various states rather than members of the national parliament. Hence, the position of parliamentary leader in the federal parliament (Germany also has 16 state parliaments) is often occupied by a different person. The parliamentary leader has the supreme responsibility for coordinating the work of the MPs representing his or her party. Even when the party leader is a member of the national parliament, the parliamentary leader can be a different person. For instance, Friedrich Merz was parliamentary leader while Angela Merkel was party leader for some years while the CDU was in opposition. If the party leader is the chancellor or a member of the government, another person always is the parliamentary leader. The Netherlands In both houses of the Dutch parliament, parliamentary leaders are formally elected by their peers in the parliamentary group. In the House of Representatives, leaders of opposition parties are also their parties' parliamentary leader. Leaders of coalition parties might choose to enter the cabinet, serving as prime minister if their party is the largest in the coalition or otherwise as Deputy Prime Minister. Otherwise they remain parliamentary leaders. In the Senate, parliamentary leaders are never party leaders. United Kingdom In British politics, the leader of a party is typically the same person as the parliamentary leader. The leader may not fully control the party bureaucracy. The leader may be chosen by members of parliament (MPs) from among their number, or elected by the wider party membership at a party conference, but once elected must retain the support of the parliamentary party. Similarly, the position of prime minister may be given to the parliamentary leader (the party leader, in the case of the two major parties) of the largest political party in parliament, with the expectation they will be able secure and retain the confidence of a majority of MPs. Some smaller parties have parliamentary leaders in the national parliament (in Westminster) who are separate from the party leaders—the party leader may hold office in a devolved (sub-national) parliament or assembly. The party leader of the Scottish nationalist SNP, the UK's third largest party by number of MPs, is Nicola Sturgeon, who serves as first minister of Scotland, and does not sit at Westminster. Thus, the parliamentary group of the SNP at the Westminster parliament is led by SNP MP Stephen Flynn. See also Floor leader Frontbencher Majority leader Minority leader References Politics da:Politisk leder fr:Leader