President of Germany - head of state in Germany

For the election of the Federal President of Germany, a special constitutional body is convened - the Federal Assembly, consisting of deputies of the Bundestag and delegates elected by the parliaments of the land. The president is elected for a five-year term, and his re-election is possible only once. The basic law of the Federal Republic of Germany determines the requirements for a presidential candidate. They can become every citizen of Germany who has the right to vote, that is, the right to be elected to the Bundestag - the authorized body of the people's representation. Age of the candidate must exceed 40 years. The Federal President of Germany has two residences: one of them is the landmark of Bonn (Villa Hammerschmidt), the other is the Bellevue Palace in Berlin.

The history of the institute of presidency in Germany starts from the proclamation of the Weimar Republic (1919). The first German president, Social Democrat Friedrich Ebert, became the first leader of the state, elected by democratic means. The first president of the Federal Republic of Germany was Theodor Heus (he was the federal president from September 1949 to September 1959). Since March 23, 2012 the position of the head of state in Germany is occupied by Joachim Gauck - the fourteenth president of Germany and the eleventh federal president.

Joachim Gauck. Biographical information and political activity

In 1940, in the family of Wilhelm Gauck, the captain of the ship from Rostock, and later a naval official, a boy was born, named Joachim. His parents since the 30's were members of the Nazi Party. Joachim's political views were strongly influenced by the charge of espionage, the subsequent arrest and imprisonment of his father (1951). In the school years, the future president of Germany resolutely refused to become a member of the SSNN (Union of Free German Youth), akin to the Soviet Komsomol. He dreamed of becoming a journalist, however, young people who stood in anti-communist positions did not have the opportunity to study journalism in the GDR. Then Gauk became a Protestant pastor. Prior to his election as president, he actively participated in the political life of Germany: he was a well-known human rights defender in the GDR; in the People's Chamber of the GDR, the last convocation was represented by the opposition Alliance 90, and in the last decade of the last century served as archivist for the Ministry of State Security.

Federal President of Germany: the main functions and powers

Head of State in Germany

• Represents his country in the international arena;
• Accredits (appoints) diplomatic representatives;
• Uses the right to pardon prisoners.

The powerful powers of the Reich Presidency, which in due time became one of the reasons for the defeat of the Weimar Republic, influenced the fact that the German president currently does not have serious political powers, he only executes decisions that are taken by other authorities. The functions of the president are limited to signing and announcing federal laws, as well as nominating a candidate for the federal chancellor to the parliament. The President has the right to approve and dismiss the Federal Chancellor. The powers of the federal president also include the right to approve and dismiss from her federal ministers, judges, officers and officers.