Steinmeier-Nachfolge: Krisenmanagerin und Brückenbauerin in rauen Zeiten gefragt

The prospective successor to Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier faces a challenging role in times of political turmoil. The prime minister, Ilse Aigner, must possess strong integrative abilities to restore trust in state institutions and unite the country. Steinmeier himself acknowledged the difficulty of this task during his 2021 campaign for a second term, expressing a desire to heal societal wounds.

However, societal polarization has only intensified since then. The shrinking political center has made government formation increasingly difficult, particularly in the Bund. In such situations, the president is expected to play a more prominent role as a crisis manager. Steinmeier demonstrated this ability after the 2017 Bundestag elections, when he worked to form a coalition government after the Jamaika-Koalition failed.

His success relied on his authority, acceptance among stakeholders, and his self-understanding as a stability anchor for democracy. The German Basic Law grants the president certain tools to facilitate government formation. For instance, the president can propose a chancellor and appoint the chancellor and their cabinet. In the event that no candidate receives a majority in the Bundestag, the president can convene an additional election.

The president can also dissolve the Bundestag, as Steinmeier did after a lost confidence vote. However, the Basic Law also provides the president with additional legal instruments to navigate periods of political instability, such as proposing a chancellor without a majority or recommending the dissolution of the Bundestag. These possibilities, while rare, could become increasingly relevant in the future as political conditions become more uncertain.