In a negative question, look for the absent office.
The state ministries overview lists justice and consumer protection, finance, and interior and sport. Those three fields therefore cannot answer the question about the absent office. Additional words in a ministry’s name do not change this classification.
Article 32 of the Basic Law assigns relations with foreign states primarily to the federation. The state government governs a federal state within Germany; it does not independently conduct Germany’s general foreign policy.
The other three answers
The other three fields exist at state level.
Justice Minister
Sachsen-Anhalt has a justice portfolio. Administration of justice must be distinguished from courts deciding cases independently.
Finance Minister
A finance portfolio exists. It concerns state finances and is not the absent office in this question.
Interior Minister
The interior portfolio also exists. Interior Minister is therefore not the correct answer to this negative question.
Federal states are not excluded from all external contacts.
Article 32(3) permits states to conclude treaties with foreign states within their legislative competence, with federal government consent. Article 69 of the state constitution also regulates Sachsen-Anhalt’s external representation. This is limited authority, not a general foreign-minister office of its own.
Ministry names and portfolios can change; the overview was checked on 21 October 2026. Judges remain independent: a justice ministry cannot prescribe a judgment according to political wishes.
Article 32 · Basic Law ↗Asked for “not” → Foreign Minister.
Justice, finance and interior are state functions; foreign relations are primarily federal.
Three words for this question
- der Bundthe federation
- Germany’s national level of government.
- die auswärtigen Beziehungenforeign relations
- Germany’s relations with other countries.
- die richterliche Unabhängigkeitjudicial independence
- Courts decide according to law rather than political instructions.