Political tensions! Lower Saxony is planning constituency reform in 2025

Political tensions! Lower Saxony is planning constituency reform in 2025

The political landscape in Lower Saxony is facing fundamental changes: The state returning officer Markus Steinmetz has presented a comprehensive proposal to reform the constituencies. The background is the demographic development of the federal state, which has led to an unequal distribution of eligible voters. The Lower Saxony State Court has called for the constituencies to be reorganized by the next state election in autumn 2024, with a particularly urgent need for action identified in the Weser-Ems region. 31.9% of those eligible to vote live here, while in the east of the country there are too many constituencies for a decreasing population, as NWZonline reports.

Steinmetz's proposal calls for a total of 87 constituencies, 62 of which are to be redesigned. This means that two new constituencies will be added in the Weser-Ems region, while two existing constituencies in the Braunschweig region will be dissolved. Concrete example: The Brake/Ganderkesee constituency will include several municipalities such as Berne, Lemwerder and Hude, while the Cloppenburg-Nord constituency will lose Großenkneten and Wildeshausen and gain Emstek. Such changes could have far-reaching implications for political representation in the region.

Political reactions to the reform

The political reaction to the reform proposal is mixed. While the AfD fundamentally supports an adjustment of the constituencies, the SPD and the Greens are skeptical and express concerns about acceptance among the population. They fear that failure to respect county boundaries and historical connections could lead to resentment. The CDU is also calling for a more detailed analysis in order to identify any need for improvement. The group is considered concerned about the possible impact on political stability in the affected regions.

The legal framework for this reform is clearly defined. The State Court in Bückeburg found that 33 constituencies deviate significantly from the average number of eligible voters. In the 2022 state election, the average number was 69,710, and 30 constituencies had deviations of more than 15%, which is considered unconstitutional. This results in the need for a “massive intervention” in the constituency structure to ensure electoral equality, as NDR explains.

Outlook for the next steps

The next steps in this process are crucial. The State Court has said there is sufficient time to reform constituencies before the next state election takes place in July at the earliest and November 2027 at the latest. It remains to be seen how the parties will adjust their positions and whether there can be a broad consensus on the proposal. Another goal will be to create a party-politically neutral basis for discussions in order to ensure the integrity and acceptance of the reform, as [Die Niedersachsen](https://www.dieniedersachsen.de/justiz/wahlkreise-in-niedersachsen-muessen-neu-ordered- Werden-2975394) summarizes.

In any case, citizens can prepare for an intense political struggle over the future constituency structure. It is crucial that everyone involved has a good hand in representing the interests of the population in the best possible way.