Deutschland Profil Regierung

Name: Berlin

geographische Koordinaten: 52 31 N, 13 24 E

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

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

18 Januar 1871 (establishment of the German Empire); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed on 23 Mai 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed on 7 Oktober 1949 and included the former USSR zone; West Germany and East Germany unified on 3 Oktober 1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights on 15 März 1991; notable earlier dates: 10 August 843 (Eastern Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 2 Februar 962 (crowning of OTTO I, recognized as the first Holy Roman Emperor)

German Unity Day, 3 Oktober (1990)

history: previous 1919 (Weimar Constitution); latest drafted 10-23 August 1948, approved 12 Mai 1949, promulgated 23 Mai 1949, entered into force 24 Mai 1949

amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage and enactment into law require two-thirds majority vote by both the Bundesrat (upper house) and the Bundestag (lower house) of Parliament; articles including those on basic human rights and freedoms cannot be amended; amended many times, last in 2017 (2018)

18 Jahre; universal; age 16 for some state and municipal elections

Staatsoberhaupt: Staatspräsident Frank-Walter STEINMEIER (seit dem 19 March 2017)

Regierungschef: Chancellor Angela MERKEL (seit dem 22 November 2005)

cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) recommended by the chancellor, appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by a Federal Convention consisting of all members of the Federal Parliament (Bundestag) and an equivalent number of delegates indirectly elected by the state parliaments; president serves a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 February 2017 (next to be held in February 2022); following the most recent Federal Parliament election, the party or coalition with the most representatives usually elects the chancellor (Angela Merkel seit dem 2005) and appointed by the president to serve a renewable 4-year term; Federal Parliament vote for chancellor last held on 14 March 2018 (next to be held after the Bundestag elections in 2021)

election results: Frank-Walter STEINMEIER elected president; Federal Convention vote count - Frank-Walter STEINMEIER (SPD) 931, Christopher BUTTERWEGGE (The Left) 128, Albrecht GLASER (Alternative for Germany AfD) 42, Alexander HOLD (BVB/FW) 25, Engelbert SONNEBORN (Pirates) 10; Angela MERKEL (CDU) reelected chancellor; Federal Parliament vote - 364 to 315