The Presidium of the Bundestag is responsible for the routine administration of the Bundestag, including its clerical and research activities. The presidium consists of the President of the Bundestag and varying number of Vice Presidents, currently four.
The presidium is elected by the Bundestag at its first meeting after an election; by tradition, the largest faction in the Bundestag has the right to nominate a candidate for the post of president. On the first two ballots, a nominee needs a majority of all Bundestag members in order to be elected; on the third ballot a plurality (more yes than no votes) is sufficient. The president's term ends with the end of the legislature, but they can be re-elected, as long as they are re-elected as member of the Bundestag and, de facto, as long as their faction remains the largest.
Besides the president, the presidium also includes a varying number of vice presidents, who are also elected at the first session of each legislative period (according to the same majority-conditions).
Until 1994, the number and distribution of Vice Presidents among the factions was not regulated in the standing rules, but was negotiated at the beginning of each legislative session. In the 1st Bundestag (1949âÂÂ1953), two Vice Presidents were elected, one each for the second and third largest factions (SPD and FDP); in the 2nd Bundestag (1953âÂÂ1957), three Vice Presidents were elected, with the three largest factions each providing one (CDU/CSU, SPD and FDP). In the 3rd Bundestag (1957âÂÂ1961), the same procedure was initially followed, but later the fourth-largest faction (DP/FVP) was also granted a Vice President. From the 4th to the 9th Bundestag (1961âÂÂ1983), only three factions were represented in Parliament (CDU/CSU, SPD and FDP); during this period, the custom developed of electing four Vice Presidents, with the second-largest faction providing two and the others one each. This was maintained in the 10th, 11th and 12th Bundestag (1983âÂÂ1994), although further factions were again represented with Alliance 90/The Greens and (from the 12th Bundestag) the PDS. Although these factions put forward their own candidates for the presidium, they had no chance due to the agreement of the other factions.
At the beginning of the 13th Bundestag (1994âÂÂ1998), the election of the Vice Presidents was then regulated in the standing rules: Since then, the number of vice presidents to be elected must be at least equal to the number of factions, and each faction has the right to propose a candidate for one of the positions, against whom no opposing candidate can be brought forward. However, each individual vice president must still be elected by the entire house. If a faction fails to nominate a candidate who receives majority support, it cannot fill its seat on the Presidium, which then remains vacant. After the in parts right-wing extremist AfD-faction, whose candidates for the presidium had regularly not been elected, had filed a lawsuit against this practice, the Federal Constitutional Court in 2022 upheld the regulation; the court clarified that the factions have a right to nominate for positions in the presidium, but that this nomination is subject to the condition of election.
Optionally, the Bundestag can decide to elect additional vice presidents. Since 1994, this has happened twice; in the 16th Bundestag (2005âÂÂ2009), the SPD was allowed to nominate a second Vice President following inter-party agreement; in the 18th Bundestag (2013âÂÂ2017), the CDU/CSU and SPD-factions were each allowed to nominate a second Vice President.
The standing rules of the Bundestag also stipulate that in the event of the absence or vacancy of the entire Presidium, the President by right of age shall chair the session. Up to and including the 18th Bundestag (2013âÂÂ2017), this was the oldest member; since the 19th Bundestag (2017âÂÂ2021), it has been the longest-serving member of the Bundestag. This rule is of particular relevance in the first session of each legislative term until the election of the President.
Erich Köhler resigned as President of the Bundestag on 18 October 1950 in the wake of cross-party criticism of his conduct of office. Hermann Ehlers was elected as his successor on 19 October.
Konrad Adenauer refrained from presiding over the opening session due to his position as Chancellor. Therefore, the second oldest member, Marie Elisabeth Lüders (FDP, 1878âÂÂ1966), presided over the opening session until the election of the president was concluded.
Hermann Ehlers died on 29 October 1954. On 16 November 1954, Eugen Gerstenmaier was elected to the vacant post.
As Ludwig Schneider left the FDP parliamentary group on February 23, 1956 during the legislative period to co-found the FVP, Max Becker (FDP) was elected to the presidency unopposed on July 4, 1956. As Ludwig Schneider did not resign, the number of vice presidents increased to four.
Konrad Adenauer refrained from presiding over the opening session due to his position as Chancellor. Therefore, the second oldest member, Marie Elisabeth Lüders (FDP, 1878âÂÂ1966), presided over the opening session until the election of the president was concluded. On 18 April 1958 President of the Bundestag Eugen Gerstenmaier had to give up the chairmanship of the session without one of the Vice Presidents being present at the time. Kurt Pohle, the fifteenth oldest and oldest member present at the time, took over the chairmanship for a short time until Vice President Carlo Schmid arrived and replaced him.
Konrad Adenauer refrained from presiding over the opening session due to his position as Chancellor. Therefore, the second oldest member, Robert Pferdmenges (CDU/CSU, 1880âÂÂ1962), presided over the opening session until the election of the president was concluded.
Egon Franke refrained from presiding over the opening session of the 10th Bundestag as he was under investigation for embezzlement at the time (he was later acquitted). The function was assumed by the next oldest member of parliament, Willy Brandt (SPD, 1913âÂÂ1992).
Hans Klein died on 26 November 1996. On 16 January 1997, Michaela Geiger was elected to the vacant post. The election of Michaela Geiger resulted in the first majority female presidium of the Bundestag.
The CDU/CSU Vice President Peter Hintze died on 26 November 2016. On 19 January 2017, Michaela Noll was elected to the vacant post.
On 1 June 2017, the Bundestag changed its standing rules to the effect that the President by right of age was no longer the oldest member in terms of years of life, but the longest-serving member. At the time, this was Wolfgang Schäuble, born 1942 and a member of the Bundestag since 1972.
Wolfgang Schäuble, MdB since 1972, refrained from presiding over the opening session of the 19th Bundestag as he stood for election as president of the Bundestag and did not want to preside over his own election. The function was assumed by the next longest-serving member of parliament, Hermann Otto Solms (FDP, MdB 1980âÂÂ2013 and 2017âÂÂ2021).
The SPD's Vice President Thomas Oppermann died on 25 October 2020, Dagmar Ziegler was elected to the vacant post.
The AfD was represented in the 19th Bundestag with faction status and had the right to nominate a vice president. However, during the entire legislative period none of the proposed candidates achieved the necessary majority.
Claudia Roth resigned her post as vice president on 8 December 2021 upon entering office as State Minister and Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media. Katrin Göring-Eckardt, who already had served as vice president in the 16th and 17th Bundestag, was elected to the post one day later, on 9 December 2021.
The AfD was represented in the 20th Bundestag with faction status and had the right to nominate a vice president. However, during the entire legislative period none of the proposed candidates achieved the necessary majority.
The presidium of the 21st Bundestag is the first since that of the 1st Bundestag, none of whose members had previously served in the presidium.
The AfD is represented in the 21st Bundestag with faction status and has the right to nominate a vice president. However, as of April 2025, no candidate has received the necessary majority.