Germany's 21st Bundestag faces a historic shift in parliamentary composition
In short: The 21st Bundestag, elected on 23 February 2025, marks a significant departure from previous sessions. For the first time, the parliament operates with a fixed limit of 630 members, a reduction from the 733 members that sat in the 20th Bundestag under former proportional regulations.
The composition of the 21st Bundestag reflects a highly fragmented political landscape. The CDU/CSU (Union) holds the largest presence with 208 members, followed by the AfD with 152 seats. The SPD holds 120 seats, the Greens have 85, The Left has 64, and the SSW, representing the Danish regional minority, holds one seat. This session also saw a historic moment for the Chancellery: Friedrich Merz (CDU) failed to secure the required absolute majority of votes in his first round of voting on 6 May 2025, a first in German history. The session officially commenced on 25 March. This followed a period where the previous parliament amended the constitution. Julia Klöckner currently serves as the President of the Bundestag.
Internal dynamics are complicated by the presence of the AfD, which has been a fixture in the Bundestag since 2017. Despite the parliamentary rule that each faction is entitled to one Vice-President, no AfD candidate has ever been approved, even though some have served as state parliament Vice-Presidents. This is due to a 'firewall' policy maintained by other parties. As of October 2025, the AfD had failed in five ballot attempts to seat a Vice-President, often receiving only a few dozen votes from other factions.
The political climate was further unsettled by intelligence assessments. The BfV labelled the AfD a 'confirmed right-wing extremist' group on 2 May 2025. Only seven days later, the BfV paused this designation. Amidst these tensions, Sieghard Knodel left the AfD faction following the intelligence agency's announcement.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 21st Bundestag
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