German Social Democratic Party (SPD) Seeks to Clarify Parliamentary Rules for Committee Chairs
In a bid to strengthen the Bundestag’s committee leadership, the SPD faction is pushing to introduce clearer rules in the parliamentary’s business order to enable the removal of “unqualified committee chairs.” The party also aims to amend the Members of Parliament Act to grant more authority and financial support to deputy committee chairs if they take on a leadership role.
According to Johannes Fechner, the SPD’s parliamentary manager, the party wants to “establish clear rules for the election and removal of committee chairs” in the Bundestag’s business order. This move comes after the Federal Constitutional Court’s September ruling, which stated that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has no claim to a committee chair and that “unqualified committee chairs” can be removed.
Fechner expressed optimism that the changes could be implemented before the summer break, as the SPD has already reached a broad agreement with the Union on the matter. He emphasized the need to clarify the process for electing and removing committee chairs, which is currently not explicitly regulated in the business order.
The SPD is also seeking to strengthen the role of deputy committee chairs in the event of a vacancy or the temporary absence of the chair due to illness, for example. Currently, deputy chairs only have limited access to the committee’s infrastructure and no entitlement to an office allowance. The SPD wants to ensure that deputy chairs have the same rights as committee chairs if they take on a leadership role, including access to the same resources and financial support.