58. Who appoints the ministers of the Federal Government in Germany?

Answer options

1. the President of the Federal Constitutional Court
2. the Federal President
3. the President of the Bundesrat
4. the President of the Bundestag

Explanation

Under Article 64(1) of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz), the Federal President appoints and dismisses federal ministers upon the proposal of the Federal Chancellor, leaving no substantive discretion beyond the formal act. This design, together with the Chancellor principle (Art. 65 GG) and the Bundestag’s election of the Chancellor (Art. 63 GG), is a deliberate corrective to the Weimar Constitution’s president-centered government formation. The requirement that ministers take the oath before the Bundestag pursuant to Art. 64(2) in conjunction with Art. 56 GG further underscores the government’s parliamentary accountability.