CSU files a constitutional complaint against electoral law reform

Munich

One day after the Bundestag’s decision on electoral law reform, A.P CSU I decided to file a constitutional complaint. The decision to switch the CSU board on Saturday was made unanimously, participants reported. The CSU President and the Prime Minister announced that a constitutional complaint – such as a lawsuit by the Bavarian state government – should be filed before the summer holidays. Marcus Soder in.

Traffic light parties SPDand green and FDP Electoral reform was on Friday with the majority in Bundestag Forced – against bitter resistance, especially from the CSU and the Left Party.

From 736 to 630 states

With the reform, the Bundestag, which has grown to 736 deputies, will be permanently reduced to 630 seats from the next elections in 2025. This must be achieved by relieving the burden of mandates and compensation. So far, these have caused the Bundestag to become increasingly swollen. According to the new rules, it can happen in the future that an applicant wins his constituency outright, but is still unable to join the Bundestag. This angers CSU in particular.

In addition, a strict five percent clause must be applied. The so-called basic authorization clause does not apply. So far, it has ensured that parties with strength as a result of their second vote in the Bundestag also enter the Bundestag if they are less than five percent but have won at least three direct mandates. The Left Party benefited from that in 2021. Depending on the outcome of the election, deleting the clause could also have consequences for the CSU, whose direct candidates traditionally win most constituencies in Bavaria. If it falls below five percent nationally, it will be expelled from the Bundestag.

Soder: An Attack on Democracy

“This is an attack on democracy and federalism,” Sodder said after the CSU board switch. “On democracy, because directly elected members of parliament will no longer sit in the German Bundestag, that will then be decided by another committee. And about federalism, because entire regions like Bavaria may no longer exist.” Soder criticized that the traffic light parties are not concerned with reducing the size of the Bundestag, but rather with weakening the opposition and Bavaria. He said it could be “justified by nearly nine million votes,” a flagrant violation of state and federal principles. And the CSU is essentially “deprived of the right to exist.”

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