Role of the President
At the head of Parliament
The President of the State Parliament is the highest representative of the Parliament of Lower Saxony and thus represents all MPs. As the first representative of Parliament – the directly elected representation of the people – the President is by protocol the ‘first lady’ or ‘first gentleman’ of the state. The parliamentary President is responsible for making sure that the rules of procedure are followed in the plenary sittings. With the power of words, the President must ensure that while debates may be hard hitting, that they are also free of personal hostility. The President is the public face of the State Parliament, heads the State Parliament administration and exercises the Budget Act and disciplinary power in the parliamentary building. The President is also involved in the legislative process: legislation is enacted with the President’s signature. Last but not least, as the highest ranking representative of Parliament, the President accepts petitions and makes themselves available to citizens in relation to parliamentary matters.
The special representative role of the President requires that they lead the plenary sessions fairly and impartially whilst ensuring compliance with the rules of procedure and order in the house. The President is, however, not condemned to political abstention. The President takes part in parliamentary votes and can, as soon as they have left their elevated presiding seat, take the floor in debates just like any other Member of Parliament. The presidium of the State Parliament helps the President to fulfil their role.
