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The official question catalogue has 13 questions on this topic. In the app you practise them with instant feedback and in the exam simulation.
The parliament for the whole of Germany
The German Federal Parliament is the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany. Its seat is the Reichstag building in Berlin. The plenary sessions take place there, that is, the sessions of all the members.
Three terms are easily confused. The People's Chamber (Volkskammer) was the parliament of the German Democratic Republic (GDR; in German: DDR). The Federal Convention (Bundesversammlung) only elects the head of state. The Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) is a court.
In the chamber, the members sit in the plenary. The word “Plenum” means all the members together at a sitting.
Who elects the members?
The members of the Federal Parliament are elected by the people entitled to vote. The election is universal, direct, free, equal and secret.
In the federal election, then, it is the parliament for Germany that is elected. The Federal Chancellor (Bundeskanzler) is elected by the Federal Parliament itself. The members represent the whole people and follow only their conscience.
What the Federal Parliament does
Laws are passed by parliaments. At federal level, the Federal Parliament is the most important legislative body; depending on the law, the Federal Council (Bundesrat) also takes part. The Federal Parliament has three main tasks:
- debate and pass laws
- scrutinise the Federal Government (Bundesregierung)
- elect the Federal Chancellor
Before the Federal Parliament passes a law, it debates the draft in several readings. Committees work through the bills beforehand. Then the members vote in the plenary.
The Federal Parliament does not form the government itself, however: the Federal Ministers are appointed by the Federal President (Bundespräsident) on the proposal of the Chancellor.
Parliamentary groups and opposition
Members of a party join together in parliament to form a parliamentary group. In the Federal Parliament, rules apply to this, for example a minimum size of, as a rule, five per cent of the members. The parliamentary group helps its members with their joint work in parliament.
The opposition comprises all members who do not belong to the governing parties. They do not support the government and scrutinise its work. To do this they use, among other things, parliamentary questions, debates and committees of inquiry.
Members keep their free mandate even after changing parliamentary group. If a governing group loses seats as a result, the government can lose its narrow majority.
The presidium and the largest parliamentary groups
The Federal Parliament elects its President itself. Traditionally the person elected comes from the strongest parliamentary group in parliament.
As of October 2026, the CDU/CSU and the AfD are the two largest parliamentary groups in the 21st Federal Parliament. This distribution of seats can change after an election or through changes in parliament.
These 13 questions are in the test
- 13Im Parlament steht der Begriff „Opposition“ für ...
- 28Wer wählt in Deutschland die Abgeordneten zum Bundestag?
- 42Wer beschließt in Deutschland ein neues Gesetz?
- 57Wer wird meistens zum Präsidenten/zur Präsidentin des Deutschen Bundestages gewählt?
- 65Es gehört nicht zu den Aufgaben des Deutschen Bundestages, …
- 73Die beiden größten Fraktionen im Deutschen Bundestag heißen zurzeit …
- 74Wie heißt das Parlament für ganz Deutschland?
- 88Die parlamentarische Opposition im Deutschen Bundestag …
- 89Wie nennt man in Deutschland die Vereinigung von Abgeordneten einer Partei im Parlament?
- 98Wenn Abgeordnete im Deutschen Bundestag ihre Fraktion wechseln, …
- 124Die Bundestagswahl in Deutschland ist die Wahl …
- 128Parlamentsmitglieder, die von den Bürgern und Bürgerinnen gewählt werden, nennt man …
- 129Vom Volk gewählt wird in Deutschland …
Each question with its explanation is on the question pages. You can practise with answers in the app.
SourcesOpposition - Deutscher BundestagFunktion und Aufgabe - Deutscher BundestagSitzverteilung des 21. Deutschen BundestagesAbgeordnete - Deutscher BundestagErläuterungen zur Geschäftsordnung - Deutscher Bundestag
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