Bundestag: Bundestag is constituted – Chancellor Scholz is released

Twice after the Bundestag election on February 23, the old parliament still met and made far -reaching decisions – but that is now the end. The new Bundestag comes together for its constituent session. This begins the 21st legislative period. At the same time, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and his cabinet of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier receive their discharge papers and are now only in office.

The Basic Law stipulates that the new parliament must meet for the first time at least 30 days after the election. The date now chosen is the last possible.

Left-wing politician Gysi opens the meeting as an aging president

When Gregor Gysi graduated as a skilled worker for cattle breeding in 1966 and was elected chairman of the SED in the decaying second German state in December 1989, he could hardly imagine opening an election period as the aging president of the German Bundestag. Now he will do it and follow in the footsteps of the now died Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU).

Old President is the member of the Bundestag, which can show most years. His task is to lead the first session until the election of a new Bundestag president. This includes appointing secretary in coordination with the political groups. Usually the age president also gives a speech.

Previous Schäuble warned passionate and fair debates

In October 2021, Schäuble warned the “dear colleagues”, the parliament as a political stage and not just to regard coalition contracts as a notarial event. “Here is the place where we are allowed to argue where we are supposed to argue, but fair and according to rules, passionate, but also with the serenity that can give an excited public example.”

And gysi? He will certainly say something about foreign policy and also about the situation of our society, the 77-year-old told the weekly newspaper “The Parliament”. And: “Maybe I will also make some suggestions, which you have to discuss with each other. Because what we really need is more real discourse and fewer show fights.”

Bundestag decides on new rules of procedure

Sounds a little dröge, but it is not: the Bundestag will pass a rules of procedure as one of the first resolutions. It is something like the operating manual for the parliament and contains many provisions for its work – for example during speaking time, the convening of meetings, the determination of agendas or rules of conduct for MPs and regulatory measures. It is also about questions of power.

As a rule, the new Bundestag takes over the rules of procedure of the old parliament. In 2021, however, the AfD asked for changes. This triggered a longer regional debate, but was unsuccessful.

Election of the new President of the Bundestag as the highlight

The choice of the new Bundestag president is undoubtedly the highlight of every constituent session – even if this personnel has long been clarified. The right of proposal for this post traditionally has the strongest faction, this time the CDU/CSU. She nominated the former Federal Minister of Agriculture Julia Klöckner for the office.

According to Annemarie Renger (SPD), Rita Süssmuth (CDU) and Bärbel Bas (SPD), the CDU politician will only be the fourth woman in this office, who is the second highest after the Federal President.

Klöckner was already in the Bundestag from 2002 to 2011 and has also been a parliamentary state secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture since 2009. Then she switched to the state politics of her homeland Rhineland-Palatinate and tried two in vain to become Prime Minister. In the 2017 Bundestag election, she returned to Berlin and was then Federal Minister of Agriculture in the cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) until 2021.

Between 2012 and 2022, the trained journalist belonged to the ranks of the deputy CDU chairman and was a federal treasurer until her nomination. In the Old Bundestag, she was spokeswoman for the group.

New office will be a challenge for Klöckner

Despite her long political experience – the new office should become a major challenge for Klöckner. The tone in the Bundestag has become considerably rougher since the AfD 2017 moved in, as all other factions complain about.

For example, this becomes clear that the number of regulatory calls granted to MPs in the 20th parliamentary term, according to the Bundestag administration, rapid to 134 – in the 19th parliamentary term there were only 49. 85 of these order calls alone collected members of the AfD parliamentary group. The outgoing President of the Bundestag Bärbel BAS (SPD) also criticized that some MPs collected and performed orders such as trophies.

The handling of the Bundestag has also become Rüder below the threshold of interjections that can be punished with order calls. For example, female MPs complain about sexist sayings – these also come from the ranks of the AfD. Their faction strength has doubled with the Bundestag election – which does not speak for quieter times.

BAS actually wanted to increase the fine – the next sanction step after the order call – from 1,000 to 2,000 euros so that it really hurts. But it has not come. Her successor Klöckner would have it in hand to catch up with this.

Vice -presidential post for the AfD permanent dispute

After the election of the Bundestag president, her deputies are also determined. The Union faction nominated the CSU interior politician Andrea Lindholz, the SPD parliamentary group the previous parliamentary managing director Josephine Ortleb and the left-wing parliamentary group to the former Thuringian Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow. In the Greens, the former party leader Omid Nouripour prevailed in a fight vote.

Since the political groups usually support the proposals of the other factions, their choice is considered safe. The AfD candidate Gerold Otten cannot hope for that. A candidate of the AfD has never received the necessary number of votes for the vice positions for the vice position. So it should come back now. According to the rules of procedure of the Bundestag, the AfD can then enforce two further electoral courses.

Federal President sets the end of the day

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will also sit on the foreseeable stands in the Reichstag building. However, he still has his own role on this day. According to Article 69 of the Basic Law, the term of office of the Federal Chancellor and his ministerial team ends with the togetherness of the new Bundestag.

So Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and his cabinet will receive the discharge certificates from Steinmeier in the late afternoon. At the same time, he will ask you to continue business until the appointment of successors – which you are obliged to do. Article 69 also regulates.

In principle, this executive federal government has the same powers as a regular. Because Germany should remain fully capable of action internally and outwards. However, according to constitutional lawyers, a managing government must show the greatest possible political reluctance. In this transition period, it is more about political administration than about political design.