The government takes necessary action. - State parliament head: Challenging times for five years of legislative work
In the shadow of the Thuringian Landtag looms a five-year period with a red-red-green coalition government that couldn't secure a majority. The opposition parties CDU, AfD, and FDP had the power to pass their own laws in this scenario. This tumultuous situation was brought up again by Landtag President Birgit Pommer during an event in Erfurt at the final regular Landtag session of the 2019 legislative era.
For Pommer and many others, this was most likely their last Landtag session as they would not be running for re-election in the approaching September Landtag vote.
Despite this, the Landtag continually sought to make decisions amidst the challenges. "These past five years have been demanding for Thuringia and parliament alike," stated Pommer.
Throughout these turbulent times, the Landtag held 141 plenary sessions, four investigative committees, and dealt with 10,213 motions, out of which 271 were legislative proposals, 146 of which were enacted. This indicates a fruitful legislative period, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "Though understanding wasn't always easy, the parliament always met its obligations," assured the Left politician.
The legislative period concluded in uncertain times, marred by war, terror, and a surge in violence, including within Germany.
In spite of heated and contentious debates, fewer orders of the day for deputies were filed than in the past 20 years, according to data from the Landtagsverwaltung. In total, 39 orders of the day were issued, typically for punishing harsh or derogatory remarks. The number of orders of the day has varied greatly since 1990: peaking at 132 after the beginning of the red-red-green coalition in 2014, while fluctuating between 34 and 96.
Together, the five factions and FDP's parliamentary group put forward 271 legislative proposals, a new high. Prior legislative periods had seen 162 to 268 proposals. The low number of enacted laws, at 146, appears to be a result of the tense majority relationships. Traditionally, between 134 and 188 laws were enforced in past elections.
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In the upcoming September Landtag vote, the CDU, AfD, and FDP will have a chance to shape Thuringia's future government, as some current members, including Landtag President Birgit Pommer, will not be running for re-election. Despite the challenging times in Thuringia's Parliament, the red-red-green coalition managed to hold 141 plenary sessions, four investigative committees, and tackle 10,213 motions during their five-year term, with 146 of those motions being enacted. The FDP's parliamentary group contributed significantly to this legislative period by putting forward a record 271 proposals.
