Constituency reform: Möller and Rohde warn of regional disadvantages!

Constituency reform: Möller and Rohde warn of regional disadvantages!

What is behind the new proposals for constituency division? The planned proposal from the Bundestag constituency commission is currently causing a stir, particularly in the Friesland, Wilhelmshaven and Wittmund regions. The proposed changes envisage adding the municipalities of Westerstede and Apen to the Friesland – Wilhelmshaven – Wittmund constituency. SPD MPs Siemtje Möller and Dennis Rohde make it clear that they consider this proposal to be suboptimal. Möller emphasizes that the new layout would extend to different districts without taking local structures into account, which – she fears – could disrupt existing regional structures.

Rohde expresses concerns about the practical work on site and makes it clear that he sees no urgent need for action to redefine the area. The current population figures show that the Oldenburg-Ammerland constituency is above average at 14.3 percent, while the Friesland - Wilhelmshaven - Wittmund constituency is 10.9 percent below. However, a new delimitation is only necessary if the deviations are more than 15 percent, according to the Federal Election Law.

Constituency division at a glance

The division of constituencies is regulated by Section 3 of the Federal Elections Act. According to the bpb, the number of Bundestag mandates depends on the number of constituencies in the entire federal territory. Today these are divided into 299 constituencies. In recent years there have been several reforms that have required adjustments to constituency boundaries, mostly due to population developments or municipal area changes.

What does the situation look like for the 2025 federal election? The last major redistricting took place in March 2024, with a total of 16 constituencies being redefined. The focus is on making the constituencies proportional to the population. A deviation of more than 15 percent from the average must be required for a new delimitation, as can also be found on the website of the Federal Returning Officer.

Population development and internal structures

But what happens when population numbers change? For example, the Unterems constituency was classified as in urgent need of reorganization with a deviation of 17.6 percent above average. Here the constituency commission proposes to move some municipalities such as Haselünne and Herzlake to this constituency in order to ensure balanced representation.

There are also further changes on the agenda: In Oldenburger Münsterland, Garrel and Bösel are to be transferred to the Delmenhorst-Wesermarsch-Oldenburg-Land constituency. The joint municipality of Harpstedt, the city of Wildeshausen and the municipality of Dötlingen are also affected and are to be relocated to the Diepholz-Nienburg constituency.

However, the focus now is on how these changes affect rural areas. Möller and Rohde fear that these areas in particular could be severely disadvantaged if regional structures are not taken into account. This discussion is not only locally relevant, but also reflects larger challenges associated with the interplay between local structures and political interests.