German Green party proposes bundled elections to cut political fatigue

The Bundestag Vice-President and Green Party politician Omid Nouripour has proposed bundling Germany’s elections to ease what he describes as the “breathlessness” of the country’s political calendar.

Nouripour suggested extending the Bundestag’s legislative term from four to five years and holding all state elections on a single day halfway through the federal term, Caliber.Az reports per German media.

He also proposed combining federal and municipal elections on the same day, reducing the number of election campaigns in any given year.

“We have one state election after another. The maximum time between campaigns is just six months,” Nouripour said. “This leaves politics and party headquarters completely breathless.”

Currently, the Bundestag is elected every four years, while state parliaments – with the exception of Bremen – hold elections every five years.

Next year alone, five state elections are scheduled across four separate dates, in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Implementing Nouripour’s plan would require a constitutional amendment to extend the Bundestag’s term, needing a two-thirds majority in both the Bundestag and Bundesrat. State election dates are set individually under each state’s constitution.

Supporters argue the changes would allow politicians more time to implement policies and reduce voter fatigue, while critics may view the proposal as politically ambitious and difficult to achieve.

By Aghakazim Guliyev