Thorsten Faas: Professor of Political Sociology of the Federal Republic of Germany at the Otto Suhr Institute of the FU Berlin
Thorsten Faas, born in 1975, is a professor of political sociology of the Federal Republic of Germany at the Otto Suhr Institute of the FU Berlin. His research focuses on elections, electoral law, election campaigns, and election studies.
The New Electoral Law: Avoiding XXL Parliaments
The upcoming Bundestag election on Sunday will be the first to be held under the new electoral law that the traffic light coalition parties passed in March 2023. One of the main goals of the reform was to prevent future XXL parliaments. This has been achieved: the next German Bundestag will have exactly 630 members, no more and no less.
However, this certainty comes at a price. The large parliaments with over 700 members were previously caused by overhang and compensation mandates.
Overhang Mandates and Compensation Mandates
Overhang mandates occur when a party wins more direct mandates in a state than it is entitled to according to its share of the second vote. For example, if a party wins 10 direct mandates in a state but only gets 8% of the second vote, it would receive two overhang mandates.
Compensation mandates are used to ensure that the Bundestag reflects the proportion of votes cast for each party. If a party wins more direct mandates than it is entitled to, it must give up some of these mandates to other parties.
The Consequences of the New Electoral Law
The new electoral law has abolished overhang mandates. This means that a party can no longer win more direct mandates than it is entitled to according to its share of the second vote.
As a result, the number of members of the Bundestag will be reduced from 736 to 630. This is the smallest Bundestag since 1957.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Reform
The new electoral law has several advantages. It makes the Bundestag more representative of the will of the people, as it ensures that the proportion of members of parliament reflects the proportion of votes cast for each party.
The reduction in the number of members of the Bundestag will also make it easier for the parliament to function. A smaller parliament is more efficient and less prone to gridlock.
However, the reform also has some disadvantages. The abolition of overhang mandates could lead to a decrease in the diversity of the Bundestag. In the past, overhang mandates often went to candidates from smaller parties or independent candidates.
The Impact of the New Electoral Law on the Upcoming Election
The new electoral law is likely to have a significant impact on the upcoming Bundestag election. The smaller Bundestag will make it more difficult for smaller parties to enter parliament. Furthermore, the abolition of overhang mandates could lead to a more fragmented parliament, as it will be more difficult for any one party to win a majority of seats.
The new electoral law is a major change to the German electoral system. It is too early to say what the long-term consequences of the reform will be. However, it is clear that the upcoming Bundestag election will be a watershed moment in German politics.
