Chancellor of Germany
offices held over time by the head of government of Germany
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The Chancellor of Germany is the country's head of government, responsible for leading the executive branch and implementing government policy. This position matters because the Chancellor is Germany's most powerful political leader and makes crucial decisions affecting the nation's domestic and foreign affairs.
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- Commons category
- Chancellors of Germany
- female form of label
- Vokietijos kanclerė
- native label
- Kanzler
- male form of label
- Vokietijos kancleris
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The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, is the head of the federal government of Germany. The chancellor is the chief executive of the Federal Cabinet and heads the executive branch. The chancellor is elected by the Bundestag on the proposal of the federal president and without debate (Article 63 of the German Constitution). During a state of defence declared by the Bundestag the chancellor also assumes the position of commander-in-chief of the Bundeswehr.
Ten people (nine men and one woman) have served as chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, the first being Konrad Adenauer from 1949 to 1963. (Another 26 men had served as "Reich chancellors" of the previous German Empire from 1871 to 1945.) The current officeholder is Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union, sworn in on 6 May 2025.