Thuringian Prime Minister

Official seat of the Thuringian Prime Minister: The building of the Thuringian State Chancellery in the state capital Erfurt , the former Electoral Mainz Lieutenancy

The Thuringian Prime Minister is the chairman of the Thuringian state government . The current incumbent is Bodo Ramelow ( Die Linke ). He was elected for the second time on March 4, 2020.

Legal basis

choice

According to Article 70, Paragraph 3 of the Constitution of the Free State of Thuringia , the Prime Minister is elected by the Thuringian State Parliament in a secret ballot and without debate; if no candidate receives an absolute majority after two ballots , the one who receives the most votes in another ballot is considered elected. New candidates can be added to each ballot.

After taking office, the Prime Minister and the ministers take an oath of office before the state parliament . The formula of the oath is laid down in Article 71, Paragraph 1 of the state constitution:

"I swear that I will devote my energies to the good of the people, uphold the constitution and laws, conscientiously carry out my duties, and do justice to everyone."

According to Article 71, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution, the oath of office can be taken with a religious affirmation.

Duties and duties

The Prime Minister appoints and dismisses the ministers and appoints a minister to be his deputy (Art. 70, Paragraph 4). It determines the guidelines for government policy and is responsible to the state parliament for them (Art. 76, Paragraph 1). He presides over the state government and directs its affairs (Art. 76 Para. 3), represents the state externally (Art. 77 Para. 1), appoints and dismisses the state's officials and judges (Art. 78 Para. 1) and exercises the right to pardon (Art. 78 Para. 3).

Resignation, deselection, discharge from office

The Prime Minister and the Ministers can resign at any time (Art. 75, Paragraph 1); however, the Prime Minister and, at his request, the Ministers are obliged to carry out the official business until a successor takes office (Art. 75, Paragraph 3).

The term of office of all members of the state government ends with the meeting of a new state parliament, a failed motion of confidence by the prime minister in the state parliament or "with the resignation or any other execution of the office of the prime minister" (Art. 75, Paragraph 2). At the request of a parliamentary group or a fifth of the members of the parliament, the state parliament can express mistrust in the prime minister in accordance with Article 76 of the constitution, but only by electing a successor with a majority of its members ( constructive vote of no confidence ).

Historical precursors

Weimar Republic

The state of Thuringia was founded in the Weimar Republic in 1920 . The constitution of the state of Thuringia , passed in 1921, did not have a prime minister; instead a state government that was elected as a collective body by the state parliament and elected a chairman from among its members. This was usually referred to as the leading minister of state , but this official title does not appear in the constitutional text.

Soviet occupation zone and GDR

The state of Thuringia was restored in 1945 by the American occupation forces. The Americans appoint the Social Democrat Hermann Brill as president of the government . According to the inter-allied agreements, the Americans evacuated Thuringia and the country became part of the Soviet occupation zone on July 1, 1945 . The Soviets replaced Brill (who fled to the West after several arrests and later became State Chancellor in Hesse) with Rudolf Paul ( SED ). In the semi-free state elections in the Soviet Zone in 1946 , the SED , which had emerged from the forced unification of the SPD and KPD, became the strongest party and Paul was elected regional president (Prime Minister). On September 1, 1947, after the progressive Stalinization in the Soviet occupation zone , he fled to the American occupation zone via Berlin-West . He was officially relieved of his office on October 9, 1947 and replaced by Werner Eggerath . Since the state elections in the GDR in 1950 were carried out as sham elections , he held office until the GDR states were abolished in 1952.

Incumbent since 1990

Prime Minister of the Free State of Thuringia

No.		image	Name (life data)	Political party	Beginning of the term of office	Term expires	Term of office	Cabinets	Thuringian state parliaments
	1		Josef Duchač (* 1938)	CDU	November 8, 1990	February 5, 1992 (managing director from January 23, 1992)	1 year, 2 months, 28 days ( 454 days )	I.	1.
	2		Bernhard Vogel (* 1932)	CDU	5th February 1992	June 5, 2003	11 years, 4 months ( 4138 days )	I , II , III	1st , 2nd , 3rd
	3		Dieter Althaus (* 1958)	CDU	June 5, 2003	October 30, 2009 (managing director from September 3, 2009)	6 years, 4 months, 25 days ( 2339 days )	I , II	3rd , 4th
	4th		Christine Lieberknecht (* 1958)	CDU	October 30, 2009	December 5, 2014 (from October 14, 2014 managing director)	5 years, 1 month, 5 days ( 1862 days )	I.	5.
	5		Bodo Ramelow (* 1956)	The left	5th December 2014	February 5, 2020 (managing director from November 26, 2019)	5 years, 2 months ( 1888 days )	I.	6th
	6th		Thomas Kemmerich (* 1965)	FDP	5th February 2020	March 4, 2020 (executive from February 8, 2020)	28 days	none	7th
	7th		Bodo Ramelow (* 1956)	The left	4th March 2020	in office	0 years and 181 days ( 181 days)	II	7th

The term of office also includes the periods in which the prime ministers only formally continued business between the meeting of the new government or their resignation and the election of a new prime minister.

Web links

Commons : Thuringian State Chancellery  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Thuringian State Chancellery
• Constitution of the Free State of Thuringia (PDF)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Constitution of the State of Thuringia. In: Verfassungen.de. March 11, 1921, Retrieved June 18, 2017 .