German order of precedence

Last updated

The German order of precedence is a symbolic hierarchy of the highest federal offices in Germany used to direct protocol. It has no official status, but has been established in practical use. [1] It consists of the holders or chairs of the five permanent constitutional bodies of the Federation. [a]

Contents

  1. The President of Germany, the head of state of Germany.
  2. The President of the Bundestag, the speaker of the German parliament, the Bundestag.
  3. The Chancellor of Germany, the head of the government of Germany.
  4. (1.) The President of the Bundesrat, the speaker of the Bundesrat, a federal legislative chamber, in which the governments of the sixteen German states are represented. The president of the Bundesrat is ex officio also deputy to the President of Germany (Basic Law, Article 57), thus becomes first in the order, while acting on behalf of the President or while acting as head of state during a vacancy of the presidency.
  5. The President of the Federal Constitutional Court, the supreme court of Germany.

Current office-holders

No.OfficeImageIncumbentIn office sinceDeputy(s)
1st Standard of the President of Germany.svg
President of Germany
German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Helsinki 8.4.2022 (51990863165).jpg Frank-Walter Steinmeier 19 March 2017 Anke Rehlinger
President of the Bundesrat
(See 4th)
2nd Deutscher Bundestag logo.svg
President of the Bundestag
2024-05-28-Julia Klockner-Hart aber fair-5323.jpg Julia Klöckner 25 March 2025 Andrea Lindholz
Josephine Ortleb
Omid Nouripour
Bodo Ramelow
Vice Presidents of the Bundestag
3rd Flag of the Chancellor of Germany.svg
Chancellor of Germany
2024-08-21 Event, CDU, Wahlkampf mit Friedrich Merz in Erfurt 2024 STP 3041 by Stepro (cropped).jpg Friedrich Merz 6 May 2025 Lars Klingbeil
Vice Chancellor of Germany
4th (1st) Bundesrat Logo.svg
President of the Bundesrat
2022-03-27 Wahlabend Saarland by Sandro Halank-061 (cropped).jpg Anke Rehlinger 1 November 2024 Manuela Schwesig
First Vice President of the Bundesrat
Andreas Bovenschulte
Second Vice President of the Bundesrat
5th Bundesadler Bundesorgane.svg
President of the Federal Constitutional Court
Harbarth-Stephan-Portrait-2017-1.jpg Stephan Harbarth 22 June 2020 Doris König
Vice President of the Federal Constitutional Court

Living former office-holders

The order of precedence is also observed with respect to former office-holders in some cases, for example if they participate in official ceremonies as honoured guests.

Former Presidents of Germany

Former Presidents of the Bundestag

Former Chancellors of Germany

Former Presidents of the Bundesrat

Former Presidents of the Federal Constitutional Court

Notes

  1. The two non-permanent constitutional bodies, the Federal Convention and the Joint Committee, are headed by the President of the Bundestag in personal union.

References

  1. "Protokollarische Rangfragen". Archived from the original on 2017-07-16. Retrieved 2017-09-17.