The Chancellor is the name of a number of government posts in different countries. In the Federal Republic of Germany, the Chancellor is the chairman of the federal government; in tsarist Russia, it was a civil servant of class I in the Table of Ranks. In medieval Poland, the great crown chancellor led the royal office and was responsible for the country's foreign policy.
The concept of "chancellor" arose in the Middle Ages, the name comes from the Latin word cancellarius and German Kanzler. In both cases, the meaning of the term is the same - the secretary at the barrier that separates the court from the public. In the Middle Ages, feudal lords called it the head of the scribes workshop, whose authority was no less than that of the scribes of Ancient Egypt.
Job History
In Germany, the concept of "Federal Chancellor" arose in 1867 and designated the head of government of the North German Union. And in the Weimar Republic and in the German Empire, it was the Reich Chancellor. But from 1918 to 1919 a person in such a position was called the "Minister-President" or "Chairman of the Council of Commissioners." From 1949 to 1990 in the GDR, the post of chancellor was called the Chairman of the Council of Ministers.
In the German Empire, the Reich Chancellor could directly influence the legislative process, but the emperor appointed him to the post, he also removed him. The Reich Chancellor was directly subordinate to the emperor.
After 1918, the Chancellor was appointed by the Reich President, he also removed from office, and the Chancellor reported to Parliament. And if the Reichstag suddenly declared distrust of the chancellor, he was obliged to resign. Those. in the Weimar Republic, the person in this position had less power and depended on both the parliament and the president. And according to the Weimar constitution:
- the Reich Chancellor was to determine the main lines of policy;
- for these areas, the Reich Chancellor was responsible to the Reichstag;
- within such areas, the Reich ministers themselves led the sectors entrusted to him;
- but these ministers also held accountable to the Reichstag.
In the German Basic Law, these provisions were repeated almost literally, but were later criticized for inconsistency, because the Reich Chancellor was equated with the president, but had to answer to the Reichstag.
The Parliamentary Council subsequently limited the powers of the federal president, and the post of federal chancellor gave additional weight to politics. Further, the chancellor’s positions only strengthened, and the chancellor retained the right to determine the main political directions for the state, which all cabinet ministers had to follow. And thanks to this, now a person in such a position is considered the strongest figure in the political system of Germany.
In the Russian Empire, the chancellor was equal to Admiral General in the Navy, Field Marshal General in the army, and also a real state adviser of the first class. The Chancellor was contacted by "Your Excellency", this was the official form of title.
The rank of chancellor was usually assigned to the ministers of foreign affairs, and if the minister had the rank of class II, he could be called vice chancellor. And the highest state posts in the Russian Empire belonged to these people.
However, in the entire history of the Russian Empire, there were fewer chancellors than there were reigning monarchs: there was only one chancellor in the country, and when he died, years passed before a new one was appointed.
Formally, the rank of chancellor was not canceled in the Russian Empire, but after the death of the last of them, Gorchakov, no one was appointed to this post.
Role in the Federal Government of Germany
According to the Basic Law, the Federal Chancellor has the right to create directives, but the same law prescribes the principle of the department and the collegial principle. The principle of the department means:
- ministers independently manage their ministries;
- the Chancellor cannot intervene in individual issues with his own views;
- ministers are required to inform the chancellor of important projects in the ministries.
The collegial principle requires the Collegium to settle disagreements on the part of the federal government, and in situations of doubt, the chancellor is obliged to obey the decision that the federal government will take. At the same time, the Chancellor may appoint and dismiss ministerial posts, and may regulate the number of ministers and their duties.
The Federal Chancellor is the most important political figure in the eyes of the public. He is often the chairman of the party, like Adenauer in 1950-1963, Erhard in 1966, Koch in 1982-1998 or Merkel since 2005, the leader of the faction supporting the government. However, according to the fundamental law of the Federal Republic of Germany, neither the Federal Chancellor nor the ministers have the right:
- occupy another paid position;
- engage in entrepreneurship;
- or be part of the board of an enterprise that aims to make a profit.
Subordinate authorities
The Federal Chancellor is not the head of the federal chancellery; the head is the minister or secretary of state whom he appoints. The Federal Chancellery, in turn, provides the Chancellor with competent personnel in each area.
The Chancellor directly submits to the government’s press center, whose tasks include informing the public about politics and informing the government about the news situation.
The Federal Intelligence Service is under the jurisdiction of the Chancellor, and the intelligence budget is included in the budget of the Federal Chancellery. Having direct access to the secret service, the chancellor gains an advantage in matters of security and foreign policy.
