Germany's MMP Electoral System and Its Reform with Armin Schäfer

Rules of the Game – discussing democratic institutions

With Armin Schäfer I discuss Germany's mixed member proportional electoral system and its current reform. We compare the old and the prospective new electoral system, and we explore what the most important and the most controversial changes are. Armin Schäfer shares not only historical context of the character of Germany’s political system but also his opinions on the reform process.

Important to mention is that just a few days ago, at the end of July 2024, the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany ruled that the electoral law passed by the German parliament in March 2023 is, in principle, in accordance with the Basic Law. However, the basic mandate clause, which was supposed to be abolished, must remain in place. This is especially important for smaller parties with strong regional representation that fail to cross the 5% electoral threshold that is also in place.

I recorded this discussion with Armin Schäfer before the ruling of the Constitutional Court. This means that while the arguments we make are absolutely relevant and valid, we were not able to anticipate the timing or outcome of the court ruling.

Armin Schäfer is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Mainz in Germany, with his research interests at the intersection of comparative political economy, democracy research and political theory. His recent research agenda focused on the interplay of social and political inequality, voter turnout, representation and responsiveness. Between 2018 and 2021 Armin Schäfer was head of the German Political Science Association (DVPW).

⁠⁠Find a full transcript and links to all material discussed in the show notes⁠⁠.⁠

Schedule: 00:00 Introduction / 03:37 Personal questions / 06:34 Main discussion / 31:57 The reform / 52:09 Recommendations by Armin Schäfer.

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Many thanks to Ana Margarida Santos who co-produced this episode.

Please enjoy this conversation with Armin Schäfer.