The Union will repeal the electoral reform introduced by the Green-Left coalition if they win the election. “We will not sign a coalition agreement that does not include the repeal of the electoral reform” said Johann Wadephul, vice chairman of the Union’s parliamentary group, to the “New Osnabrück Times” (Wednesday edition).
This is an “unconditional requirement” and will also be included in the Union’s election program. The new electoral law, passed by the Greens and Left, means that not every direct candidate who wins in a constituency automatically enters the Bundestag.
Instead, in a state, only a certain number of successful direct candidates from a party will be eligible, corresponding to the party’s second-vote share. If a party has more winners in the constituencies, the ones with the worst percentage results will not enter the Bundestag.
The constitutional court has largely approved the reform, which aims to reduce the number of Bundestag members from the current 733 to a permanent 630.
Wadephul, however, considers the reform introduced by the Greens and Left to be wrong: “If a democratically elected person in the constituency is not elected to the Bundestag in the end, many voters and election campaigners will feel misled” he told the NOZ. Instead, he suggests fewer and larger constituencies to reduce the number of members.