379. What is the title of the head of government of Saarland?

Answer options

1. First Minister (male/female)
2. Prime Minister (male/female)
3. Mayor (male/female)
4. Minister-President (male/female)

Explanation

In Germany’s territorial Länder, the head of government is constitutionally styled Minister-President; this also applies to Saarland, whose state government is elected by the Landtag and led by the Minister-President (guideline authority and appointment/dismissal of ministers). The Minister-President represents the Land in the Bundesrat; under Article 51 of the Basic Law the Länder are represented by members of their governments. Divergent titles (Governing Mayor/First Mayor/President of the Senate) exist only in the city-states; “Prime Minister” is not a term of German constitutional law. Historically, Saarland joined the Federal Republic in 1957 under the Saar Treaty and adopted the federal institutional pattern used by the other Länder.