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On 22 September 2013, 61.8 million German citizens will be asked to determine the composition of the German Bundestag in its 18th electoral term. Here are five good reasons to turn out to vote. "All state authority is derived from the people," in the words of the Basic Law, the German constitution. This is particularly true of the Bundestag, which is the only organ of the German constitution directly elected by the people.
The Members of the Bundestag represent the public, listen to their problems and requests, and raise them in Parliament – the central forum where differing opinions about the policies the country should be pursuing are formulated and discussed, and where crucial decisions are taken. By voting, the public ensure that the choice of who should represent their interests in Berlin is not left to chance.
The debt crisis, climate change, an ageing society: Germany is facing major political challenges. The approaches proposed by the parties competing in the election are, in some cases, very different.
By casting their vote, voters decide which parties’ political ideas will prevail, rather than leaving Germany’s future to others to determine.
The outcome of the Bundestag elections determines which party can nominate the Federal Chancellor, as a candidate can only be elected with the support of a majority of the Members of Parliament. And so voters are not only deciding on the composition of the new Bundestag – they are also influencing who holds the reins of government in Germany, who chooses the federal ministers and who is responsible for the general guidelines of the Federal Government’s policies.
An expansion of child care, immigration, extra pension payments: the Federal Government can table bills on any number of different subjects. But not a single one can be implemented without Parliament’s consent.
This is because the Bundestag is the German legislature. It passes laws affecting all our lives. By turning out to vote, the public help to decide what kind of society we live in.
Nothing can be achieved in politics without money. And so nothing can be achieved without Parliament – because, like many other parliaments, the Bundestag has the power of the purse: all public spending requires its approval. Particularly at a time when governments are putting together economic stimulus packages worth billions, this power is of vital importance.
At the same time, budgetary policy is one area where the parties have very different views. Which is why the fifth reason to turn out to vote is to have a say in federal spending. (vm/14.09.2013)