Berlin
In almost all federal states, elections are held every five years. The electoral period in the Bundestag lasts four years. Why that might change.
Will the election period increased from four to five years for the German Bundestag? The necessary majority for this is now available. But there are still no concrete implementation plans.
On Thursday evening, the Bundestag Commission voted to reform the Bundestag elections and to modernize the parliamentary work away. The CDU/CSU also agreed to the proposal by the SPD, Greens and FDP. It is still unclear for which election the reform could apply for the first time, reports the German Press Agency.
More time for reforms
“With an additional year, the legislature would have more time for the implementation of structural The reformwithout being interrupted by the phase of government formation and the election campaign,” said the FDP chairman in the commission, Konstantin Kuhle, the dpa. In all federal states – except Bremen – and in the European Parliament, it lasts election period already five years.
“With a five year old election period the democratic legitimacy would still be adequately guaranteed.” The decision to downsize the Bundestag has shown that Parliament is capable of reforming itself. “Only after this has been achieved is an extension of the electoral period indicated,” says Kuhle.
More on this: Electoral reform: who would no longer sit in the Bundestag
Union agrees to traffic light proposal
The Union had already shown during the deliberations of the Commission that it was open to an extension of the electoral term. But only in the last meeting did their chairman Ansgar Heveling agree to the traffic light proposal. “A moderate extension of one year gives the opportunity to be more continuous and stable legislative work to be able to do,” said Heveling.
SPD chairman Sebastian Hartmann argued similarly. “I believe that by adapting the electoral periods get into a situation in which the phase for parliamentary work is getting longer,” he said on “Zeit-Online”.
In order to extend the legislative period, that would have to be constitution be changed. Article 39 there stipulates that elections take place every four years. A two-thirds majority is required for an amendment to the Basic Law, which is why the traffic light requires the support of the CDU/CSU.
Time of the law change is still unclear
It is still unclear when the proposal will actually be implemented. “You have to see how this is done in concrete terms, but in principle we are open to the topic,” said Union chairman Heveling. It should be emphasized, however, that this is only one Commission recommendation act and not a legislative mandate. “The decision-making process in the parliamentary group is still pending.”
FDP politician Kuhle pointed out that the legislature should also consider reducing voting rights to 16 years. In addition, a simplification of the right to vote for im Abroad living Germans are reconsidered. “In view of the international mobility of many people, it is no longer up-to-date to combine the right to vote for Germans living abroad with considerable bureaucratic hurdles.”
The final report states that the proportion of Germans living abroad who take part in elections is very small. The Bundestag should discuss how this can be changed. For example, a simplification of the voting registration of Germans living abroad and the digital application for absentee voting records. (ari)
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