The recent Bundestag election reform has led to unexpected consequences for many candidates, causing them to grapple with the fact they can win their electoral districts yet not secure seats in the German Parliament. This new electoral law, enacted to diminish the size of the Bundestag and eliminate overhang mandates, aims to optimize representation but has been met with criticism.
During the election, which occurred on February 24, 2025, several CDU candidates, including Yannick Schwander and Astrid Mannes, emerged victorious yet faced the hard reality of not entering the Bundestag. "That was, of course, a nice feeling at first, but immediately afterward, it was also clear: Unfortunately, it's not enough," Schwander explained, underlining the painful paradox of winning without being elected.
The recent reform restricts the number of district winners who can enter the Bundestag to match their party's total support as reflected by second votes. Such changes have rendered the electoral outcomes particularly stark for many candidates. The CDU, for example, won 20 out of 22 electoral districts across Hessen, but this dominance exceeded their proportional support from second votes, leading to some winners being excluded.
Among those left behind are candidates such as Marcus Kretschmann, Anna-Maria Bischof, Astrid Mannes, and the two Frankfurters, Schwander and Leopold Born. Omid Nouripour, the Green party politician, echoed sentiments of disbelief when faced with this reality, stating, "I fear I can explain this to no one," having hoped to regain his Frankfurt constituency.
Nouripour’s call for revisiting the electoral law was one echoed by others. It should be noted, he previously supported the same reforms alongside the CDU and FDP, indicating the contentious nature of these changes. Amid the backdrop of rising political discontent, Schwander expressed concerns about democracy, stating, "The citizens did not understand this during the campaign," emphasizing the cognitive dissonance faced by constituents.
Equally alarming for candidates is the case of Darmstadt, which found itself unrepresented entirely following the election outcomes. Mannes criticized the current system saying, "The people lose their first vote afterward." This now threatens to erode citizen confidence and engagement with politics altogether.
Former SPD member Andreas Larem, who voted for the reform, noted, “It could just as easily have been me affected,” highlighting how the reform's reach can affect established representatives. He asserted, "The funds will still be available to Darmstadt and other regions without direct mandates, just as they would be to everyone else." Yet he acknowledged the difficulties this system poses for local representation.
Interestingly, the failure of candidates from successful electoral districts isn’t universal. Berlin had instances where candidates managed entry via party lists thanks to their high ranking within their parties. This spotlighted different routes of entry and spurred debate over the effectiveness of representation methods.
Likewise, Christian Kriegel from the AfD found himself among those losing their potential seats. Despite being upbeat about the electoral changes, he acknowledged the bitter pill, remarking, "I’m going to focus on my municipal position going forward." This reflects broader sentiments among many candidates recognizing both their victories and their losses.
The electoral reform will streamline the Bundestag, shortening it from over 700 to 630 members, resulting in projected savings of around 125 million Euros per year. This has been welcomed from fiscal perspectives, yet the emotional and political fallout cannot be undermined.
Political Science expert, Sebastian Jäckle, stated, "This reform was democratically legitimized, and it has effectively managed representation." He went so far as to push back against the criticisms claiming it disproportionately impacts parties. Yet, the sentiment of disenfranchisement persists among many grassroots-level candidates, many feeling disconnected from the very system they help uphold.
With the new system operational, candidates who faced exclusion—like Mannes and Schwander—expressed their views on representation and accessibility for citizens. Mannes established the emotional weight of losing representation, hinting it stirs greater feelings of political disenfranchisement among constituents.
Looking forward, calls for reconsideration of the electoral policy are growing louder among rejected candidates and political figures. Amid this turbulence, many hope to strike the delicate balance between reduced parliamentary size and adequate representation of their constituencies. The repercussions of the 2023 electoral reform have sparked dialogue about the need for continued refinement of the legislative process.
While some stakeholders defend the reform, others remain skeptical about its implementation and results. The disenfranchised voices echo the need for legislative amendments, as ramifications from this comprehensive electoral change are still reverbering through the political fabric of the nation.