Parliament - Ramelow reaffirms rejection of constitutional correction for election
Nine months before the next state election in Thuringia, head of government Bodo Ramelow (Left Party) has reiterated his opposition to a constitutional amendment for the election of the state premier. SPD leader and Interior Minister Georg Maier had repeatedly called for a constitutional amendment in recent weeks in order to create legal certainty in the third round of voting and prevent a possible AfD Minister President. In an interview with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), Ramelow called this "a strange statement".
"Because it ignores the fact that the SPD or CDU leader could also run in the third ballot - and I say: should run. I did that in 2009 and fulfilled my civic duty. This constitutional amendment is completely superfluous if you put up a different candidate," said Ramelow. In 2009, he ran against CDU politician Christine Lieberknecht in the third round of voting, who received the most yes votes as Minister President due to polarization.
Ramelow warns against "legal quibbles"
According to the Thuringian constitution, if there is only one candidate in the third round of voting, whoever receives the most yes votes is elected - regardless of the number of no votes. The passage has been the subject of debate for years, especially since the government crisis in 2020 with the election of short-term Prime Minister Thomas Kemmerich (FDP).
Ramelow indirectly criticized his coalition partner and deputy prime minister. "If you haven't even run the election campaign yet, you shouldn't already be talking about the defeat and believe that you can only solve the problem in the end through legal quibbles," he told RND. If 30 percent of voters decided that they wanted "blue(AfD) representation", he would find that a political shame. "But then the world still wouldn't have ended. The two thirds of those who did not vote AfD would have to fill democracy with life," says Ramelow.
More influence of citizens on decisions?
"The fear that something undemocratic could happen as an expression of a democratic election makes it clear that we have to work together in this society," said Thuringia's head of government. "One instrument to ensure this could be more elements of direct democracy." He was baffled by the SPD's refusal to enshrine this in the constitution.
The opposition CDU parliamentary group had recently spoken out in favor of an amendment to the law that would allow a legal review of the controversial constitutional passage by the Thuringian Constitutional Court in Weimar. The constitution states: "If the election does not take place in the second ballot either, the person who receives the most votes in a further ballot shall be elected."
A two-thirds majority for a constitutional amendment in the state parliament in Erfurt is considered unlikely.
CDU draft bill for the state constitution Article 70
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- Despite opposition from SPD leader Georg Maier, Thuringia's head of government Bodo Ramelow remains firm in his rejection of a constitutional amendment for the state premier election.
- Ramelow recalls his 2009 run against CDU politician Christine Lieberknecht in the third round of voting, when Lieberknecht was elected due to polarization despite receiving the most yes votes.
- The Thuringian constitution states that whoever receives the most votes in a third ballot is elected, a passage that has been the subject of debate since the 2020 government crisis.
- Ramelow criticizes his coalition partner for discussing legal quibbles before the election campaign and warns against allowing 30% of voters to decide on AfD representation.
- He suggests more elements of direct democracy as a potential solution to ensure decisions are more representative of the citizens.
- The opposition CDU parliamentary group has proposed an amendment to the law that would allow the Thuringian Constitutional Court to review the controversial constitutional passage.
- A two-thirds majority for a constitutional amendment in the state parliament is considered unlikely, making the CDU draft bill for the state constitution Article 70 unlikely to pass.
Source: www.stern.de
