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Bundestag evades legal action by AfD

Germany's peak judicial body, the Federal Constitutional Court, is at the center of a lawsuit concerning the removal of parliament members.

, and ASMedia

2025 September 22 . 11:56 AM

2 min read

Bundestag evades legal action by AfD

The Bundestag, the heart of German democracy, is where members of parliament work to make decisions for all citizens of Germany. The members, mostly affiliated with political parties, are elected every four years through a federal election.

In the 2017 federal election, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured a place in the Bundestag. Since then, the party's stance on various issues has been a topic of much debate.

The number of committees a party gets in the Bundestag is determined by the result of the last federal election. As a result of the 2017 election, the AfD is entitled to lead three committees. However, the other parties have not elected AfD politicians to lead any committees, citing the party's far-right stance.

The leadership of committees is distributed among the parties in the Bundestag. This distribution was made freely following a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court in 1977. The court, one of the most important in Germany, located in Karlsruhe, reviews whether the constitution, known as the Basic Law, is being upheld. In this case, the court ruled that committees may freely choose their leadership.

The AfD's stance on issues such as immigration and Islam has been a point of contention for many politicians from other parties, who find it xenophobic and do not want to work with them. Despite this, the AfD has managed to secure a place in the Bundestag, initially being against the euro but later mainly protesting against refugees and Islam.

In a federal election, citizens vote for the Bundestag, which makes the laws for Germany. With the first vote, one chooses a specific person, and with the second vote, one chooses a party. The party with the most votes may send the most members of parliament to the Bundestag.

The AfD's claim to the leadership of any committee, however, has no basis due to this ruling. The leadership of the committees in the Bundestag was freely elected following the Federal Constitutional Court's ruling in 1977. This ruling, published on October 16, 1977, was referenced in the Bundestag plenary protocol from October 20, 1977.

In conclusion, the distribution of committee leadership in the Bundestag is a reflection of the party landscape in Germany and the stances they take on various issues. The AfD, despite its presence in the Bundestag, has not been able to secure leadership positions due to the opposition from other parties and the court's ruling on the matter.