What will happen at Chancellor Olaf Scholz's swearing-in ceremony? Here's why Germany's event is devoid of the pomp seen in inauguration ceremonies elsewhere.
A tiny twist: Olaf Scholz will be omitting '...so help me God' from his oathImage: picture alliance/dpa
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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 ceremoniesImage: picture alliance / imageBROKER
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, 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
With performances by Bruce Springsteen and Lady Gaga, Joe Biden's inauguration was a star-studded event. These are some of the big names that took part.
Image: Brendan McDermid/REUTERS
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.
Image: Brendan McDermid/REUTERS
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.
Image: Brendan McDermid/REUTERS
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.
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.
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.
Image: Biden Inaugural Committee via AP/picture alliance
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.
Image: RS/MPI/Capital Pictures/picture alliance
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.
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.
Image: Biden Inaugural Committee via AP/picture alliance
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?"
Image: Patrick Semansky/REUTERS
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.
Image: Saul Loeb/AP Photo/picture alliance
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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.
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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 1985Image: Heinz Wieseler/dpa/picture-alliance
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
Germany's first-ever three-way coalition government came into office in December 2021. These are the 17 individuals who are shaping federal politics.
Image: Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa/picture alliance
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD)
Scholz was the finance minister and vice-chancellor in the previous government and is the ninth chancellor and the fourth Social Democrat to hold the office. The former mayor of Hamburg handed his center-left party the surprise win in 2021, having campaigned on stability and pragmatism. Perceived as cautious and unemotional, he has sought to show leadership following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Image: Emmanuele Contini/Getty Images
Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP)
Media-savvy Christian Lindner has been the leader of the business-oriented, neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) since 2013, inheriting a party that had just lost representation in parliament in the election. As Finance Minister during a time of multiple crises, he has been struggling to limit government spending while protecting the wealthy from tax hikes.
Economy and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck (Greens)
The vice chancellor is a member of the more moderate wing of his environmentalist party. He quickly outshone the chancellor with his open communication style, but then lost support in his attempt to implement a pragmatic wartime energy policy. The philosophy major and former author of children's books was previously Environment and Agriculture Minister in his home state of Schleswig-Holstein.
Image: Christian Spicker/IMAGO Images
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock
Germany's top diplomat emphasizes a "values-guided" and "feminist" foreign policy. Some months after Russia's war on Ukraine began, she has become the most popular member of the government. She has ruffled feathers by urging a tougher tone on China. Baerbock is only the second Green politician to take on the post, after Joschka Fischer in the late 1990s.
Possibly the biggest surprise in Scholz's new Cabinet, Faeser was elevated from SPD party leader in Hesse to one of Germany's biggest ministries, her first role at federal level. She has taken a tough line, especially on far-right extremism. She is the first woman to hold the office.
Image: Hannibal Hanschke/REUTERS
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD)
The virologist was a popular choice for Germans who enjoyed his outspoken appearances on TV talk shows, advocating a tough health policy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It has not all been smooth sailing for him since then. Lauterbach has vowed to tackle reforming Germany's overstretched hospital system.
Image: picture alliance/dpa
Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP)
Christian Lindner is said to be the face of the FDP, but his childhood friend Marco Buschmann is said to be the brain. From humble beginnings, he excelled in his legal academic career. First elected to the Bundestag in 2009, his signature issue has been protecting individual freedoms. He is not one of the conservative hawks in his party but is cautious about immigration.
Food and Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens)
The veteran Green Party politician joined 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.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. MacDougall
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.
Image: Hendrik Schmidt/picture alliance/dpa
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 spent five years as Rhineland-Palatinate's Economy Minister in a coalition with the SPD and the Greens. Although the hugely popular €9 ticket in the summer of 2022 was his brainchild, Wissing is known mainly for refusing to implement a speed limit on German motorways.
Image: Michael Kappeler/picture alliance/dpa
Construction and Housing Minister Klara Geywitz (SPD)
One of only two East Germans in the new Cabinet, Klara Geywitz heads 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's ambitious announcement that 400,000 new units would be constructed each year seems to have proved unrealistic.
Image: Imago Images/M. Müller
Labor and Social Affairs Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD)
Heil held the same post in the previous government. During his first year in the new government, he led the overhaul of the social security scheme, and the increase in Germany's minimum wage to €12 ($13.60) an hour.
Economic Cooperation and Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD)
Angela Merkel's last environment minister became Scholz's first development minister. The outspoken opponent of nuclear power is a member of several environmental organizations. As the government is failing to phase-out fossil fuels as it scrambled to replace Russian gas imports in 2022, environment and climate policy has come under fire from activists.
Image: Birgit Maass/DW
Education and Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP)
Stark-Watzinger was part of the party's negotiating team in coalition negotiations and is a specialist in finance and education policy. She has called for an "educational revolution" in Germany, ushering in a major digitalized overhaul of the current system. Earlier in her live, she lived in the UK for nine years.
Image: Michael Kappeler/picture alliance/dpa
Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth Minister Lisa Paus (Greens)
An economist by training, Paus has served as a Member of the German Bundestag for the city-state of Berlin since 2009. She has put the fight against human rights violations against children and women at the center of her ministry's work.
Image: Felix Zahn/photothek/picture alliance
Chief of Staff and Minister for Special Affairs Wolfgang Schmidt (SPD)
Scholz's right-hand man in the Cabinet is Wolfgang Schmidt, who worked with Scholz when he was mayor of Hamburg. Chief of staff with a special ministerial brief that gives the chancellorship extra weight in the Cabinet, Schmidt's role largely involves coordinating the ministerial work of the three parties.
Image: Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance/dpa
Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media Claudia Roth (Greens)
Claudia Roth moved into the spotlight of German cultural policy. Within the Chancellor's office, she is also responsible for DW. Former party leader Roth is one of the most prominent faces of the Greens. Most recently, the former manager of the anarchist band Ton Steine Scherben was Vice President of the Bundestag.
