User:IchAiBims/5th German Bundestag

The 5th German Bundestag, the lower house of parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany, was elected on 3 October 1965 and existed between 19 October 1965 and 19 October 1959. It held a total of 247 parliamentary sessions with the last one being held on 3 July 1969.

On 20 October 1965 the Bundestag elected Ludwig Erhard (CDU) as federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany with 272 (+6) yes votes, 200 (+15) no votes and 15 (+1) abstentions on the first ballot. After his resignation on 30 November 1966 Kurt Georg Kiesinger (CDU) was elected as his successor on 1 December 1966.

Presidium of the Bundestag
Konrad Adenauer, the former federal Chancellor, served as Alterspräsident (Father of the House) until his death on 17 April 1967. He was succeeded by Arthur Enk who was from the CDU as well. As Alterspräsident Adenauer presided over the Konstituierende Sitzung, the first parliamentary session, until Eugen Gerstenmaier was elected as President of the Bundestag.

Carlo Schmid, Erwin Schoettle (both from the SPD), Richard Jaeger (CSU) and Thomas Dehler (FDP) were elected to be vice-presidents of the Bundestag. Although the Geschäftsordnung des Deutschen Bundestages (Rules of Procedure of the German Bundestag) required a secret ballot which was advocated by Franz-Josef Wuermeling. But after President Gerstenmaier pointed out, that the Bundestag was allowed to deviate from its Geschäftsordnung, if a supermajority agreed which it did, the candidates were elected by raising one's hand. The candidates were elected separately. All of the candidates had held the office during the previous legislative term. On 26 October 1965 Richard Jaeger became Federal Minister of Justice and Maria Probst (CDU) was elected to succeed him on 9 December. After her death on 1 May 1967 Richard Jaeger returned to the presidium for the CDU/CSU. Carlo Schmid was appointed as Federal Minister of the Bundesrat and State Affa

irs. on 1 December 1966 and was succeeded by Karl Mommer on 14 December. He was elected uniamoulsy. Because Thomas Dehler died on 21 July 1967, Walter Scheel was elected so succeed him as the FDPs vice president on 8 September 1967.

Eugen Gerstenmaier was elected as President of the Bundestag during the Konstituierende Sitzung with 384 yes votes, 21 no votes, 98 abstentions and 4 invalid votes to a third term. After his resignation on 31 January 1969 due to criticism over Wiedergutmachungs payments Kai-Uwe von Hassel was elected as President of the Bundestag on 5 Febuary 1969. He recieved 262 of 457 of the votes.

Composition of the Bundestag
The CDU/CSU (Christian Democratic Union of Germany/ Christian Social Union in Bavaria) remained the largest party after the 1965 West German federal elections. The increased their number of seats from 242 to 245 as well as 6 non-voting delegates from West Berlin. The SPD increased their seats in the Bundestag too, receving 202 seats, 12 more than in the last term as well as 15 non-voting delegates from West Berlin. The FDP was the only party that lost seats, winning 49 seats, 18 less than in the previous election, as well as one non-votin delegate form West-Berlin.