In an open letter to the Bundestag, more than one hundred state lawyers from Germany appeal to reform the Federal Electoral Law, thereby significantly reducing the number of MPs again.
The huge size of the Bundestag with 709 members impaired its function and cause unnecessary additional costs, it is said in a letter from the lawyers. The numerous overhanging and balancing mandates meant that at present 111 MPs were more in parliament than the Federal Electoral Law normally provides. If the electoral law is not adjusted in time, it could even be more than 800 members after the next election.
At the same time, suffrage, as the most important form of democratic expression, paradoxically has an almost democratizing effect, the experts said. It had become so complicated that hardly any voters understand what his two votes ultimately caused.
Called for reform "in fear for the reputation of democracy"
The Bundestag should therefore immediately reform the federal electoral law and adapt it to the new circumstances, so that the number of deputies in the next election is reduced to the normal size of 598. There are already reform proposals that could be made without a costly change in the electoral districts and could therefore be realized in a timely manner.
The demand restrictions on members of all parties, it says in the joint letter. In the interests of the ability to act and reform the Bundestag, however, these would have to be accepted. "Concerned about the reputation of democracy, we appeal to the German Bundestag to begin the reform of the federal election law soon."
In no case should the impression arise that "many Members would delay the urgently needed changes, because their own shirt is more important to them than the common good skirt - that would severely shake people's trust in our democracy."