Cabinet

The German Federal Cabinet

The German Federal Government is composed of the Federal Chancellor and her Federal Ministers. Together they make up the Federal Cabinet (art. 62 of the Basic Law) The Cabinet is chaired by the Chancellor.

The Chancellor chooses her Ministers and identifies their respective departments. Her subsequent proposal to the Federal President for the appointment or dismissal of the Ministers is binding.

In the event of a coalition government, the Chancellor’s proposal is politically bound to the Coalition Agreement. Usually, the Coalition Agreement is negotiated prior to forming the Cabinet.

The government programme, the result of the negotiations, is laid down in these agreements. (A coalition is: An alliance formed by two or more parties represented in the German Bundestag that together hold the majority of the seats. Their coalition government thus forms the Federal Government)

The number of Ministers is not specified by the Basic Law. Replacement of Ministers during the term of office of a Federal Government may entail forming a new Cabinet.

In day-to-day government, the Federal Cabinet plays an important role. It convenes every Wednesday, chaired by the Chancellor. Should the Chancellor be indisposed, her deputy leads the Cabinet meeting.

In the Cabinet meetings, the Chancellor and the members of Cabinet discuss the government’s plans and decide on what its political course should be. As there are draft bills, ordinances, initiatives, action programmes reports and the federal budget. The Federal Cabinet constitutes a quorum (i.e. may officially take decisions) if half of the Federal Ministers - counting the Chancellor or her Deputy – are present.

The roles of the Ministers

The Basic Law distinguishes three main principles of government: These are the "principle of Chancellor policy guidelines" or short the Chancellor principle, the "principle of joint Cabinet decision-making" also known as collegiate principle, and the "principle of Ministerial autonomy" also called departmental principle. They regulate how the work is to be distributed and how the Ministers interact.

Under the Chancellor principle, the Chancellor sets the guidelines for the policy and bears the responsibility for them. This means: She manages the affairs of the Federal Government. The basis for this is provided by the Federal Government Rules of Procedure as adopted by the Cabinet. They are approved by the Federal President.

Under the collegiate principle, the Chancellor and her Ministers have an equal say in matters of a general political nature.

However, in cases of dissent the Chancellor is primus inter pares. Thus, the Chancellor settles any differences that may arise between Ministers.  The Cabinet has to reach majority decisions.

Under the departmental principle, each Minister is in charge of the affairs of his own department and bears the responsibility for his decisions. This means that the Chancellor is not allowed to intervene in the areas of responsibility of her Ministers without just cause.

At the same time, however, each Minister must himself observe the political boundaries of his competence, set by the Chancellor, when making decisions.

Nevertheless, some departmental Ministers manage to otherwise fortify their position: through their own achievements, by cleverly handling public opinion or by being backed by parliamentary or extra-parliamentary powers.