Federal Convention (Germany)

If the term of office of a president ends prematurely through resignation, death or impeachment, the Federal Convention must meet within thirty days.

Heinrich Lübke's resignation (1968/69) is a special case: he announced in October 1968 that he would resign with effect from June 30, 1969, in order to enable the Federal Convention to be held before the start of the Bundestag election campaign in the fall of that year.

Since the resignation was announced about nine months in advance, the Federal Convention could be held as usual before the (early) end of his term of office.

The procedure of the election of the Bundespräsident consists of a maximum of three secret votes by written ballot.

In many state parliaments, the members vote on a joint list that mirrors the strengths of the parliamentary groups.

For example, they choose artists, sports persons or other celebrities, or occasionally an ordinary citizen with an unusual story.

Examples from 2017 are Jogi Löw, the coach of the national football team, for the Green Party in Baden-Württemberg and Olivia Jones, Germany's most famous drag queen, for the Green Party in Lower Saxony.

Semiya Şimşek, daughter of a NSU terror victim, was elected by Die Linke in Thuringia.

From 1954 to 1969 the Bundesversammlung was convened at the Ostpreußenhalle in Berlin, leading to protests from the German Democratic Republic on each occasion it met.

As a consequence, on 5 March 1969, the Soviet Union sent MiG-21 warplanes to fly over the venue in West Berlin.