Continuity and Change in the Office of German Chancellor

Abstract

This chapter examines developments in the office of Chancellor since unification. Most of the institutions relating to the Chancellorship have remained unchanged, but some of the practices surrounding these institutions have changed. German Chancellors tend to serve quite long terms and only three people have served as Chancellor since 1990, Helmut Kohl, Gerhard Schröder, and Angela Merkel. We must therefore keep in mind that any insights about developments of the office are likely also insights about the three particular leaders who have served as Chancellor. Nonetheless, an examination of the post-unification period reveals some clear trends of continuity and change. This chapter investigates three areas in which change may have occurred, including (1) how Chancellors gain and lose office; (2) the role of the Chancellor in international affairs; (3) the presidentialization/personalization of the Chancellorship. For these three areas, this study finds solid evidence of change in the first two and a more ambiguous result regarding whether the office of Chancellor has become more presidential or more personalized. Despite the presence of only three individual Chancellors, most of the changes appear likely to continue into the future. These developments are part of the evolution of the German political system in the post-unification era, and not idiosyncratic shifts linked to the personalities of particular Chancellors.