Karlsruhe checks voting rights reform: What is at stake for the parties

Karlsruhe checks voting rights reform: What is at stake for the parties

The reform of the Bundestag voting law, which has been in force for about a year and is to be used for the first time in the Bundestag election in the coming year, is on the legal tilt. At the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe, the new regulation was recently put to the test. The lawsuit comes from various political parties and private individuals who express concerns about constitutionality.

The background of the voting right reform

The reform of the right to vote aims to reduce the number of deputies in the Bundestag in order to make the political landscape more effective. The Bundestag had already reached a record size in the 2021 election with 736 members and is therefore the largest freely chosen parliament in the world. A previous reform of 2020, which pursued a similar intention, turned out to be ineffective. Instead of an actual reduction, it only led to the growth of the number of deputies being steamed.

The new regulations in detail

In order to limit the number of members to a maximum of 630, the current reform was abolished both the overhang and the compensation mandate. These mandates are additional seats that a party can receive if it wins more direct mandates in certain constituencies than it would be due to the second vote result. The so -called basic mandate clause, which allowed parties to move into the Bundestag in less than five percent of the second votes, also falls away.

reactions and resistance

The reform is contested by several political actors, including the Union faction, the left and the Bavarian state government. A total of over 4,000 citizens have submitted a constitutional complaint because they feel violated in their fundamental rights. This is particularly important for parties such as the CSU and the left, which could potentially lose sitting in the Bundestag due to the new regulations.

Follow for the CDU and CSU

The Union parties are faced with a changed reality: in the future, the second vote result alone will be crucial for the number of seats in the Bundestag. This could lead to successful direct candidates who receive little support from the second votes. A significant consequence could be the loss of numerous mandates for the CSU, which in the past benefited from overhang mandates.

The effects on the left

For the left, removing the basic mandate clause could have fatal effects. In the past, this regulation has already secured survival in the Bundestag, even when it failed in the last election at the five percent hurdle. The left is currently in a crisis, and the judgment of the Federal Constitutional Court will be crucial for the political future of the party and its MPs.

a legal precedent

The judgment of the Federal Constitutional Court will not only decide on the future of the parties in the Bundestag, but could also have far -reaching implications for future voting rights reforms. In the case of an earlier decision on the right to vote, the complicated rules were criticized, which often remain unclear to voters. It remains to be seen whether the court will initiate a fundamental new review of the right to vote in the course of this new lawsuit.

The upcoming decision will not only influence the political landscape, but also the trust of the citizens in the right of election. The public debate shows how important a transparent and just right to vote for democracy is.

- Nag