Bundesversammlung (Germany)

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The Federal Assembly (a.k.a. Federal Convention) (German: Bundesversammlung) is a special body in the institutional system of Germany, convoked only for the purpose of electing the German president Bundespräsident every five years.

The Bundesversammlung comprises the entire membership of the Bundestag (the lower house of Germany's parliament) and an equal number of state delegates selected by the state parliaments especially for this purpose, proportionally to their population figures. Among the latter are not only politicians: it is customary for the several states to also nominate celebrities and other prominent or specially deserving people. From the time of their nomination until the closing of the session of the Federal Convention, its members enjoy parliamentary immunity with regard to prosecution by public authorities in very much the same way as members of the Bundestag do.

Since 1979, the Bundesversammlung has traditionally met on May 23, the anniversary of the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany and the coming-into-force of the Basic Law in 1949. It is chaired by the President of the Bundestag and is dissolved once the elected president declares that he accepts his election, which decision he can delay for up to two days (however, no president has ever done so).

Each member of the Bundesversammlung may suggest candidates for the office of the Federal President. In practice however only the candidates in advance designated by the parliamentary groups are suggested.

The procedure of the election of the Bundespräsident consists of - at the most - three secret votes by written ballot. If one of the first two votes ends with an absolute majority for one of the candidates, this candidate is elected immediately. If the first two votes do not lead to an absolute majority, a plurality is sufficient in the third and last vote. According to the Grundgesetz, the president is elected without a debate in the federal convention. The candidates are, usually, nominated by one or more parties, but do not run a campaign. The candidate, whose party or parties have the majority, is considered to be the likely winner and mostly, he got the majority. The Speaker of the Bundestag will terminate the Bundesversammlung if the elected candidate accepts.

The last assembly of the Bundesversammlung was held on May 23, 2004, when Horst Köhler was elected by the slight majority of 604 out of 1205 votes.

On 12. September 1949 in Bonn the first Bundesversammlung met. 1954-1969 in the Ostpreußenhalle in Berlin, where the Deutsche Demokratische Republik always protested against. On March 5, 1969 the Sovjet Union let fly some MiG-21 with ultrasonic over West-Berlin. From 1974 to 1989 the Bundesversammlung met in the Beethovenhalle in Bonn. Since 1994 the meeting-place is the Reichstag in Berlin.