Federal Council
Loading your saved state.
Federal Council
In Germany, the representation of the 16 federal states at the federal level, which participates in legislation.
Das Gesetz muss noch durch den Bundesrat, bevor es in Kraft treten kann.
The law still has to pass through the Federal Council before it can come into force.
The word is made up of 'Bund' (federation) and 'Rat' (council, assembly). So it literally means 'council of the federation' or 'federal council.'
Der Bundesrat vertritt die Interessen der Länder auf Ebene des Bundes.
The Federal Council represents the interests of the states at the federal level.
The meaning of 'Bundesrat' (Federal Council) depends entirely on the country being discussed. Pay attention to the context: in Germany, it is the chamber representing the states; in Switzerland, the government; and in Austria, the second chamber of parliament.
In Deutschland muss der Bundesrat vielen Gesetzen zustimmen.
In Germany, the Federal Council must approve many laws.
In the German context, the Bundesrat is often associated with legislation. Typical phrases are 'ein Gesetz passiert den Bundesrat' (a law passes through the Bundesrat), 'der Bundesrat stimmt zu' (the Bundesrat approves), or 'der Bundesrat ruft den Vermittlungsausschuss an' (the Bundesrat calls on the mediation committee).
Der Bundesrat hat dem neuen Klimaschutzgesetz zugestimmt.
The Federal Council approved the new climate protection law.
In Switzerland, the Federal Council is the government and the collective head of state. Unlike in Germany or Austria, it has executive power.
Ein Mitglied des Schweizer Bundesrates wird Bundespräsident genannt.
A member of the Swiss Federal Council is called the Federal President.
government
'die Regierung' and 'der Bundesrat' both belong to the area of politics and the state, but they do not mean the same thing everywhere. 'die Regierung' is generally the group that politically leads a country. 'der Bundesrat' depends strongly on the country: in Switzerland, the Federal Council is the federal government and therefore a government. In Germany, by contrast, the Bundesrat is the representation of the federal states and not a government. In Austria, it is a chamber of parliament. The words can be confused because in Switzerland 'Bundesrat' really does mean a government. That is why it is important to always pay attention to the country.
In Deutschland stimmt der Bundesrat über Gesetze mit, wenn die Bundesländer betroffen sind.
In Germany, the Bundesrat votes on laws when the federal states are affected.
Die Regierung hat neue Regeln für den Verkehr beschlossen.
The government has decided on new traffic regulations.