Local Elections Act Amended Due to Court Decision: Landtag Makes Adjustments
Breaking News: Return to Old Municipal Election Law ## Time-Out for Controversial Regulations | Current Update
00:24 . Valid until 04.06.2027.
As of 04.06.2025, 15:00, the municipal election law has been reset to its old form following a decision by the Constitutional Court in Münster.
By Christoph Ullrich
The shake-up in the municipal election law, implemented by CDU, SPD, Greens in the summer of 2024, has been turned back. The uproar has now settled, and it's business as usual.
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- Why Five Parties Pushed for Overturning the New Municipal Election Law | Read More
In the summer of 2024, the CDU, Greens, and SPD had tinkered with seat allocation formulas. The idea was to help larger parties with more votes, while smaller parties would've been left in the dust. The man behind the brains was Simon Rock of the Greens. His plan had been to reduce council fragmentation and ensure fairness.
Hear the Latest ## Resurrecting the Old Election Law
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Back to the Drawing Board for the New Procedure
Unlike federal and state elections, there's no threshold clause in municipal elections. The age-old debate about an overabundance of small factions in councils has been around for a while. To combat this perceived issue, the so-called "Rock Procedure" was introduced.
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A report commissioned by CDU and Greens, initially withheld from the public, revealed that the new procedure wasn't everything it was cracked up to be. FDP, Volt, Left, The Party, and BSW unleashed a complaint against the regulation, which they won before the State Constitutional Court. The new procedure, according to the majority of constitutional judges, oppressed the interests of smaller parties.
In today's session, the state parliament was forced to reach a unanimous decision to modify the law immediately. The fall election is on the horizon, and there was no time to develop an entirely new, legally sound procedure. So, it's back to the old fashioned and familiar ways for now.
Citizen's Guide:
- Constitutional Court Decision: The Fine Print
- Draft Law by CDU, SPD, Greens, and FDP
- Research Ahead: We've Got You Covered
- The Great Election Debate: Keep up with the Latest | Sign Up Now
Enrichment Data:
The reinstatement of the old municipal election law is a reaction to the Constitutional Court's decision declaring the new law unconstitutional. Smaller parties were significantly disadvantaged under the new procedure. Public and political discussions about electoral reforms may result from the decision, leading to potential further reforms or legal challenges. The reversion to a familiar procedure can help maintain public trust in the electoral system, especially if the new law faced significant opposition.
- The Constitutional Court's decision to declare the new municipal election law unconstitutional has led to a reinstatement of the old law, a move intended to address the significant disadvantage faced by smaller parties under the new procedure.
- The fall election remains in the horizon, as the state parliament was compelled to make a unanimous decision to modify the law immediately, reverting back to the familiar, old-fashioned methods due to the absence of time to develop a new, legally sound procedure.
