German parliament considers changing ‘father of house’ rules

BERLIN – The president of the German parliament is suggesting changing the rules on who can become ‘father of the house’ amid fears that a nationalist politician could be entitled to the job after the next election.

The role of father — or mother — of the house automatically falls to the oldest lawmaker in the Bundestag. He or she leads the first session of a new parliament and is next in line if the president or his deputies are prevented from performing that task in subsequent sessions.

A member of the nationalist Alternative for Germany is expected to become the oldest lawmaker after September’s general election.

Parliamentary president Norbert Lammert proposed Thursday the role of ‘father of the house’ should in future fall to the longest-serving, rather than the oldest, member.