Micro parties are making their way into the European Parliament.
In the European elections, Germany does not have a five-percent threshold, unlike in Bundestag, Landtag, or municipal elections. This opens up the opportunity for underdog parties to make their way into parliament. This might change in the future.
Several minor parties in Germany might be represented in the European Parliament following the elections. These include but are not limited to the pro-European Volt Party, estimated to have garnered 2.5 to 3.0 percent of the votes. The Free Voters, the Animal Welfare Party, the Family Party, the Ecological-Democratic Party (ODP), and the Satire Party Die Partei could all potentially join the ranks of the EU Parliament.
Unlike in Bundestag or Landtag elections, there is no threshold in Germany for the European elections. In theory, even less than one percent of the votes could be enough to send a representative to the EU Parliament.
Based on estimations from ARD and ZDF, Volt could secure two to three seats, the Free Voters could receive the same number, depending on the specific calculations. The Animal Welfare Party might gain one or two seats, while the Family Party and the ODP might each get one seat. The Satire Party Die Partei is likely to have two seats in the European Parliament, as was the case in the 2019 elections.
This diversity in the parliamentary landscape is a result of a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court in 2011. The court deemed that the existing five-percent threshold for the European elections was unconstitutional, as it violated the equal chances of parties. Nonetheless, there are discussions about reintroducing a threshold.
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The European elections provide an opportunity for micro parties to challenge established governments and parties, as seen in Germany where various minor parties could potentially enter the EU Parliament. This increased representation of diverse views in the European Parliament is a result of the 2011 ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court, which deemed the five-percent threshold for the European elections as unconstitutional.
