Government and Politics of Germany

Government Type

federal republic

Administrative Divisions

16 states (Laender, singular - Land); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen

Legal System

civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a German citizen or a resident alien who has lived in Germany at least 8 years dual citizenship recognized: yes, but requires prior permission from government residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Frank-Walter STEINMEIER (since 19 March 2017; reelected 13 February 2022 for a second term beginning 19 March 2022) head of government: Chancellor Friedrich MERZ (since 6 May 2025) cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the chancellor elections: president elected for a five-year term by a Federal Convention, comprising all members of the Federal Assembly (Bundestag) and an equal number of delegates elected by the state parliaments (Landtage); chancellor elected by an absolute majority of the Federal Assembly for a four-year term following federal elections election results: Frank-Walter STEINMEIER reelected president on 13 February 2022; received 1,045 votes of the Federal Convention against 96 for Max OTTE; Friedrich MERZ elected chancellor on 6 May 2025 following the February 2025 federal elections, in which his CDU/CSU alliance secured a plurality; voted in by the Federal Assembly on the first ballot with 325 votes in favor

Legislative Branch

Bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Federal Assembly or Bundestag (736 seats; elected by popular vote under a system combining direct and proportional representation; a party must win 5% of the national vote or three direct mandates to gain representation; members serve four-year terms) and the Federal Council or Bundesrat (69 votes; state governments are directly represented by votes; each has three to six votes depending on population and are required to vote as a block) Elections: Federal Assembly - last held 23 February 2025 (next to be held by 2029); note - there are no elections for the Bundesrat; composition is determined by the composition of the state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an election Election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party - CDU/CSU 28.5%, AfD 20.8%, SPD 16.4%, Greens 11.6%, FDP 4.3%, Left 8.8%, BSW 4.9%; seats by party - CDU/CSU 208, AfD 152, SPD 120, Greens 85, Left 64, BSW 0 (failed to clear the threshold); note - final seat allocations are subject to adjustment pending official certification

Judicial Branch

Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat)

Political Parties

Alliance '90/Greens [Angelika BEER and Reinhard BUETIKOFER]; Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Angela MERKEL]; Christian Social Union or CSU [Edmund STOIBER, chairman]; Free Democratic Party or FDP [Guido WESTERWELLE, chairman]; Left Party or PDS/WASG [Oskar LAFONTAINE and Gregor GYSI]; Party of Democratic Socialism or PDS [Lothar BISKY]; Social Democratic Party or SPD [Franz MUENTEFERING]

Head of State

President Frank-Walter STEINMEIER (since 19 March 2017

Head of Government

Chancellor Friedrich MERZ

Cabinet

Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the chancellor

Elections

Federal Assembly - last held 23 February 2025 (next to be held by 2029); note - there are no elections for the Bundesrat; composition is determined by the composition of the state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an election

Election Results

Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party - CDU/CSU 28.5%, AfD 20.8%, SPD 16.4%, Greens 11.6%, FDP 4.3%, Left 8.8%, BSW 4.9%; seats by party - CDU/CSU 208, AfD 152, SPD 120, Greens 85, Left 64, BSW 0 (failed to clear the threshold); note - final seat allocations are subject to adjustment pending official certification

Constitution

23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the united German people 3 October 1990

Independence

18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, a

National Holiday

Unity Day, 3 October (1990)

International Organization Participation

AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Ambassador Klaus SCHARIOTH chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 298-4000 FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

chief of mission: Ambassador William R. TIMKEN, Jr. embassy: Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5, 10117 Berlin; note - a new embassy will be built near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin; ground was broken in October 2004 and completion is scheduled for 2008 mailing address: PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 09265 telephone: [49] (030) 2385 174 FAX: [49] (030) 8305-1215 consulate(s) general: Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich

Capital City

Berlin

Location

52 31 N, 13 24 E

Time Difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

History

the origin of the name is unclear but may be related to the old West Slavic (Polabian) word "berl" or "birl," meaning "swamp"

U.S. Embassy Berlin Clayallee 170, 14191 Berlin Tel. (49) (30) 8305-0 (emergency services only) Tel. (49) (30) 8305-1200 (routine calls, 2-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday) Fax (49) (30) 8305-1215 American Citizen Services e-mail: ACSBerlin@state.gov U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt Giessener Str. 30, 60435 Frankfurt am Main Tel. (49) (69) 7535-0 (emergency services only) Tel. (49) (69) 7535-2102 (routine calls, 2-4 p.m. Monday-Friday) Fax (49) (69) 7535-2252 American Citizen Services e-mail: GermanyACS@state.gov Passport Inquiries e-mail: FrankfurtPassports@state.gov U.S. Consulate General Munich Koeniginstrasse 5, 80539 Munich Tel. (49) (89) 2888-0 (emergency services only, after hours) Tel. (49) (89) 2888-580 (emergency services only, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday) Tel. (49) (89) 2888-575 (routine calls, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday) Fax (49) (89) 280-9998 American Citizen Services e-mail: ConsMunich@state.gov There is also a U.S. Consular Agency in Bremen at: Flughafenallee 18, 28199 Bremen Tel. (49) (421) 301-5860 Fax: (49) (421) 301-5861 Consular services are only provided at the Consulates General in Hamburg and Dusseldorf through periodic visits by consular staff from Berlin and Frankfurt, respectively.

Military Branches

Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr): Army (Heer); Navy (Deutsche Marine, includes naval air arm); Air Force (Luftwaffe); Joint Support Services (Streitkraeftebasis, SKB); Central Medical Service (Zentraler Sanitaetsdienst, ZSanDstBw)

Service Age and Obligation

17-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription ended 1 July 2011; service obligation 8-23 months or 12 years; women have been eligible for voluntary service in all military branches and positions since 2001