The Social Democrats have named Bärbel Bas as the new president of the German parliament, the Bundestag. After the departure of Chancellor Angela Merkel, the country will again see a marked gender imbalance in politics.
The center-left Social Democrats (SPD), who emerged as the strongest party from last month's general election, have named their candidate for one of Germany's highest offices: the president of the Bundestag. Traditionally, a member of the strongest parliamentary group holds the post.
The president of the Bundestag is elected uncontested. His — or her — most important duty is to chair the sessions of parliament, determine the order of speakers, open and close the debates, and ensure that they take place in an orderly fashion.
Since 2017 the office has been held by veteran conservative politician Wolfgang Schäuble from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) which, together with its Bavarian ally, the Christian Social Union (CSU), has been the strongest group in the federal parliament for the last 16 years — until now.
