Parliamentary Heads of State: Players or Figureheads? The Case of Horst Köhler

Abstract

In non-presidential systems the head of state is either a monarch or a president elected directly by the voters or by an assembly. The political powers of heads of state in non-presidential systems vary from being powerful to being just a symbolic figure of representation and integration. In response to the disastrous experience of the Weimar Republic, in the Federal Republic the choice fell on the latter with the result that the political powers of the President were significantly reduced. Hence, his role is usually described as largely ceremonial and representative and he is expected to be a figure of integration rather than divisiveness. However, the role of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany seems to have changed significantly under the Presidency of Horst Köhler who appears to have made considerable use of his powers and decisively exercised his role as one of the veto players of the German political system. This article examines to what extent the German Presidency has indeed undergone an increased politicisation under Horst Köhler since 2004.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Dr Stephen Welch and two anonymous referees for their helpful comments.

Notes

1. The following section excludes the ‘state of defence’ (Verteidigungsfall).

2. Therefore they instructed a part of their party not to support the vote of confidence.

3. Only Guido Westerwelle from the FDP and Oskar Lafontaine from the Left Party spoke out in favour of the idea.

4. The main points of the ruling can be found in a press statement of the Federal Constitutional Court of 25 August 2005 at http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/pressemitteilungen/bvg05-078.html (accessed 14 February 2007). The detailed ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court can be found at http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/entscheidungen/es20050825_2bve000405.html (accessed 14 February 2007).

5. Asked whether they thought an early election was urgently necessary in the current political situation, in a TNS Infratest survey for the Spiegel between 28 and 30 June 2005 65 per cent of respondents answered with ‘yes’ and only 31 per cent with ‘no’. Der Spiegel No. 27, 4 July 2005, p. 33.

6. For details of the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court regarding the flight security law, see http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/pressemitteilungen/bvg06-011.html (accessed 1 March 2007). For details of Köhler's decision, see http://www.bundespraesident. de/Journalistenservice/Pressemitteilungen-,11107.621599/Bundespraesident-Horst-Koehler.htm?global.back=/Journalistenservice/-%2C11107%2C0/Pressemitteilungen.htm%3Flink% 3Dbpr_liste (accessed 1 March 2007).

7. For details of Köhler's decision, see http://www.bundespraesident.de/Journalistenservice/Pressemitteilungen-,11107.634505/Bundespraesident-Horst-Koehler.htm?global.back=/Journalistenservice/-%2C11107%2C4/Pressemitteilungen.htm%3Flink%3Dbp (accessed 11 March 2007).

8. For details of Köhler's decision, see http://www.bundespraesident.de/Journalistenservice/Pressemitteilungen-,11107.637472/Bundespraesident-Horst-Koehler.htm?global.back=/Journalistenservice/-%2c11107%2c0/Pressemitteilungen.htm%3flink%3dbpr_liste (accessed 3 November 2007).