Wüst to become Bundesrat president – Söder joins the presidium
On Friday, 16 October, the Bundesrat will elect North Rhine-Westphalia's premier Hendrik Wüst as its president. He succeeds Andreas Bovenschulte on 1 November.
Archive image · Photo: Olaf Kosinsky / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 de (cropped and resized)
The Bundesrat, Germany's upper house, plans to elect North Rhine-Westphalia's premier Hendrik Wüst (CDU) as its new president at its session on Friday, 16 October, according to the chamber's preview. His term begins with the new business year on 1 November 2026. Wüst succeeds Bremen's mayor Andreas Bovenschulte (SPD), who is due to review his term at the start of the session.
Bovenschulte stays in the presidium as first vice-president. Bavaria's premier Markus Söder (CSU) is lined up as second vice-president, making him the designated next president. By tradition, the vote is held by calling on each state in turn.
The order of the presidency follows the Königstein Agreement of 1950 and is based on the states' population. According to the Bundesrat, this rotation keeps the office free of shifting majorities and party-political considerations. In addition, Nathanael Liminski of North Rhine-Westphalia is set to chair the European Chamber.