young voters
SPD and Greens call on Union to give in at voting age
Green politician Irene Mihalic wants to lower the minimum age for federal elections. photo
© Kay Nietfeld/dpa
SPD and Greens see an advantage in lowering the voting age in federal elections to 16 years. The Union is reluctant to do so, but also makes exceptions in certain elections.
The political groups of the SPD and the Greens have called on the Union to agree to lower the minimum age in federal elections to 16 years. The background is the interim report of the Elections Committee, which was presented this week.
“It appears from the recommendations of the Electoral Law Commission that there are no constitutional objections to lowering the voting age in federal and European elections to 16 years,” said the first parliamentary director of the Group of the Greens, Irene Mihalic, to the “Rheinische Post”.
Her counterpart in the SPD group, Katja Mast, also called on the Union to investigate the matter. “The Union must give up its concerns about young voters and realize that lowering the voting age to 16 is a victory for our democracy.”
State elections from the age of 16
In the electoral law commission’s interim report adopted on Tuesday, CDU/CSU members advocate keeping the voting age in federal elections at 18 — although in some states with CDU leadership or government participation, the age of 16 is now also included. applies to state elections. The Commission will present its final report by 30 June next year.
Green politician Mihalic told the newspaper that the committee would continue to work on the reform. “Former opponents of lowering the voting age should now fundamentally reconsider their stance.”
The legal adviser of the trade union faction in the Bundestag, Ansgar Heveling (CDU), sees no reason for this. The constitution has deliberately chosen to refer the voting age to the age of majority. “Anyone who wants to lower the voting age to 16 years should set the age of majority with all obligations at 16. However, I have not heard this demand from anyone,” Heveling told the newspaper.