Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (since 27 October
1998)
cabinet: Cabinet or Bundeskanzler appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the chancellor
elections: president elected for a five-year term by a Federal
Convention including all members of the Federal Assembly and an equal
number of delegates elected by the Land Parliaments; election last
held 23 May 1999 (next to be held 23 May 2004); chancellor elected by
an absolute majority of the Federal Assembly for a four-year term;
election last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held in the fall of
2002)
election results: Johannes RAU elected president; percent of Federal
Convention vote - 57.6%; Gerhard SCHROEDER elected chancellor; percent
of Federal Assembly - 52.7%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the
Federal Assembly or Bundestag (656 seats usually, but 669 for the 1998
term; elected by popular vote under a system combining direct and
proportional representation; a party must win 5% of the national vote
or three direct mandates to gain representation; members serve
four-year terms) and the Federal Council or Bundesrat (69 votes; state
governments are directly represented by votes; each has 3 to 6 votes
depending on population and are required to vote as a block)
elections: Federal Assembly - last held 27 September 1998 (next to be
held by the fall of 2002); note - there are no elections for the
Bundesrat; composition is determined by the composition of the
state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the
potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an election
election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party - SPD
40.9%, Alliance '90/Greens 6.7%, CDU/CSU 35.1%, FDP 6.2%, PDS 5.1%;
seats by party - SPD 298, Alliance '90/Greens 47, CDU/CSU 245, FDP 43,
PDS 36; Federal Council - current composition - votes by party -
SPD-led states 26, CDU-led states 28, grand coalitions 15

Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional Court or
Bundesverfassungsgericht, half the judges are elected by the Bundestag
and half by the Bundesrat

Political parties and leaders: Alliance '90/Greens [Gunda ROESTEL and
Antje RADCKE]; Christian Democratic Union or CDU ;
Christian Social Union or CSU ; Free
Democratic Party or FDP ; Party of
Democratic Socialism or PDS ; Social
Democratic Party or SPD

Political pressure groups and leaders: employers' organizations;
expellee, refugee, trade unions, and veterans gr