Chancellor is the name of a number of government positions in different countries. In the FRG, the chancellor is the chairman of the federal government, in tsarist Russia, he was a state rank of the 1st class in the Table of Ranks. In medieval Poland, the Grand Crown Chancellor was in charge of the Royal Chancellery and was responsible for the country's foreign policy.
The concept of "chancellor" originated in the Middle Ages, the name comes from the Latin word cancellarius and the German word Kanzler. In both cases, the meaning of the term is the same - the secretary at the barrier that separates the court from the public. In the Middle Ages, feudal lords called this the head of the scribes' workshop, whose authority was no less than that of the scribes of Ancient Egypt.
Job history
In Germany, the term "Federal Chancellor" originated in 1867 and denoted the head of government of the North German Confederation. And in the Weimar Republic and in the German Empire, it was the Reich Chancellor. But from 1918 to 1919, a person in this position was called "minister-president" or "chairman of the Council of Commissioners." From 1949 to 1990, in the GDR, the position of chancellor was called the Chairman of the Council of Ministers.
In the German Empire, the Reich Chancellor could directly influence the legislative process, but the emperor appointed to the post, and he also removed it. The Reich Chancellor was directly subordinate to the emperor.
After 1918, the Chancellor was appointed by the Reich President, he was also removed from office, and the Chancellor was accountable to parliament. And if the Reichstag suddenly declared distrust of the chancellor, he was obliged to resign. Those. in the Weimar Republic, the person in this position had less power and was dependent on both the parliament and the president. And according to the Weimar Constitution:
- the Reich Chancellor was supposed to determine the main directions of policy;
- for these directions the Reich Chancellor was responsible to the Reichstag;
- within the limits of such directions the Reichsministers themselves directed the branches entrusted to him;
- but these ministers were also responsible to the Reichstag.
In the Basic Law of Germany, these provisions were repeated almost word for word, but were later criticized for inconsistency, because the Reich Chancellor was equated with the President, but had to answer to the Reichstag.
The Parliamentary Council subsequently limited the powers of the federal president, and the office of the federal chancellor gave additional weight to politics. Further, the position of the chancellor only strengthened, and the right to determine the main political directions for the state, which all members of the cabinet of ministers were obliged to follow, remained with the chancellor. And thanks to this, now a person in such a position is considered the most powerful figure in the German political system.
In the Russian Empire, the chancellor was equal to the general-admiral in the fleet, the general-field marshal in the army, as well as the actual state councilor of the 1st class. The Chancellor was addressed as "Your Excellency", this was the official form of title.
The rank of chancellor was usually assigned to the ministers of foreign affairs, and if the minister had the rank of II class, he could be called vice-chancellor. And the highest state positions in the Russian Empire belonged to these people.
However, in the entire history of the Russian Empire, there were fewer chancellors than reigning monarchs: there was only one chancellor in the country, and when he died, years passed before a new one was appointed.
Formally, the rank of chancellor was not canceled in the Russian Empire, but after the death of the last of them, Gorchakov, no one was appointed to this position.
Role in the Federal Government of the Federal Republic of Germany
Under the Basic Law, the Federal Chancellor has the power to create directives, but the same law prescribes the department principle and the collegial principle. The department principle means:
- ministers independently manage their ministries;
- the chancellor cannot interfere in certain issues with his own views;
- ministers are obliged to inform the chancellor about important projects in ministries.
The collegial principle directs the College to settle differences on the part of the federal government, and in situations of doubt, the chancellor is obliged to obey the decisions that the federal government makes. At the same time, the chancellor can appoint and dismiss ministerial positions, he can regulate the number of ministers and their duties.
The Federal Chancellor is the most important political figure in the public eye. He is often the chairman of the party, like Adenauer in 1950-1963, Erhard in 1966, Koch in 1982-1998 or Merkel since 2005, the leader of a faction that supports the government. However, according to the basic law of the Federal Republic of Germany, neither the Federal Chancellor nor the ministers have the right to:
- hold another paid position;
- to be engaged in entrepreneurship;
- or serve on the board of a profit-seeking enterprise.
Subordinate authorities
The Federal Chancellor is not the head of the Federal Chancellery, the head is the minister or the secretary of state whom he appoints. The Federal Chancellery, in turn, provides the Chancellor with competent personnel for each area.
The Chancellor is directly subordinate to the government's press center, which is tasked with informing the public about politics and informing the government about the news situation.
The Federal Intelligence Service is under the jurisdiction of the Chancellor, and the intelligence budget is included in the budget of the Federal Chancellery. With direct access to the Secret Service, the chancellor gains the upper hand on security and foreign policy issues.
Election procedure
The Federal Chancellor is elected by the Bundestag on the proposal of the Federal President and without debate. The candidate who has received the majority of votes of the members of the Bundestag is considered elected, and the president must appoint this person to the position of chancellor.
If the candidate proposed by the President is not elected, the Bundestag has the right to elect the Chancellor by an absolute majority within 2 weeks. And if there was no election during this period, a new vote is immediately held, the winner in which will be the one who gets the most votes.
After a candidate receives a majority of the votes of the Bundestag, the president will be required to make an appointment within a week. In the event that a candidate does not collect a majority of votes, the president can appoint him independently or dissolve the Bundestag.
The Chancellor's powers begin on the day he takes office and do not have a fixed term. However, these powers will in any case be terminated from the day of the first meeting of the new Bundestag.