Minister-President facts for kids

Winfried Kretschmann, the Ministerpräsident of Baden-Württemberg since 2011.

A Minister-president is a very important leader in some European countries. This person is the head of government for a region or a whole country. They lead a group of ministers, who are like department heads, to make decisions. The title is similar to a Prime Minister or a First Minister.

What is a Minister-president?

The word Ministerpräsident comes from the German language. It means "president of the ministers." So, you can think of them as the main leader of a team of government officials.

Where do we find Minister-presidents?

You can find Minister-presidents in countries like Germany and Belgium. They lead the governments of different states or regions within these countries.

Similar Leaders Around the World

The role of a Minister-president is similar to other leaders in different parts of the world:

• In Australia, they are like a state premier.
• In Canada, they are similar to a provincial prime minister.
• In the USA, they are like the Governor of a state.

The Minister-president's Role in Germany

In Germany, the Minister-presidents of the different states have another special job. Each year, one of them becomes the President of the Bundesrat. The Bundesrat is like a second parliament where the states' governments are represented.

Because Germany does not have a vice president, the President of the Bundesrat has a very important duty. If the Federal President (who is the head of state) is unable to do their job, for example, if they are out of the country or if something happens to them, the President of the Bundesrat steps in to act as the Federal President. This ensures that the country always has a leader.

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