Protest in the district of Vechta: Trying the constituencies on the brink!

Protest in the district of Vechta: Trying the constituencies on the brink!

In Lower Saxony, the planned constituency reform causes excitement, especially in the Vechta district. Here the district council has adopted a clear resolution that turns to three parts against the impending cut of the district. OM-Online reported that the corresponding reform was proposed by the state election manager, whereby mathematical criteria for equal distribution of the eligible voters form the basis. The aim is to achieve around 68,000 eligible voters per constituency.

The special thing about the resolution is that it does not face the reorganization itself, but especially against the development of the state election manager. Critics complain that important aspects such as the identity -creating feeling of citizens, grown structures and the political representation of the communities are not sufficiently taken into account.

The effects for Vechta and Cloppenburg

Specifically, the proposal provides for reducing the constituency Vechta (68) by transferring the municipalities of Goldenstedt and Visbek to constituency 64 (Oldenburg-Land). In addition, the Südkreis municipalities Damme and Neuenkirchen-Vörden already belong to the constituency 73 (Bersenbrück). This leads to an unwanted splitting of the district.

A look at the neighboring district of Cloppenburg further illustrates the Situation: Here, constituency 66 (Cloppenburg-Nord) is to be limited to Cloppenburg area, while Emstek is to be added. Many consider this reform as superfluous, since the current distribution of the eligible voters does not provide enough reasons for a new regulation, such as Notes Lower Saxony noted.

The big whole - constituency reform in Lower Saxony

The discussion about the reorganization is part of a more comprehensive reform that is to be initiated for the 2027 state election in Lower Saxony. The state election manager Markus Steinmetz proposes 62 out of 87 constituencies. The aim of this reform is that the population relationships are better taken into account in order to ensure a fair choice.

It is particularly striking that the east of Lower Saxony should hand in two constituencies to strengthen the Weser-Ems region. ndr reports that a redesign is also considered for many constituencies, although they are largely on average.

The current debate also has a constitutional dimension: The State Court has noticed that in many constituencies the number of voters deviates significantly from the average. This means that the state parliament is forced to "massive intervention" in the constituency structure in order to protect the rights of voters. The next state election is expected to take place between July and November 2027.

Overall, it remains to be seen which solution is found for the Vechta district and whether the proposals of the state election manager prevail. A more uniform appearance in the Weser-Ems region could significantly improve the chances of a positive state parliament decision.