Germany
President of the Bundestag
How the office holder is chosen
Article 40(1) of the Basic Law states that the Bundestag "shall elect its President, Vice-Presidents and secretaries". The President is elected by secret ballot at the constituent sitting of each new Bundestag. In 2025 the winning candidate needed 316 of the 630 votes, a majority of members.3,2
Term
The President is elected at the constituent sitting of each newly elected Bundestag. IPU Parline records Bärbel Bas from 26 October 2021 to 24 March 2025 and Julia Klöckner from 25 March 2025.2,1
Recent holders
| Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Wolfgang Schäuble1 | 24 October 2017 | 25 October 2021 |
| Bärbel Bas1 | 26 October 2021 | 24 March 2025 |
| Julia Klöckner1,2 | 25 March 2025 | Present |
Notable facts
- At the constituent sitting on 25 March 2025, Julia Klöckner received 382 of 630 votes, with 204 against and 31 abstentions, according to the Bundestag.2
Sources
- Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU Parline historical data on Speakers: Germany, Bundestag
- Deutscher Bundestag, Konstituierende Sitzung des 21. Deutschen Bundestages (25 March 2025)
- Constitute Project, Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (rev. 2014) (Constitute Project)