Reducing Bundestag's size and ensuring fair elections, as proposed by Stephan Brandner
In a recent development, Julia Klöckner, the President of Germany's Bundestag, has advocated for a reform of the country's electoral law. The focus of her proposals is to restore the integrity of direct mandates by revisiting and refining recent changes.
Klöckner's criticism centres around the reform implemented by the traffic light coalition (SPD, Greens, FDP), which reduced the number of Bundestag seats from 735 to 630. This reduction, she argues, has resulted in 23 directly elected candidates not receiving their mandates, a situation she believes undermines democratic principles and diminishes the value of the first vote.
While Klöckner has not presented a concrete proposal yet, she insists that the existing suggestions for reform should be carefully examined and the issue urgently addressed by parliamentary groups, particularly the CDU/CSU.
Regarding the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's response to Klöckner's proposals, no direct information or explicit statements from AfD leaders on her electoral reform proposals or their stance on them could be found in the available sources.
However, the AfD party has expressed its focus on realistic savings and implementing the voter's will in any further reform to the electoral law. Stephan Brandner, deputy federal speaker of the AfD party, is open to discussions about improvements to the electoral law and emphasises that political parties' individual interests should not play a role in the design of the electoral system.
Brandner, a member of the AfD party, has also highlighted the importance of the opposition's involvement in these discussions, and the need for a consensus on the electoral law without backroom deals.
The discussions about improvements to the electoral law are currently taking place in the Bundestag, with Klöckner and Brandner at the forefront. It is worth noting that the coalition agreement includes proposals for changes to the electoral law, and Klöckner's proposed changes are part of these agreements.
As the debate unfolds, it remains to be seen how the AfD party will respond more explicitly to Klöckner's proposals and whether a consensus can be reached on this important issue.
- Julia Klöckner, as the President of Germany's Bundestag, has voiced her concerns about the integration of the traffic light coalition's policy-and-legislation on electoral reform within general-news, stating that the reduced number of Bundestag seats has diminished the value of the first vote and undermined democratic principles.
- Stephan Brandner, a member of the AfD party, has expressed his concern for the issue of electoral law reform within politics, advocating for a balanced and fair electoral system that reflects the voter's will, while emphasizing the importance of the opposition's involvement and avoiding backroom deals.
