Minister President of Lower Saxony the CDU nomination for President in 1979 and Chancellor in 1980, Gerhard Schröder became Chancellor of Germany in 1998, his successor Sigmar Gabriel is the current SPD chairman and Christian Wulff was elected President of Germany in 2010. Examples of Lower Saxony's influence on policy debates in federal politics include Ernst Albrecht's advocacy of financial transfers from other states and Gerhard Schröder's usage of Lower Saxony's "Bundesrat" votes in matters of fiscal and tax policy. Political Party: Minister President of Lower Saxony The Minister President of Lower Saxony (), also referred to as Premier or Prime Minister, is the head
Minister president (Germany) two states before and after they had merged into one another: Minister president (Germany) The minister president ("Ministerpräsident") is the head of state and government in thirteen of Germany's sixteen states. In the three states of Berlin, Free Hanseatic City of Bremen and Free Hanseatic City of Hamburg the heads of the state hold different titles: In the since 1952 defunct states of Baden and Württemberg-Hohenzollern the heads of state held the title State President. Nevertheless, in Germany it is common practice, to call the sixteen heads of the states ministers president if they are referred to collectively. For example,