Katja Mast in “Early Start”
“The CSU has been blocking electoral reform for decades”
03/17/2023, 10:30 am
SPD parliamentary secretary Katja Mast accuses the Union of not having found the strength to reform the electoral law. Above all, the CSU is blocking – CDU politicians secretly like the traffic light plans, she says.
Katja Mast, First Parliamentary Secretary of the SPD parliamentary group, sees the fault for a lack of compromise in the electoral law reform primarily in the hands of the CSU. “You can now see in the public statements that it is above all, as in the last few decades, the CSU that is blocking a real, clear, structured, comprehensible reform,” said Mast in the “early start” of ntv .
Good and confidential talks were held with the opposition factions on Monday. But the CDU and CSU did not have the strength to come to a joint compromise. “There are always CDU MPs in the hallways who say behind closed doors: ‘We actually think what you’re doing is really good.’ I can only encourage them to agree in the Bundestag today.” The Bundestag decides today on a reform of the electoral law, which is rejected by the opposition – above all by the CSU and the left.
Mast sees no attack on individual parties
CSU boss Markus Söder recently accused the traffic light of an “attack on democracy” and threatened a constitutional complaint. Left faction leader Dietmar Bartsch called the project “somewhat crazy” in an interview with ntv.de.
Katja Mast resolutely contradicted this: “In my view, the electoral law is not an attack on parties, it’s about strengthening the proportional representation system in the Federal Republic of Germany.”
It is absolutely clear that there will be a norm control lawsuit by the opposition. However, Mast assumes that the reform will stand up to the constitutional judges. “I look to Karlsruhe with confidence and serenity.”
“Deletion of the basic mandate clause correct”
The deletion of the so-called basic mandate clause – according to which a party that fails at the five percent hurdle can still enter the Bundestag if it wins at least three direct mandates – is correct in Mast’s opinion. “It’s just the way it is with the basic mandate clause, it’s a bit of a pebble in the shoe. It’s always not really been in line with the system.”
All democratic parties should have the right to fight for the five percent. “I just want to remind you that the FDP, which supports this reform very energetically and very well with the whole traffic light, has failed at the five percent hurdle in the recent past and supports everything.”