Changes

==Government==

==Government==

===Executive Branch===

===Executive Branch===

Germany has a President as [[Head of State]]. However, his/her political power is small and his position is mostly representative. Although the president has to sign every law, and has the right to refuse signature on constitutional grounds, few president have ever used this right. The president is elected by a joint assembly of the federal parliament and an evenly strong group of electors, who are selected by the state parliaments for a five year term, and he can be re-elected once. During absence and illness of the president, the president of the Bundesrat (comparable to the Senate) assumes the duties of the president.

Germany has a President as [[Head of State]], with little power.  

The actual political power and head of government is the Chancellor ("Bundeskanzler"), who is elected by federal parliament ("Bundestag"). The Chancellor is typically elected in the first session of a newly elected Bundestag for the entire legislative period of four years. The parliament can only force the Chancellor to resign in a ''constructive motion of no-confidence'', if it elects at the same time a new Chancellor.  The current Chancellor is [[Angela Merkel|Dr. Angela Merkel]]. The current government <ref>http://www.bundesregierung.de</ref> is a coalition between the two largest parties, the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD).

 

The actual political power and head of government is the Chancellor ("Bundeskanzler"), who is elected by federal parliament ("Bundestag"). The Chancellor is typically elected in the first session of a newly elected Bundestag for the entire legislative period of four years. The parliament can only force the Chancellor to resign in a ''constructive motion of no-confidence'', if it elects at the same time a new Chancellor.  The current Chancellor is [[Angela Merkel|Dr. Angela Merkel]]. The current government <ref>http://www.bundesregierung.de</ref> is a "grand coalition" between the two largest parties, the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD).

The left lost sseats in state and EU elections in 2009. A general election is scheduled for September 27, 2009. The SDP promises to create 4m jobs over the next ten years if it wins. However, polls show the leftist SDP trailing the conservative Christian Democrats by large margins.

===Legislative Branch===

===Legislative Branch===