German Bundestag and Bundesrat - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 2009

60 years ago, on May 23, 1949, the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany came into force, which i.a. also defines the constitutional bodies German Bundestag and Bundesrat. Shortly thereafter, these two institutions began their work on September 7, 1949. Since German reunification on October 3, 1990, the Basic Law has been the constitution of all citizens of Germany. The Bundestag is the German parliament. As the only constitutional organ at the federal level, its members are elected by the people. The most important tasks of the Bundestag are the election of the Federal Chancellor, the legislation and the control of government work. The Bundestag has gathered since 1999 in the Reichstag building in Berlin. The Federal Council is representing the interests of the federal states at the federal level. It consists of representatives of the countries. The Federal Council can influence or even block federal legislative initiatives. He has been meeting since 2000 in the historic Prussian mansion in Berlin.