Question 38
Who appoints the federal government ministers in Germany?
German original: Wer ernennt in Deutschland die Ministerinnen / die Minister der Bundesregierung?. In the test, all questions are asked in German.
Answer options
- the President of the Federal Constitutional Court
- the Federal President — Correct answer
- the President of the Federal Council
- the President of the Bundestag
Explanation
Ministers are appointed and dismissed by the Federal President on the proposal of the Federal Chancellor (Art. 64 Basic Law). The Federal President plays a formal role in this process.
Key terms in this question
- Germany — Germany is a country in central Europe with a parliamentary democracy. It is a member of the European Union and its capital is Berlin.
- Federal Government — The Federal Government is the highest executive body in Germany, consisting of the Federal Chancellor and the federal ministers. It directs national policy and implements legislation.
- Government — The government is the highest political leadership of a state or region. It is responsible for implementing laws and directing public administration.
- minister — A minister is a senior government official responsible for a specific policy area, such as finance or education.
- (female) minister — A minister is a woman who leads a government department and makes political decisions in a specific area, such as education or health.
- Federal state — A federal state is one of the 16 regions that together form Germany. Each state has its own government, parliament, and areas of responsibility.
- the Federal Government / the Federation — The Federation refers to the central level of government in Germany, as opposed to the individual federal states (Länder). It is responsible for matters that affect the whole country, such as foreign policy or national defense.
- German — German is the official language of Germany, Austria, and part of Switzerland. It is the native language of approximately 100 million people.