state secretary
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state secretary
The highest-ranking civil servant in a ministry, who reports directly to the minister and has an important political function.
Der Staatssekretär des Auswärtigen Amtes reiste zu Verhandlungen nach Brüssel.
The state secretary of the Foreign Office traveled to Brussels for negotiations.
The word is composed of 'der Staat' (the state) and 'der Sekretär' (the secretary). The 's' in the middle is a linking s that connects the two words. Literally, then, it is a 'secretary of the state'.
Der Staatssekretär vertritt den Minister bei der Konferenz.
The state secretary represents the minister at the conference.
Careful: 'Staatssekretär' (state secretary) is not the same as the English 'Secretary of State'. In the US, the Secretary of State is the foreign minister. In Germany, a Staatssekretär is the highest-ranking civil servant in a ministry, below the minister.
Jedes Bundesministerium in Deutschland hat mindestens einen Staatssekretär.
Every federal ministry in Germany has at least one state secretary.
A Staatssekretär (state secretary) in Germany is an important interface between the political leadership (minister) and the administration (ministry). There are permanent state secretaries and parliamentary state secretaries with different tasks.
Der parlamentarische Staatssekretär ist auch Mitglied des Bundestages.
The parliamentary state secretary is also a member of the Bundestag.
minister
'der Minister' and 'der Staatssekretär' both belong to a ministry and work in politics or administration. The most important difference is their position. The minister heads the ministry and has the main political responsibility. The state secretary is directly below the minister and has a very high-ranking, but subordinate, role. The words can be confused because both often appear in the news and in topics related to government. When it is about leading the ministry, you say 'Minister'. When it is about the most important person below the minister, 'Staatssekretär' fits.
Der Staatssekretär bereitet das Treffen vor und informiert den Minister.
The state secretary prepares the meeting and informs the minister.
Im Parlament erklärt der Minister die Entscheidung seiner Regierung.
In parliament, the minister explains his government's decision.