Updated June 29, 2020, 5:39 p.m.
Big, bigger, Bundestag – the parliament threatens to burst at the seams at the next election. But the urgently needed reform of the electoral law and thus the composition of the people’s representation threatens to fail due to the fear of losing the parties. The CSU is the biggest scapegoat for the others. Green leader Habeck speaks of “hostage detention”.
598 MPs usually sit in the Bundestag. At the moment, however, there are many more, namely 709. The growing number comes from the overhang mandates that parties receive when they gain more direct mandates – and through compensation mandates that the other parties receive in return.
There is agreement among the parties that further swellings in the Bundestag should be prevented. The solution to the problem is extremely controversial. If nothing changes, it is predicted that over 800 or, in extreme cases, even 900 MPs could sit in the Bundestag in the next legislative period.
No party wants to cut itself
Various solutions were put forward by the individual parties, but the problem is inherent in the system: MEPs could cut their own flesh by reducing the size, so they risk not making the leap into parliament in the next federal election.
The has also become very current CSU brought into the discussion: the Christian Socialists, who could only be elected in Bavaria, had so far categorically rejected a reduction in the number of constituencies; after all, they cleared 46 out of 46 possible direct mandates in the last Bundestag election in 2017.
CSU proposal: ceiling of 699 members of the Bundestag
Now, a proposal from the CSU presented to the German Press Agency provides for the one-time application of a maximum limit of 699 MPs for the 2021 Bundestag election. According to this, some of the deputies are to be elected in the 299 constituencies as before. In addition there would be a maximum of 400 list mandates. If the maximum limit of 699 is exceeded, the number of deputies should be reduced in relation to the groups.
In a second step, the CSU proposes to limit the size of the Bundestag from 2025 by reducing the number of constituencies and without overhang seats.
FDP and Greens accuse CSU of diversions
From the perspective of the FDP and the Greens, the proposal should not be taken seriously and is unconstitutional. “The CSU just wants to distract from its blockade on the right to vote,” said the first parliamentary director of the FDP parliamentary group, Marco Buschmann, of the German Press Agency in Berlin. She wanted to reduce the size by leaving the number of constituencies the same and cutting list mandates. “This only serves the interests of the CSU and is also unconstitutional because it distorts the election result.”
The first parliamentary manager of the Green Group, Britta Haßelmann, accused the Union and the entire coalition of not having submitted a robust proposal or draft law to date. “Now the CSU simulates willingness to compromise. But what the CSU does is not a serious new proposal for the electoral law reform, but cold coffee.” It would mean that after the next election, the Bundestag would be composed differently than the second vote result. “We no longer have time for such transparent maneuvers.”
Habeck: “Hostage detention by the CSU” – Söder should fix it
Greens boss Robert Habeck criticized that the CSU blocked an electoral law reform that was appropriate to the idea of democratic representation. Habeck emphasized that the question of electoral law reform was not only a question of the CSU regional group in the Bundestag, but also a question of party leadership. If Söder does not intervene as party leader, one has to assume that the blockade of the CSU is a blockade of Markus Söder be.
“Markus Söder personally is asked at this point. He has to get involved,” he said in Berlin on Monday. In this context, Habeck spoke of a “hostage detention that is now happening here at the CSU”.
Brinkhaus’s proposal would probably be unconstitutional
Another suggestion came from the ranks of the CDU: Faction leader Ralph Brinkhaus plans to limit the Bundestag to a maximum of 750 deputiesAFP reported on Sunday. While the SPD generally gave positive signals, the CSU criticized the plans as unconstitutional.
The constitutional lawyer and former judge at the Federal Constitutional Court, Udo di Fabio, also sees the Brinkhaus plans as unconstitutional, according to a report by the “Bild” newspaper (Monday edition).
In a report, di Fabio wrote that the proposal not only violated the system decision for a personalized proportional representation, but also the principle of equality of choice, the immediacy of choice and the principle of democracy.
Thierse sees “tragicomic drama” and fears “disgrace”
Former President of the Bundestag Wolfgang Thierse (SPD) meanwhile has warned of a disgraceful failure of the electoral law reform. “The Bundestag offers a tragicomic spectacle,” said Thierse to the editorial network Germany (Tuesday editions). “I’m outraged at it.”
The CSU was responsible for the current standstill. “I blame the CSU alone for refusing to reduce the number of constituencies,” said Thierse. If it stays that way, it would be “a disgrace”.
His successors Norbert Lammert and Wolfgang Schäuble (both CDU) had worked together on a reform for around ten years without this having been fruitful, the SPD politician complained. He called on the political groups to free their members from voting on the electoral reform. He hardly sees any other solution. (hub / dpa / afp)
The large groups in the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament want to forego their regular increase in diet this year. The Bundestag also plans to pass its members’ waiver this week.
–
– .
