Parliamentary reform in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt

In the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt, a joint draft law was passed by the parliamentary groups of CDU, Die Linke, SPD, FDP and ALLIANCE 90/THE GREENS on parliamentary reform in 2026. The aim is to ensure the ability of state bodies to act even in an increasingly fragmented and polarized party landscape. The reform includes numerous changes at various levels. A central point is the adaptation of the state constitution. In particular, the regulations on the election, composition and functioning of the State Constitutional Court will be clarified and strengthened in order to ensure its independence in the long term. In the future, if a two-thirds majority is not achieved in the state parliament when electing constitutional judges, the court can submit its own personnel proposals; is then elected with a simple majority of the representatives. There are also changes to the immunity of MPs and to the procedures for determining new elections. It is also stipulated that the termination of state contracts (e.g. state broadcasting contracts) will in future require the approval of the state parliament and can no longer be done by the Prime Minister alone. The continued existence of the State Center for Civic Education is also guaranteed by law. In addition to the constitutional changes, the law also provides for adjustments to ordinary law. These include changes to the Parliamentary Act, for example in the reimbursement of costs for employees, as well as to the parliamentary group law, particularly with regard to the handling of parliamentary group funds. In the future, so-called cross-employments of family members of other parliamentarians will be prohibited and the number of employees will be limited to five per MP. The state parliament's rules of procedure will also be revised in several points, for example electoral procedures, the composition of committees or the organization of parliamentary processes. In the future, when electing the President of the State Parliament, other factions will also be able to select candidates if the proposal of the strongest faction fails. The aim of these measures is to regulate procedures more clearly, make them more efficient and avoid possible blockages so that Parliament's ability to function is secured. The bill was approved by roll-call vote with the required two-thirds majority. The two-thirds majority was necessary because the bill also contains changes to the state constitution. 72 MPs from the participating political groups as well as the non-attached MP Henriette Quade voted in favor of the draft. 22 MPs voted against the bill, including the AfD parliamentary group and the non-attached MP Matthias Lieschke.

Vote breakdown