(de-news.net) – President of the Bundestag Julia Klöckner (CDU) has reaffirmed her call for a renewed reform of the German electoral law. She emphasized that the amendments made during the previous legislative period should be revisited and further refined. Klöckner stated that she had formally requested the parliamentary groups of the CDU/CSU to address the matter and initiate discussions on how best to proceed with the reform.

The preceding traffic light coalition — comprising the SPD, the Greens, and the FDP — had introduced significant changes to the Bundestag electoral system aimed at reducing the overall size of the German federal parliament. As a result of the reform, the number of seats in the Bundestag was decreased from 735 to 630. However, this reduction was achieved by eliminating the system of overhang and leveling mandates, mechanisms previously designed to ensure proportional representation. Consequently, this led to the notable outcome that 23 candidates who had won their constituencies outright were not awarded their direct mandates.

From the outset, the Union parties voiced strong opposition to the revised legislation, arguing that it undermined core democratic principles. Klöckner has now reiterated that concern, criticizing the reform for diminishing the value and impact of the first vote, which traditionally allows voters to directly elect their local representatives. She declined to present a reform proposal of her own at this stage and pointed out that a sufficient number of suggestions and models for possible revisions have already been put forward and should be thoroughly examined.