German inauguration: A matter-of-fact event

When Olaf Scholz takes his oath of office on Wednesday as Germany’s ninth post-war chancellor, there will be no motorcade bearing him to the Bundestag with flag-waving jubilant crowds cheering him on, nor a famous local singer belting out the national anthem.

In a nutshell, the day’s proceedings start with German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier proposing to the Bundestag that Scholz be elected chancellor, based on the broad understanding that many back his appointment.

With the current Bundestag consisting of 736 people’s representatives, Scholz will need to secure an absolute majority of 369 votes. This won’t be an issue since the coalition he heads, consisting of the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP), already has 416 votes between them.

Then Scholz will head to the Bellevue Palace, the official presidential residence, to be officially appointed and receive his appointment papers, and then return to the Bundestag where he’ll be sworn in.

After which, he’ll likely address the Bundestag, spelling out the plans the new government has for the country for the next four years.

Perhaps the only tangible reminders of his swearing-in during the day might be the bouquets of flowers that Scholz will receive as the new chancellor from the various party representatives in the Bundestag.

Former Bolivian president Evo Morales’ two inaugurations also featured native ceremonies

Business as usual?

So far, the only pre-swearing-in ripples in the German press has been the fact that Scholz will omit the final line of the traditional oath: “… so help me God.” But he had already done so during his oaths as Finance Minister and Mayor of Hamburg, so it’s not a real issue. 

Generally, the pomp and pageantry we’ve come to expect of inauguration ceremonies often happen in countries with presidential systems. Parades, military march-pasts or exuberant crowds are standard fare.

Cultural and religious variations are also sometimes observed.

For instance, Bolivia’s first-ever indigenous president, Evo Morales, had participated in a traditional ceremony at a sacred pre-Incan site a day before his inauguration in 2006. Barefoot and dressed as a sun priest, he was given a baton, encrusted with gold, silver and bronze, symbolizing his indigenous leadership.

In countries with nuclear arsenals, there’s also the symbolic handing over of the nuclear codes. Examples include Russia, France and the United States — the country most associated with inauguration rituals and ceremonies.

International broadcasters descend upon Washington D.C. days before the event to dissect the minutiae on crowd numbers, the performers’ diversity, the presidential address or who will wear what.

An appearance at a US presidential inauguration event can also prove to be a springboard to new opportunities, as young poet Amanda Gorman discovered after her star turn at the inauguration of President Joe Biden in January this year.

• Stars at the Biden-Harris inauguration

  Lady Gaga

  This year, there were no crowds flocking the Washington mall, due to the deadly course of the pandemic and safety concerns after a violent insurrection at the US Capitol in early January. Biden was nonetheless sworn in in person with a scaled-down ceremony. Pop icon Lady Gaga sang the national anthem.

• Stars at the Biden-Harris inauguration

  Jennifer Lopez

  J.Lo also performed at the swearing-in ceremony, singing “This Land is Your Land.” The Latina singer has been open about her support for Democrats, tweeting a picture of herself with an “I voted” sticker on election day and tagging Joe Biden’s team.

• Stars at the Biden-Harris inauguration

  Bruce Springsteen

  Joe Biden became 46th president of the US on January 20, with the event marked by a major TV broadcast called “Celebrating America.” It featured performances by musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, alongside tributes to ordinary citizens. Springsteen, whose hit “Born in the USA” is somewhat of its own national anthem, has performed frequently for Democratic nominees in the past.

• Stars at the Biden-Harris inauguration

  Jon Bon Jovi

  Another rock star who rang in the new president and VP was singer-songwriter Jon Bon Jovi. He, as well as Springsteen and many others appearing at the 2021 event, has been openly critical of Donald Trump. President Trump was incredibly unpopular in Hollywood; top stars refused to perform at his inauguration event and some artists sued him for using their music at his campaign rallies.

• Stars at the Biden-Harris inauguration

  John Legend

  The primetime TV event celebrating the inauguration offered a wide range of musical performances from heavy hitting stars, including singer-songwriter John Legend, who previously publicized his support for the Democratic candidates by appearing at a rally for Kamala Harris in November 2020. Also on the bill were pop singers Justin Timberlake and Demi Lovato.

• Stars at the Biden-Harris inauguration

  Eva Longoria

  Also participating in the inauguration special were actresses Kerry Washington and Eva Longoria. Longoria, who gained fame for her role in the TV show “Desperate Housewives,” is also no stranger to appearing at Democratic events and hitting the campaign trail. She campaigned for Biden and Harris in Florida and also served as host of the Democratic National Committee in August 2020.

• Stars at the Biden-Harris inauguration

  Tom Hanks

  The veteran actor hosted the 90-minute made-for-TV event that honored everyday heroes and US citizens, including a UPS driver, a kindergarten teacher, and Sandra Lindsay, the first American to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it was approved for use in the US.

• Stars at the Biden-Harris inauguration

  Lin-Manuel Miranda

  The event included non-musical performances. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote and starred in the Broadway hit “Hamilton” that retells the early years of the US and founding father Alexander Hamilton, recited “The Cure at Troy” by Seaumus Heaney. Other appearances included former NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

• Stars at the Biden-Harris inauguration

  Amanda Gorman

  This year’s Inaugural Poem came from America’s first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate. Los Angeles-born Amanda Gorman, 22, read the powerful, emotional, self-penned “The Hill we Climb” that begins with the line “When day comes, we ask ourselves where can we find light in this never-ending shade?”

• Stars at the Biden-Harris inauguration

  Garth Brooks

  Ahead of his performance at the swearing-in ceremony, the country singer told the press he “might be the only Republican at this place.” The chart-topping performer said his appearance was not a political statement, but rather he simply wanted to bring “loving unity” to the country. He also played at Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009 but declined Trump’s invitation due to scheduling conflicts.

  Author: Sarah Hucal

On par with prime ministers

Germany is a parliamentary democracy where the Federal President is the country’s most senior representative, while power lies in the office of the Federal Chancellor. 

“Chancellors don’t have the same representational role as a US or French president. If you look at their political power and influence, it could be said that they are on par with prime ministers elsewhere,” explains historian Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger.

Stollberg-Rilinger, who is rector of the Berlin Institute for Advanced Study, adds that Germany also has a different party system, with chancellors being elected differently compared to American or French presidents.

The historian, whose research focuses on the role of rituals, symbolic communication and ceremonies in early modern history, points out that swearing-in events in countries like France or the US still echo monarchic traditions: “In certain respects, the US inauguration reminds me of a pre-modern coronation ritual. We don’t have this in Germany,” Stollberg-Rilinger told DW.

More matter-of-fact

Describing the swearing-in of a German chancellor as “matter-of-fact – and not magnificent at all,” Stollberg-Rilinger adds that this is generally the case for most political actions in Germany today. 

The most pertinent reason for this is related to German history, harking back to the mass rituals of the Nazi era.

“For me as a German, when I think of rituals, the first thing that comes to mind is the Nazi Parteitag [party rallies] in Nuremberg, where there were thousands of people marching in rows with torches,” says the historian. “This is so dominant in German historical memory, and we don’t want to have this anymore. This is the main reason why political rituals are so sober today.”

The Greens’ Joschka Fischer caused a stir for wearing trainers when he was sworn in as Minister for the Environment in 1985

She however doesn’t discount the need for certain rituals in a democracy, pointing out that Germany does for instance commemorate Reunification Day or the Nazi Kristallnacht pogroms, where hundreds of Jews were killed and Jewish institutions were destroyed in November 1938.

“These are very modest, non-magnificent, calm but very important rituals of German memorial culture,” says Stollberg-Rilinger. “But where inaugurations are concerned, there is the swearing-in, but that’s it. The German population won’t really notice it.”

By the book

This lack of flamboyant ritual for a new government also reflects the fact that the German Constitution is quite recent. The Basic Law, adopted in 1949, outlines the procedures related to the election and swearing-in process of the chancellor. 

“It is less a ritual and more a formal procedure. And it’s so important that formal procedures work, and nobody denies the usual way of working,” explains Stollberg-Rilinger, comparing how in the run-up to the last election in the US, former President Donald Trump said he would accept an election outcome only if he won, throwing into question established election regulations and the American constitution.

Germany’s brand of compromise-oriented politics, based on coalition governments, also plays a role: “German society is by far not as divided as the US, which has to do with our party system. The fact that the German party system is more complex and the society is less polarized is one of the reasons why we don’t need these huge rituals of unity — we can do without them,” explains Stollberg-Rilinger.

She however adds that ceremonies alone cannot bridge political polarization: “The US society is so divided that no ritual can help.”

Staying solemn for now

But could things change in Germany? Will fireworks or a 21-gun salute ever accompany future swearing-in ceremonies?

In Stollberg-Rilinger’s view, that’s highly unlikely, especially in a country where fireworks are condemned as outdated because of their CO2 emissions, and where gun salutes evoke military connotations.

But, she adds, it all depends on how history unfolds: “If we get an authoritarian system as the tendency is in other European states like in Poland or Hungary, you never know. But I am quite confident that Germany, having this very special historical experience, will not change its sober ceremonies in the near future.”

• Meet Germany’s government

  Chancellor Olaf Scholz — Angela Merkel’s successor

  Germany’s next chancellor has been its current finance minister: Olaf Scholz will become the Federal Republic’s ninth chancellor and the fourth Social Democrat to hold the office. The former mayor of Hamburg handed his center-left party a surprise win in September’s election, though he was initially unpopular among the party’s rank-and-file.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP)

  Media-savvy Christian Lindner has been leader of Free Democratic Party (FDP) since 2013, inheriting a party that had just lost representation in parliament in the election. The 42-year-old’s reward for leading the neoliberal resurrection is the second most powerful office in the land — raising eyebrows among some who pointed out that his party actually finished behind the Greens in the election.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Economy and Climate Protection Minister and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens)

  The Greens have expanded the influential Economy Ministry to include its signature issue, climate protection, while also enhancing the power of 52 year-old Green Party co-leader Robert Habeck. A member of the more moderate “realist” wing of the party, Habeck the author of childrens’ books was already Environment and Agriculture Minister in his home state of Schleswig-Holstein.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Green Party)

  Angela Baerbock, the party’s 40-year-old chancellor candidate, is set to be the new Foreign Minister, and has already ruffled feathers by taking a tougher tone on China. Baerbock is only the second Green politician to take on the post, after Joschka Fischer in the late 1990s.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD)

  Possibly the biggest surprise in Scholz’s new Cabinet, Faeser has been elevated from SPD party leader in Hesse to one of Germany’s biggest ministries, her first role at federal level. Some observers hope her appointment signal an intention to get tougher on far-right extremism. She is the first woman to hold the office.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD)

  A popular choice for Germans who have enjoyed his outspoken appearances on TV talk shows, Lauterbach has been the face of the SPD’s tough health policy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. His reward is a tricky post in which he will likely oversee the introduction of mandatory vaccines.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP)

  The 44-year-old Buschmann was first elected to the Bundestag in 2009 and remained an influential politician in the party throughout the FDP’s lean years from 2013 to 2017. His signature issue in parliament was protecting individual freedoms, though he has now come out in favor of mandatory vaccines.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD)

  Angela Merkel’s last justice minister has now been put in charge of Germany’s armed forces and one of the biggest budgets at the Cabinet table. Some political observers had the 56-year old pegged for the Interior Ministry role, and her experience with military affairs is seen as limited.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Food and Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens)

  The veteran Green Party politician will finally join the federal government after over a quarter-century in the German parliament. The first-ever German Cabinet minister with Turkish parents is a party moderate and outspoken critic of Turkish President Erdogan. He co-chaired the Green Party for close to a decade.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens)

  The ministry with the longest name has gone to the much-respected Steffi Lemke, among the handful who co-founded the Greens’ East German branch in 1989. During her first spell in the Bundestag (1994-2002), she was also one of the few Green Party parliamentarians to initially oppose German participation in the Afghan war.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Transport and Digital Infrastructure Minister Volker Wissing (FDP)

  FDP General Secretary Volker Wissing is the party’s second most powerful politician after leader Christian Lindner. He is also no stranger to a coalition with the SPD and the Greens, having spent five years as Rhineland-Palatinate’s Economy Minister.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Construction and Housing Minister Klara Geywitz (SPD)

  One of only two East Germans in the new Cabinet, Klara Geywitz has been tapped to head a new ministry set up at the insistence of the SPD. Housing has become an acute issue in Germany, where urban areas are fast running out of affordable housing. Geywitz was Scholz’s co-candidate in their failed bid for the SPD leadership in 2019.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Labor and Social Affairs Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD)

  43-year-old Heil will keep the post that he held during Angela Merkel’s last government, indicating that his party his pleased with his work. Among his key issues has been trying to increase pay for care home workers, which Germany is desperately short of. He will also oversee the increase in Germany’s minimum wage to €12 ($13.60) an hour.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Economic Cooperation and Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD)

  Angela Merkel’s last environment minister is to become Scholz’s first development minister. The 53-year-old Schulze is an outspoken opponent of nuclear power and a member of several environmental organizations.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Education and Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP)

  Head of the Hesse FDP, 53-year-old Stark-Watzinger was part of the party’s negotiating team in coalition negotiations and a specialist in finance and education policy. She has called for an “educational revolution” in Germany, ushering a major digitalized overhaul of the current system. She also lived in the UK for nine years.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Family, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth Minister Anne Spiegel (Greens)

  The 41-year-old Anne Spiegel has already had a meteoric career at state level. Having held the Family Ministry in Rhineland-Palatinate since 2016, she became the state’s new Climate Protection minister in May after leading the Greens’ election campaign in this year’s state election. She has now been promoted even higher.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Chief of Staff and Minister for Special Affairs Wolfgang Schmidt (SPD)

  Scholz’s right-hand man in the Cabinet will be Wolfgang Schmidt, who worked with the chancellor when Scholz was mayor of Hamburg. Chief of staff with a special ministerial brief that gives the chancellorship extra weight in the Cabinet, Schmidt’s role will largely involve coordinating the ministerial work of the three parties.

• Meet Germany’s government

  Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media Claudia Roth (Greens)

  Claudia Roth is moving into the spotlight of German cultural policy. Within the Chancellor’s office, the 66-year-old will also be responsible for DW. Former party leader Roth is one of the most prominent faces of the Green Party. Most recently, the former manager of the anarchist band Ton Steine Scherben was Vice President of the Bundestag.

  Author: Ben Knight, Lisa Hänel

Edited by: Elizabeth Grenier

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/german-inauguration-a-matter-of-fact-event/a-60035555?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf