Germany's Election Reform Pushes for Gender Parity and Lower Voting Age

"For the SPD women's organization, I can say this clearly: no electoral reform without parity," Carmen Wegge, the group's federal chair, told Stern magazine.

A reform of electoral law without gender parity would fall short of the demands of our time, the Social Democrat argued. "Women's expectations are clear: it's time to take the next step."

The black-red coalition government has agreed in its coalition treaty to reform the existing federal election system and established a commission for the task. It has also set out two key review mandates: examining how "equal representation" of women in parliament can be ensured and whether the voting age should be lowered to 16.

The Women's Union of the CDU took a more cautious stance on mandatory parity rules. "I fundamentally support parity, but there are constitutional hurdles," federal chair Nina Warken (CDU) told the news magazine. "Our goal must be a stable electoral system."

The CDU politician called for proposals to ensure that all directly elected members of parliament can take their seats in the Bundestag. The current cap on seats, she argued, had prevented eight female lawmakers from entering parliament. "We are missing this female representation at the local level, in the constituencies," Warken said.