president of the Bundesrat convenes and chairs plenary sessions of the body and is formally responsible for representing the Federal Republic in the Bundesrat. The president is aided by two vice presidents who play an advisory role and deputise in the president's absence. The three together constitute the presidium of the Bundesrat.

The current president of the Bundesrat is Manuela Schwesig, the Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, whose one-year term started on 1 November 2023.


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