North Rhine-Westphalia Restores Old Municipal Election Law Amid Backlash from Smaller Parties
Parliament re-enacts Historical Municipal Election Law - Legislative body reinstates ancient Local Elections Statute
Here's a straightforward take on the situation:
The North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament has recently reverted to the old municipal election law, with a unanimous vote from all government and opposition parties. This decision came after a ruling by the state constitutional court that found an amendment passed in July 2021 to be in violation of smaller parties' rights to equal opportunities.
Before the upcoming municipal elections on September 14, a legal adjustment is necessary to ensure a secure basis for seat calculations. Given the tight deadline, a return to the time-tested, secure, and proven procedure seems most logical.
The constitutional court in Münster was critical of rounding gains in the seat allocation process, which were only assigned to larger parties. The complaints came from the state affiliates of Volt Germany, Pirates, Alliance for Progress and Social Justice, The Left, The Party, and the FDP.
The interior minister for North Rhine-WestPhalia, Herbert Reul (CDU), described the court's ruling as "totally okay" in response to AfD's criticism that the CDU, SPD, and Greens had "tinkered with the election law a bit" to the disadvantage of smaller parties. Reul praised the action taken by the entire parliament to rectify the repealed law across party lines.
Various mathematical models exist for calculating seat allocation in municipal and city councils, based on election results. The election results are rounded after counting votes.
Last summer, CDU, SPD, and Greens agreed on the "Rock procedure" and replaced the seat allocation procedure according to "Sainte-Laguë". While experts agree there can be inaccuracies and injustices in seat allocation with every procedure, the move sparked criticism from smaller parties.
- State parliament
- North Rhine-WestPhalia
- CDU
- SPD
- FDP
- Municipal election
- Düsseldorf
- Debacle
- Opposition factions
- Constitutional court
- AfD
Insights:
- municipal election laws can heavily impact the political landscape, especially for smaller parties;
- proportional representation systems often favor smaller parties;
- lowering or eliminating minimum vote thresholds can make it easier for smaller parties to enter parliament.
The Commission, amid the ongoing debate in policy-and-legislation and general-news, has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation. This move is significant, considering the recent controversy surrounding the municipal election law in North Rhine-WestPhalia, which has sparked debates about fair representation and the importance of policies that favor smaller parties.
