Berlin, Germany – The chair of the Left, Sahra Wagenknecht, has called on critics of the black-red financial package to prevent the planned decision on Tuesday by blocking the special session in the old Bundestag. The Left party would need to, like the AfD, request the convening of the new Bundestag, according to Wagenknecht, speaking to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.
The Federal Constitutional Court, in its rejection of the emergency applications, once again highlighted the point that the new Bundestag must convene if a third of the members demand it, Wagenknecht said to the RND. “Then the old Bundestag may no longer meet and also may not decide on anything.”
Wagenknecht called on the Left party to take this step to prevent “the largest debt and rearmament program in the history of the Federal Republic.” The former chair of the Left’s faction said that her former party does not need to work together with the AfD for this. “It should simply inform the President of the Bundestag that it is demanding the immediate convening of the new Bundestag” Wagenknecht said to the RND. “How sincere is her rejection of rearmament if she does not use this opportunity?”
Article 39 of the Basic Law states: “The Bundestag shall be elected for a term of four years, subject to the following provisions. Its term of office ends with the convening of a new Bundestag.” Paragraph 3 also regulates that the Bundestag determines the end and the resumption of its sessions and the President of the Bundestag can call it earlier. He is obliged to do so if one-third of the members, the Federal President, or the Federal Chancellor demand it.
Of the 630 seats in the new, 21st Bundestag, the AfD and the Left party together hold 216 seats, a third of which is 210 seats.
After the Budget Committee of the old Bundestag recommended on Sunday that the necessary changes to the Basic Law for additional debt takings be adopted, a special session is now planned for Tuesday.