329. What is the title of the head of government of the city-state of Berlin?

Answer options

1. Minister-President (male/female)
2. Lord Mayor (male/female)
3. President of the Senate (male/female)
4. Governing Mayor (male/female)

Explanation

Berlin, as a city-state, is one of three Länder whose constitution designates the state government as the "Senate" and its head as the "Governing Mayor." He or she is elected by the Abgeordnetenhaus (Berlin House of Representatives), sets the policy guidelines, chairs the Senate, and represents the Land of Berlin. Unlike the "Minister-President" in the territorial Länder, and Bremen's "President of the Senate" or Hamburg's "First Mayor," the "Lord Mayor" is a purely municipal title. Historically, the office of Governing Mayor gained particular prominence in West Berlin due to its special international-legal status until 1990 and was integrated into the federal order upon reunification.