Hintergrund: Frauen an der Spitze des Bundes

Berlin – It is conceivable that two women could hold key positions in the federal government in the near future: the presidency of the Bundestag and the presidency of the Federal Republic. Two women have been in charge of the three most important constitutional bodies only briefly at the end of the Merkel era. Women leading the five constitutional bodies are relatively rare, with only a handful of exceptions.

The Federal President or President of Germany is a unique position, as there has never been a female incumbent since the country's founding. In 2027, a woman could make history by becoming the first female Federal President. Only 15 people have led the Bundestag since 1949, with the first female speaker being SPD politician Annemarie Renger from 1972 to 1976.

Rita Süssmuth (CDU) served as speaker from 1988 to 1998, followed by Bärbel Bas (SPD) from 2021 to 2025. Bas briefly presided over the parliament during a six-week transition period, while Angela Merkel (CDU) managed the government until Olaf Scholz (SPD) was elected Chancellor. Julia Klöckner (CDU) has been the President of the Bundestag since 2025.

Another key position is that of Chancellor or Federal Chancellor. Angela Merkel made history as Germany's first female Chancellor in 2005, holding the position for 16 years until 2021. Only her stepfather Helmut Kohl (CDU) served longer, from 1982 to 1998. So far, there have been nine male and one female Federal Chancellors in the Federal Republic.

The Federal President position rotates annually, with men holding the office exclusively until 2010. Since then, four female SPD members – Hannelore Kraft, Malu Dreyer, Manuela Schwesig, and Anke Rehlinger – have been Federal Presidents. In total, there have been 58 incumbents in this role. The Federal Constitutional Court has had ten presiding judges since its founding in 1951, including Jutta Limbach (SPD) from 1994 to 2002.