The Bundestag Shrinks: German Electoral Law Reform Approved by Federal Constitutional Court

For years, there has been consensus across parties that the Bundestag, Germany’s lower house of parliament, has been too large and costly. In March 2023, the ruling parties passed a new electoral law to limit the number of seats to 630, despite opposition from the CDU/CSU and others who feared losing seats. The Federal Constitutional Court upheld most of the reform, but declared the 5% clause incompatible with the constitution.

The Left Party and CSU are celebrating as the ruling benefits parties winning direct mandates in constituencies but falling short of the 5% threshold. Looking ahead to the 2025 election, the government may need to further amend the law to comply with the court’s decision. While the government and experts see the ruling as a success, the CDU/CSU has criticized it and threatened to reverse if they win the next election.

Despite a leak before the ruling announcement, the Court’s decision marks a significant step in reforming Germany’s electoral system. The government now faces the task of fine-tuning the law before the next election.

Originally written in German.

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