prime minister
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prime minister
The head of government in many countries with a parliamentary system of government.
Der britische Premierminister hat seinen Rücktritt angekündigt.
The British prime minister has announced his resignation.
The word is made up of 'Premier' (from French for 'first') and 'Minister' (minister). A 'Premierminister' (prime minister) is therefore literally the 'first minister' or the highest-ranking minister in the government.
Der Premierminister leitet die Kabinettssitzung.
The prime minister chairs the cabinet meeting.
This title is used for heads of government in many countries, such as Great Britain or Canada. In Germany and Austria, however, the official title for this office is 'Bundeskanzler' or 'Bundeskanzlerin' (federal chancellor).
Der kanadische Premierminister besucht Berlin.
The Canadian prime minister is visiting Berlin.
In a political context, the role is often connected with verbs such as 'ernennen' (to appoint), 'wählen' (to elect), 'zurücktreten' (to resign), or 'eine Rede halten' (to give a speech).
Der Premierminister wurde neu ins Amt gewählt.
The prime minister was newly elected to office.
president
'der Präsident' and 'der Premierminister' can both refer to high political offices. Still, they do not automatically mean the same person. 'der Präsident' is the head of state of a republic. 'der Premierminister' is the head of government in many countries and leads the government. Learners may confuse the words because in some countries both offices are very important and often appear together in the news. The important point is: the president represents the state, while the prime minister leads the government.
Der Premierminister stellt morgen sein neues Programm im Parlament vor.
The prime minister will present his new program in parliament tomorrow.
Nach dem Gespräch berichtete die Mitarbeiterin über den Besuch des Präsidenten.
After the conversation, the staff member reported on the president's visit.