Berlin's Bundestag Election to be Partially Redo Due to Chaotic Conditions
The Bundestag election in Berlin must be partially redone, as determined by Germany's Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe. This decision stems from an electoral review complaint lodged by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group within the Bundestag. The atypical voting conditions in Berlin two years ago prompted the complaint: voters waited in long lines, questionable or missing ballots were common, and polling stations occasionally closed early or stayed open late.
In November 2022, the Bundestag, with the support of the SPD, Greens, and FDP, voted to partially redo the election in 327 Berlin constituencies and 104 postal voting districts. The CDU/CSU parliamentary group, however, finds the outcome illegal due to six constituencies being exempt from declaration of election invalidity by the Federal Returning Officer. They argue that more constituencies should be included in the repeat election. The last possible day for this repeat election, as stated by Berlin state election officer Stephan Bröchler, is February 11.
Currently, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group is challenging the legitimacy of the Federal Constitutional Court's decision for a partial redo of the Berlin Bundestag election. They contend that more constituencies should be encompassed in the redo due to the Bundestag's failure to invalidate the election in certain contested areas. While legal proceedings are ongoing, the focus shifts towards the broader political landscape, including Friedrich Merz's migration policies and the CDU's perspective on immigration, as Germany gears up for the upcoming federal election.
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During the 2022 Berlin Bundestag election, numerous controversies and mishaps delayed the process. Protesters gathered in the streets due to the concerns surrounding voter fraud and mishandled ballots. Friedrich Merz, CDU's chairman, even called for a complete rerun of the election. While the court ruled against a full rerun, the challenges posed by Merz and the CDU/CSU parliamentary group helped raise awareness about the potential issues in the election process.
Since the Bundestag election in Berlin, further controversies have arisen within the CDU party. In early February 2023, a longtime CDU official resigned after revealing allegations of electoral fraud during the primary elections in Wiesbaden. These allegations weighed on the party as they approached the federal election in late 2023.
As Germany prepares for its federal election, the focus shifts away from the Berlin Bundestag election controversy and turns towards the pressing issues of climate change, migration, and security.
