The controversial electoral law reform to reduce the size of the Bundestag can come into force. Federal President Steinmeier passed the law according to information from the ARD Capital Studios signed.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, according to information from ARD Capital Studios signed the law on the controversial electoral reform. It was previously checked in the Office of the Federal President: not for the political content, but whether the law conforms with the Basic Law. Steinmeier’s experts come to the conclusion: yes, it is. The law will be published in the Federal Law Gazette next week and can then come into force.
The Federal President is not publicly commenting on his decision today. The Office of the Federal President expresses regret that the parties represented in the Bundestag did not succeed in finding a broad consensus on the reform of the electoral law in the last and current legislative period. Broad agreement is important for acceptance.
With the votes of the traffic light groups SPD, Greens, FDP and some AfD MPs, the electoral law reform was passed in the Bundestag in March, Union and Left voted against.
“Total failure as supervisory authority”
The opposition is angry about Steinmeier’s signature. “It’s a total failure as a control body. Here, three governing parties have knitted their own right to vote from which only they themselves benefit,” says Jan Korte, the first parliamentary director of the Left Party parliamentary group ARD Capital Studio.
Alexander Dobrindt, chairman of the CSU state group in the Bundestag, is now hoping for Karlsruhe. “I regret that the Federal President did not use his opportunities to work towards a fair and constitutional electoral law. We will immediately file a lawsuit against this disrespectful law and this electoral manipulation of the traffic light with the constitutional court.”
The traffic light coalition, on the other hand, is pleased that it has been possible to push through a reform of the electoral law. “Today’s signature of the Federal President under the reform of the electoral law ends the blockade of the Union with numerous cross-shots by the CSU, which for years only had its own advantage in mind,” said Dirk Wiese, deputy chairman of the SPD parliamentary group.
Downsizing of the Bundestag
The Bundestag is to be reduced in size as a result of the electoral law reform. The law provides for 630 seats, currently there are 736 MPs. Many of them came into the Bundestag through overhang and compensation mandates. They should now be gone.