| Vice-Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany |
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Coat of arms of the German Government |
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| Inaugural holder | Franz Blücher |
| Formation | 23. May 1949 |
The Vice-Chancellor of Germany (German: Vizekanzler) is, according to protocol, the second highest position in the Cabinet of Germany
In case of the Chancellor's absence, the vice-chancellor acts in his or her place, for instance by heading cabinet meetings. The vice-chancellor will not automatically become chancellor for the rest of the term if the chancellor dies or becomes unable to fulfill his or her duties in any other way. It is the President who asks a minister to fulfill the chancellor's duties until the Parliament elects a new chancellor. Usually, the president asks the vice-chancellor.
In modern times, vice-chancellor is not an independent office, but a position held by one of the cabinet ministers. Since 1966, it has often been held by the minister of foreign affairs.
According to the Basic Law, it is the chancellor who chooses one of the ministers to be vice-chancellor. Since coalition governments are common in German politics, the vice-chancellor in most cases represents the junior coalition partner and is often the chairman of that party.
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The office was initially established by the 1878 Stellvertretungsgesetz, which provided for the Chancellor appointing a deputy, officially known as Allgemeiner Stellvertreter des Reichskanzlers (Deputy General to the Chancellor). In addition to the general deputy, who would be responsible for all the affairs of the Chancellor, the Chancellor could appoint deputies with limited responsibilities. The Stellvertretungsgesetz was revised on 28 October 1918, when the possibility of appointing deputies with limited responsibilities was removed and the Vice Chancellor was given the right to appear before Parliament.
The prefix "Vize-" is derived from the Latin "vicis" meaning "in place of". "Kanzler" is the traditional title of the head of government in Germany. Although the office has always been widely known as Vizekanzler, this has never been the official term. The official term since 1949 is Stellvertreter des Bundeskanzlers (Deputy to the Chancellor), however this term is seldom used outside very formal contexts.
After Papen's resignation, the office of vice-chancellor remained vacant until the demise of Nazi Germany.
| Portrait | Name (Born-Died) |
Term of Office | Party | Portfolio | Chancellor (Cabinet) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franz Blücher (1896–1959) |
20 September 1949 | 29 October 1957 | FDP/FVP | Marshall Plan | Adenauer (I • II) |
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| Ludwig Erhard (1897–1977) |
29 October 1957 | 16 October 1963 | CDU | Economics | Adenauer (III • IV • V) |
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| Erich Mende (1916–1998) |
17 October 1963 | 28 October 1966 | FDP | Intra-German Relations | Erhard (I • II) |
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| Hans-Christoph Seebohm (1903–1967) |
8 November 1966 | 30 November 1966 | CDU | Transport | Erhard (II) |
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| Willy Brandt (1913–1992) |
1 December 1966 | 20 October 1969 | SPD | Foreign Minister | Kiesinger (I) |
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| Walter Scheel (b. 1919) |
21 October 1969 | 16 May 1974 | FDP | Foreign Minister | Brandt (I • II) |
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| Hans-Dietrich Genscher (b. 1927) |
17 May 1974 | 17 September 1982 | FDP | Foreign Minister | Schmidt (I • II • III) |
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| Egon Franke (1913–1995) |
17 September 1982 | 1 October 1982 | SPD | Intra-German Relations | Schmidt (III) |
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| Hans-Dietrich Genscher (b. 1927) |
1 October 1982 | 17 May 1992 | FDP | Foreign Minister | Kohl (I • II • III • IV) |
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| Jürgen Möllemann (1945–2003) |
18 May 1992 | 21 January 1993 | FDP | Economics | Kohl (IV) |
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| Klaus Kinkel (b. 1936) |
21 January 1993 | 26 October 1998 | FDP | Foreign Minister | Kohl (IV • V) |
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| Joschka Fischer (b. 1948) |
27 October 1998 | 22 November 2005 | Green | Foreign Minister | Schröder (I • II) |
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| Franz Müntefering (b. 1940) |
22 November 2005 | 21 November 2007 | SPD | Labour and Social Affairs | Merkel (I) |
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| Frank-Walter Steinmeier (b. 1956) |
21 November 2007 | 27 October 2009 | SPD | Foreign Minister | |||
| Guido Westerwelle (b. 1961) |
28 October 2009 | 16 May 2011 | FDP | Foreign Minister | Merkel (II) |
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| Philipp Rösler (b. 1973) |
16 May 2011 | Incumbent | FDP | Economics | |||