Steinmeier on vacation: Manuela Schwesig now has the final say on the cannabis law

Enlarge image

SPD politician Schwesig: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's head of government represents the head of state as the incumbent President of the Federal Council

Photo:

Political Moments / IMAGO

Manuela Schwesig gets a highly controversial traffic light project on the table for signing: the Cannabis Act. The SPD politician is Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, but also the incumbent President of the Federal Council - and therefore, according to the Basic Law, representative of Head of State Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Because the Federal President has been on vacation for two weeks since Monday, Schwesig will take over his official duties during this time.

After the cannabis law was passed in the Bundestag a few weeks ago with the votes of the SPD, Greens and FDP, the Federal Council cleared the way for it at the end of last week. The plans to partially release cannabis were also controversially discussed in the traffic light coalition for a long time. The CDU and CSU had vehemently opposed the project without being able to stop it through their representatives in the Federal Council.

As acting President of the Federal Council, Schwesig chaired the crucial meeting of the state chamber last Friday. Now the Social Democrat is presented with the law for signature as Steinmeier's representative.

According to SPIEGEL information, a limousine from the Federal President's Office will set off from Berlin to Schwerin early on Wednesday morning. On board: the top constitutional guardian from Steinmeier's house with the cannabis law ready to be signed.

The constitutional review of the traffic light project is still ongoing in the Federal President's Office. However, it can be assumed that no such concerns will be raised there.

In addition to the cannabis law, Steinmeier's chief lawyer will transport two further projects to the Schwerin State Chancellery for signing. These were also passed in the Federal Council last Friday and are due to come into force on April 1st: the Growth Acceleration Act and the Budget Financing Act.

Under close observation

However, while it should be unproblematic for Schwesig to sign these two laws, the SPD politician is at least under close observation when it comes to the cannabis law: The Union recently called for refusing to sign the project.

Although Schwesig is not enthusiastic about the law based on her public statements, it is expected that she will sign it. A new examination of the project by lawyers from the Schwerin State Chancellery would contradict constitutional practice. Instead, Schwesig could only direct questions to those responsible in the Federal President's Office.

So will the cannabis project come into force on April 1st with Schwesig's signature? This is at least supported by what Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's government spokesman Andreas Timm told SPIEGEL: "It's not about the personal position of the President of the Federal Council, but about the question of whether the law was passed in accordance with the provisions of the Basic Law." This review is currently being carried out the Federal President's Office, emphasizes Timm. “And the President of the Federal Council will follow the resulting professional recommendation.”