Parliament expresses concern over insufficient room availability
Germany's Bundestag Faces Challenges with Delayed Completion of New Parliamentary Building
The anticipated growth of the German Bundestag following this Sunday's election is causing concern, as the completion of the new parliamentary building is delayed. According to reports from Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, this delay may impact the immediate work arrangements for the new members.
The current number of members in the Bundestag stands at 709, but it is expected to increase after the election. The normal size of the Bundestag is 598, which is already exceeded by 111 parliamentarians, making the new building necessary. The Bundestag administration has stated that the new building could potentially accommodate up to 840 members, but issues may arise if there are more members.
Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) has expressed his concerns about the expected numbers of members. The Grand Coalition's failure to fundamentally reform the electoral system could lead to the Bundestag continuing to grow due to increasing overhang and equalization mandates. Calculations suggest that there could be anywhere from 837 to 949 members in the new Bundestag.
The FDP and Greens expect there could be 837 members, while other calculations suggest a larger number. The reason for the lack of immediate office availability is due to the construction of the new parliamentary building. The construction is not expected to be completed until the end of the year.
In the meantime, the factions are likely to offer provisional shared offices to new members, similar to what happened after the last federal election. Each newly elected member will receive IT equipment and a phone number shortly after the election, allowing them to start working immediately. However, they may have to work without their own offices until the completion of the new parliamentary building.
The delay in the completion of the new parliamentary building may also affect the constitutive session of the Bundestag, scheduled for October 26, with faction meetings to follow in the following week. The responsibility for providing additional office space in the event of a larger Bundestag, when the new parliamentary building constructions are not yet completed, lies with the federal government (Bundesregierung).
The specific body or office directly responsible for interim office space provision is typically a federal administrative authority under the Bundestag or the respective federal ministry overseeing parliamentary infrastructure. The Bundestag Vice-President, Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP), expects around 840 offices to be available by the end of the year with the completion of the modular building.
Despite these challenges, the Bundestag plenary hall has greater capacities, but committees may face challenges with an increased number of members. The capacity of some faction and committee rooms is only flexible to a certain extent. Nevertheless, the new members of the Bundestag are eager to begin their work and contribute to the democratic process in Germany.
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