The German Chancellor’s Office and its staff has come to play an excessive part in government, and appears to have undermined cabinet decision making. The staff of the German Chancellor is not only amongst the largest of all prime ministers and chancellors in Western Europe,1 it also has a very broad remit and manifestly is deeply involved in regulating the activities of the Chancellor and the government departments. In fact, the Chancellor’s Office plays a major part in structuring cabinet decisions in line with the Chancellor’s views.