Dรผsseldorf,Germany – In a historic move,the CDU,SPD,Greens,and FDP parliamentary groups in North โขRhine-Westphalia (NRW) have jointly announced their commitment to โขlowering the state’s voting ageโ to 16 for state elections. The parties intend toโฃ bring a draft law to theโ state parliament โin the upcomingโข plenary week, requiringโ a two-thirds majority to amend โฃthe state constitution. If accomplished, 16- andโ 17-year-olds will be eligible to vote in โNRW’s next stateโข election in โ2027.
Currently, 16- and 17-year-olds in Germany can only participate โin Europeanโฃ elections. while several German states – Baden-Wรผrttemberg, brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania – already โallow 16-year-olds to vote inโ state elections, NRW presently onlyโฃ permits this for local elections. This โคlatest push marks a renewed effort after previous attempts failed in 2016 and 2022.
“Young people are interested โขin politics, theyโ actively shape and getโ involved โin theโฃ publicโค opinion formation process,” stated CDU parliamentary group leader Thorstenโ Schick, alongsideโ Jochen Ott (SPD), โVerena Schรคffer and Wibkeโ Bremsโ (Greens), and Henning Hรถnen (FDP).
The current stateโฃ parliament holds the necessary โฃtwo-thirds majority – approximately 128 votes – with the CDUโฃ holding โค76 โmandates, SPD โ56, Greens 39, FDP 12, โand AfD 12.โฃ The proposed change fulfills aโข pledge โขmade in the โขcurrent NRW coalition agreement between the CDU and Greens. Previous roadblocks centered on disagreements within the governing parties, with past blame directed at former CDU parliamentaryโฃ group leader Arminโ Laschet.