- Prime Minister of Lower Saxony
-
Premier of Lower Saxony
Ministerpräsident des Landes Niedersachsen
Coat of arms of Lower SaxonyStyle His Excellency Residence Hanover Appointer Legislative Assembly of Lower Saxony Term length Pending resignation or the election of a successor Inaugural holder Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf Formation 1 November 1946 Salary regulated by legislation (€13521, as of 2011)[1] Website http://www.state-chancellery.niedersachsen.de The Minister-President of Lower Saxony[2][3] (German: Ministerpräsident des Landes Niedersachsen), also referred to as Premier or Prime Minister, is the head of government of the German state of Lower Saxony. The position was created in 1946, when the states of Brunswick, Oldenburg, Schaumburg-Lippe and the State of Hanover were merged to form the state of Lower Saxony. The current Premier is David McAllister, heading a coalition government between the conservative CDU and the liberal FDP. McAllister succeeded Christian Wulff, who stepped down upon being elected President of Germany.
The office of the Premier is known as the State Chancellery (German: Staatskanzlei), and is located in the capital of Hanover, along with the rest of the cabinet departments.
Contents
Title
The German title Ministerpräsident may also be translated literally as Minister-President, although the state government consistently uses the title Prime Minister in English.[2][3] An alternate title that is also used in English unofficially is Premier.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
Origin of the Office
After the Second World War, the states of Brunswick, Oldenburg, Schaumburg-Lippe and the State of Hanover were administered as part of the zone allocated to the British military administration. With the passage of time, the British government began to back the advocates of a merger of the states. Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf, who went on to become Lower Saxony's first premier was a fervent advocate of the merger towards the British military authorities. On 23 October 1946, the British administration announced that they would support a merger of the states, as proposed by Kopf.[10]
Consequently, the four states were merged to form the state of Lower Saxony via Ordinance No. 55 of 1 November 1946. Article 3 of the Ordinance created the position of Premier:
- "Subject to the provisions of any legislation which may be enacted pursuant to this Ordinance, the executive authority of Lower Saxony shall be exercised by a Cabinet, the Head of which shall be known as 'Ministerpräsident'"
Article 4 of Ordinance No. 55 stipulated the appointment of the premier by the military government, until the holding of free Legislative Assembly elections in 1947. The British military administration then appointed Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf, the erstwhile Premier of the former State of Hanover, to serve as the first Premier of Lower Saxony.
Constitutional Practice
Election and Removal
Gerhard Schröder (here with US President George W. Bush) was Premier of Lower Saxony (1990-1998) before becoming Chancellor
The Premier is elected by the Legislative Assembly, by a majority of its members in a secret ballot.[11] However, unlike his counterpart in North-Rhine Westphalia, for instance, he does not have to be a Member of the Legislative Assembly.[12] The only restriction is that the Premier may not be a Member of the Bundestag. Before assuming his duties, the Premier-elect takes the following oath before the Members of the Legislative Assembly:
- „I swear that I will devote my strength to the people and the state, preserve and defend the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany and the constitution of Lower Saxony as well as the laws, perform my duties conscientiously and exercise justice towards all people." (The oath may be taken with or without the affirmation "So help me God")
Upon election, the Premier then appoints his Cabinet which requires subsequent confirmation by the Legislative Assembly.[13] In practical terms, the confirmation of the cabinet is an essential requirement for the Premier to govern, as until then the cabinet departments would be run by the (possibly defeated) predecessors.[14] The Premier can be removed by the Legislative Assembly, through a constructive vote of no confidence - namely the election of a successor.[15] To this day, no vote of no-confidence has succeeded in the Lower Saxony Legislative Assembly, with the last attempt being made in November 1988.[16]
The State Chancellery in Hanover is the official residence of the Premier of Lower SaxonyPowers and Status
According to the Lower Saxony Constitution, the Premier is the effective leader of the State Government, being responsible for the determination and formulation of policy guidelines.[17] In this context, he chairs the cabinet meetings and may cast a tie-breaking vote in case of a stalemate between the ministers. Additionally, the Premier also represents the State of Lower Saxony externally and exercises the right of clemency in individual criminal cases.[18] In titular terms, the Premier is also regarded as head of the state of Lower Saxony, thereby taking precedence over officials like the Speaker of the Lower Saxony Legislative Assembly.[19]
The Premier, like the other members of the State Government, is not a civil servant - his salary is regulated by law. Like his ministers, the Premier is subject to the Lower Saxony Ministers Act, which regulates matters of salary, confidentiality and ethics.[20] Furthermore, the Premier signs treaties made by the State of Lower Saxony and has to be consulted prior by other cabinet members prior to the start of any negotiations.[21] The Premier is also authorized to appoint one of his cabinet members as his deputy in case of absence or illness. The only currently known instance of a Deputy Premier taking over the duties of Premier was in July 2010, when Jörg Bode (FDP) served as Acting Premier in the interval between Christian Wulff's election as President of Germany and David McAllister's confirmation as Premier on 1 July 2010.[22] Meetings of the Cabinet traditionally take place in the guesthouse of the Lower Saxony Government, located close to the Hanover Zoological Gardens.[23]
Ernst Albrecht, (second from left) seen here during a 1978 visit by King Hussein of Jordan to the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg, was Lower Saxony's sixth PremierThe Role of the State Chancellery
The Premier of Lower Saxony, like his fellow premiers in their respective states, has the staff of the State Chancellery at his disposal. The State Chancellery assists the Premier in the preparation of draft legislation, the management of day-to-day government business and the coordination of media policy for the entire state.[24] Additionally, it is responsible for relations to the other states in Germany and the European Union.
The State Chancellery, by convention, is headed by a state secretary appointed by the Premier. The current incumbent is Christine Hawighorst (CDU). Under the McAllister administration, the State Chancellery is divided into four overall departments (Department 1: Policy Guidelines, Department 2: Legal/Administration/Media, Department 3: Europe/International Cooperation, Department 4: Lower Saxony Representation to the Federal Government). While each of these departments is headed by a separate section head, the Press and Information Office is under the direct purview of the Premier.[25]
Role in German Politics
As the leader of one of Germany's territorially largest and most populous states, the Premier of Lower Saxony has traditionally been a major player in federal politics: The state's first Premier, Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf often used the Bundesrat as a forum to oppose the policies of the Adenauer government. Alfred Kubel, one of Kopf's successors, played a major role in negotiating a compromise between all German states on the creation of a national fiscal transfer mechanism (Länderfinanzausgleich). Premier Ernst Albrecht, contrary to prevailing majority opinion in his own party, advocated and voted for the ratification of the treaties around which Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik was centred.[26]
Ernst Albrecht was a candidate for the CDU nomination for President in 1979 and Chancellor in 1980, Gerhard Schröder became Chancellor of Germany in 1998, his successor Sigmar Gabriel is the current SPD chairman and Christian Wulff was elected President of Germany in 2010. Examples of Lower Saxony's influence on policy debates in federal politics include Ernst Albrecht's advocacy of financial transfers from other states and Gerhard Schröder's usage of Lower Saxony's Bundesrat votes in matters of fiscal and tax policy.[27]
The Premiers of Lower Saxony
Minister-Presidents (Premiers) of Lower Saxony No. Name Born-Died Party affiliation Begin of Tenure End of Tenure 1 Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf 1893–1961 SPD 1946 1955 2 Heinrich Hellwege 1908–1991 DP/CDU 1955 1959 3 Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf 1893–1961 SPD 1959 1961 4 Georg Diederichs 1900–1983 SPD 1961 1970 5 Alfred Kubel 1909–1999 SPD 1970 1976 6 Ernst Albrecht *1930 CDU 1976 1990 7 Gerhard Schröder *1944 SPD 1990 1998 8 Gerhard Glogowski *1943 SPD 1998 1999 9 Sigmar Gabriel *1959 SPD 1999 2003 10 Christian Wulff *1959 CDU 2003 2010 11 David McAllister *1971 CDU 2010 incumbent References
- ^ jlr-MinGNDV19P9 jlr-MinGNDV20P9 "Article 9.1 of the Lower Saxony Ministers Act". Gesetz über die Rechtsverhältnisse der Mitglieder der Landesregierung (Ministergesetz) in der Fassung vom 3. April 1979. Government of Lower Saxony. http://www.nds-voris.de/jportal/portal/t/106x/page/bsvorisprod.psml?pid=Dokumentanzeige&showdoccase=1&js_peid=Trefferliste&documentnumber=1&numberofresults=23&fromdoctodoc=yes&doc.id=jlr-MinGNDrahmen%3Ajuris-lr00&doc.part=X&doc.price=0.0&doc.hl=1#jlr-MinGNDV21P9 jlr-MinGNDV19P9 jlr-MinGNDV20P9. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
- ^ a b http://www.international.niedersachsen.de/en/home.html
- ^ a b http://www.state-chancellery.niedersachsen.de/live/live.php?navigation_id=5691&_psmand=1003
- ^ "Niedersächsischer Ministerpräsident David McAllister - englisch". English Biography of the Premier. Website of the Premier. http://www.david-mcallister.de/englisch.php. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ "Invitation". Invitation to Global Business and Markets Opening Event in Hanover. Deutsche Messe AG. http://files.messe.de/001/media/de/02informationenfrbesucher/broschueren_4/Broschuere_Brochure_Einladungskarte_Invitation_Opening-Event.pdf. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
- ^ "Scottish-German politician set to head Lower Saxony". Scottish-German politician set to head Lower Saxony. Deutsche Welle. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5655378,00.html. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
- ^ Wiesmann, Gerrit. "Wulff lined up as new German president". Wulff lined up as new German president. Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/77838ea4-6f72-11df-9f43-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
- ^ Walker, Marcus. "Merkel's Coalition Selects Candidate". Merkel's Coalition Selects Candidate. The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703340904575284924106282824.html?mod=rss_europe_whats_news. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
- ^ "Christian Wulff elected President". Federal Government of Germany. http://www.bundesregierung.de/nn_6538/Content/EN/Artikel/2010/06/2010-06-30-bundesversammlung__en.html. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
- ^ Borchers, Jürgen. Gründung des Landes Niedersachsen - Darstellung und Quellen. Niedersächsische Landeszentrale für Politische Bildung. pp. 24–25. http://www.politische-bildung.de/niedersachsen/gruendung_niedersachsen.pdf.
- ^ "Article 29.1 of the Lower Saxony Constitution". The Constitution of the State of Lower Saxony. Legislative Assembly of Lower Saxony. http://www.landtag-niedersachsen.de/download/21561/nds_verfassung_englisch.pdf. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ Busse, Christian (1992). Regierungsbildung und Regierungswechsel nach niedersächsischem Verfassungsrecht: Eine Untersuchung zum parlamentarischen Regierungssystem in Niedersachsen. Duncker & Humblot. pp. 35–36. ISBN 3428073266.
- ^ "Articles 29.2 and 29.3 of the Lower Saxony Constitution". The Constitution of the State of Lower Saxony. Legislative Assembly of Lower Saxony. http://www.landtag-niedersachsen.de/download/21561/nds_verfassung_englisch.pdf. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ Busse, Christian (1992). Regierungsbildung und Regierungswechsel nach niedersächsischem Verfassungsrecht : eine Untersuchung zum parlamentarischen Regierungssystem in Niedersachsen. Berlin: Duncker und Humblot. pp. 37. ISBN 3428073266.
- ^ "Articles 32.1 and 32.3 of the Lower Saxony Constitution". The Constitution of the State of Lower Saxony. Legislative Assembly of Lower Saxony. http://www.landtag-niedersachsen.de/download/21561/nds_verfassung_englisch.pdf. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ Busse, Christian (1992). Regierungsbildung und Regierungswechsel nach niedersächsischem Verfassungsrecht: Eine Untersuchung zum parlamentarischen Regierungssystem in Niedersachsen. Duncker & Humblot. pp. 135. ISBN 3428073266.
- ^ "Article 37 of the Lower Saxony Constitution". The Constitution of the State of Lower Saxony. Legislative Assembly of Lower Saxony. http://www.landtag-niedersachsen.de/download/21561/nds_verfassung_englisch.pdf. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ "Articles 35 and 36 of the Lower Saxony Constitution". The Constitution of the State of Lower Saxony. Legislative Assembly of Lower Saxony. http://www.landtag-niedersachsen.de/download/21561/nds_verfassung_englisch.pdf. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ Starck, Christian (2009). Verfassungen: Entstehung, Auslegung, Wirkungen und Sicherung. Mohr Siebeck. pp. 267. ISBN 9783161499166.
- ^ "Gesetz über die Rechtsverhältnisse der Mitglieder der Landesregierung (Ministergesetz)". Gesetz über die Rechtsverhältnisse der Mitglieder der Landesregierung (Ministergesetz). Lower Saxony State Government. http://www.nds-voris.de/jportal/portal/t/106x/page/bsvorisprod.psml;jsessionid=7236C1E87B279CD4D55EE9E527DD275A.jp95?pid=Dokumentanzeige&showdoccase=1&js_peid=Trefferliste&documentnumber=1&numberofresults=23&fromdoctodoc=yes&doc.id=jlr-MinGNDrahmen%3Ajuris-lr00&doc.part=X&doc.price=0.0&doc.hl=1#jlr-MinGNDpP1. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
- ^ "Standing Orders of the State Government and the Ministries of the State of Lower Saxony". Gemeinsame Geschäftsordnung der Landesregierung und der Ministerien in Niedersachsen (GGO) vom 30.3.2004 (Nds.GVBl. Nr.10/2004 S.108), geändert durch Beschl. der Landesregierung v. 30.9.2004 (Nds.GVBl. Nr.40/2004 S.584). State Government of Lower Saxony. http://www.recht-niedersachsen.de/11120/ggo.htm. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
- ^ "Ministerpräsident für einen Tag". Ministerpräsident für einen Tag. Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR). http://www.ndr.de/regional/niedersachsen/bode126.html. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
- ^ "The Guesthouse of the Lower Saxony Land Government". The Guesthouse of the Lower Saxony Land Government. State Chancellery of Lower Saxony. http://www.state-chancellery.niedersachsen.de/live/live.php?navigation_id=5804&article_id=16147&_psmand=1003. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
- ^ "Welcome to the homepage of the Lower Saxony State Chancellery". State Chancellery of Lower Saxony. Lower Saxony State Government. http://www.state-chancellery.niedersachsen.de/live/live.php?navigation_id=5691&_psmand=1003. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
- ^ [Organization Chart of the State Chancellery "Organization Chart of the State Chancellery"]. Organization Chart of the State Chancellery. Lower Saxony State Chancellery. Organization Chart of the State Chancellery. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
- ^ Niedermayer, Oskar (2007). Parteien und Parteiensysteme in den deutschen Ländern. Vs Verlag. pp. 311. ISBN 3531154397.
- ^ Naßmacher, Hiltrud (2003). Handwörterbuch des politischen Systems der Bundesrepublik. Leske+Budrich. ISBN 3810038652. http://www.bpb.de/wissen/00073582881299377728262554965500,2,0,Land_Niedersachsen.html#art2.
External links
Ministers-President of Lower Saxony
Kopf I (1946–1947) · Kopf II (1947–1948) · Kopf III (1948–1951) · Kopf IV (1951–1955) · Hellwege I (1955–1957) · Hellwege II (1957–1959) · Kopf V (1959–1961) · Diederichs I (1961–1963) · Diederichs II (1963–1965) · Diederichs III (1965–1967) · Diederichs IV (1967–1970) · Kubel I (1970–1974) · Kubel II (1974–1976) · Albrecht I (1976–1977) · Albrecht II (1977–1978) · Albrecht III (1978–1982) · Albrecht IV (1982–1986) · Albrecht V (1986–1990) · Schröder I (1990–1994) · Schröder II (1994–1998) · Schröder III (1998) · Glogowski (1998–1999) · Gabriel (1999–2003) · Wulff I (2003–2008) · Wulff II (2008–2010) · McAllister (since 2010)Categories:- Ministers-President of Lower Saxony
- Politics of Lower Saxony
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