[Music] it's time to elect the president in Germany the country's highest office first time for a quick reminder the president isn't this guy that's German Chancellor Olaf Schultz he's head of government the president is Frank valter steinm he's head of state so back to where we were the president is elected every 5 years by Germany's federal convention that's the convention's only job half of the convention is made up of all of MPS from here in the bundestag Germany's lower house of parliament the other half is a mix of representatives from each of Germany's 16 States
most of those representatives are members of the state level parliaments but they can also be people from all walks of public life some well-known names casting their vote in the 2022 presidential election include top virologist Christian gon footballer Leon gueta drag queen Gloria Viagra and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel Aslam the co-founder of covid vaccine developer bch as well as a number of intensive care unit workers also have a vote so who can be German president there are just three requirements you have to have German citizenship the right to vote in federal elections and be
older than 40 since the federal republic was founded in 1949 there have been 12 presidents and seven since German unification in 1990 the post has only ever been held by men for historical reasons today's role is largely symbolic let's take a look back the last president of the vimar Republic Paul Von Hindenburg the r president as he was known back then made devastating use of his presidential Powers Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as Chancellor and also signed off the 1933 enabling act which gave the Nazi regime emergency powers to prevent history repeating itself the powers of
today's German president are extremely Limited the president can neither appoint a Chancellor nor can they issue emergency decrees nor do they have Supreme command over Germany's Armed Forces so what does the German president do the president represents Germany at home and abroad and concludes treaties with foreign States they also appoint German envoys and receive foreign dignitaries the President also proposes a Chancellor and after Parliament elects the chancellor the president officially assigns them and their ministers their roles they can also dissolve parliament and laws only come into effect after the president has signed them they also
appoint and dismiss federal judges have the power to pardon people and award thousands of honors make it to your 100th or 105th birthday and you'll get a special congratulations of the president the same goes for couples celebrating their 65th 70th and 75th wedding anniversaries head andun at the request of parents a German president can also act as a God parent to a family's seventh or subsequent child since 1949 German presidents have become Godfathers to more than 81,000 children but don't go expecting birthday presents or sleepovers here at the presidential residence the role of honorary god
parent is just symbolic the German president has in fact two official residences here at schlo belu in Berlin and Villa hammid in Bon ultimately the German president is expected to have a positive effect on society and they should be a nonpartisan personality of Integrity many presidents have used their speeches or Christmas address to highlight issues occupying the nation and connect with Society at home most recently during the pandemic president steinm called on Germans to remain United the coming term for Germany's president looks to be a tumultuous one with challenges both at home and abroad [Music]
