Tasks

The Minister-President is elected by the members of the Saxon State Parliament in an absolute majority vote. In a coalition government, each party appoints its ministers, whom the Minister-President then appoints to his cabinet. Work is performed based on the coalition contract. While the Minister-President runs the government, the ministries operate independently. He also appoints formal judges and officials, and awards the Saxon Order of Merit (Sächsischer Verdienstorden).

The Minister-President chairs the state government cabinet meetings. He is responsible for countersigning the laws decided on by the State Parliament, and announcing them in the state's legal gazette. He is assisted by the head of the State Chancellery, other staff of the State Chancellery, Saxony's representatives to the federal government, and the liaison offices in Brussels (at the European Union), Wrocław and Prague.

As the head of government, the Minister-President represents the state of Saxony in dealings with the federal government, particularly in the Federal Council, in dealings with other states, e.g. the Minister-Presidents Conference, and in external dealings, e.g. when receiving other countries' ambassadors or when he himself travels abroad.

The Minister-President is not only responsible to the State Parliament, as the centre of parliamentary democracy, for his decisions. He feels directly obligated to his state's citizens in exercising his duties.