Sahra Wagenknecht rejects the plans to station US missiles. This was decided “in back rooms,” she complains. She wants to consult the people. It would be a first.
The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) wants to push through a Bundestag resolution for a referendum on the plans to station US medium-range missiles in Germany. A motion calls on the federal government to prepare the referendum by law. However, a majority for the motion is more than questionable – the BSW has only ten representatives in the Bundestag. In addition, referendums are only provided for in exceptional cases in the Basic Law: in the event of a reorganization of the federal territory.
Party founder Wagenknecht and the other BSW members of the Bundestag justified their motion by saying that there was no public debate before the stationing decision announced at the NATO summit in July. According to surveys, a relative majority of the population rejects the plans, according to the motion, which was made available to the German Press Agency.
Wagenknecht points to rejection in the East
Wagenknecht herself is also strictly against the plans and is making this an election campaign issue ahead of the state elections in Thuringia and Saxony on Sunday. “Decisions can no longer be made undemocratically in back rooms against the will of the majority of the citizens,” the BSW head told dpa. The people must be consulted. “The people, especially the East Germans, do not want these dangerous missiles.” According to the application, the consultation should take place parallel to the 2025 federal election at the latest.
In Germany’s system of parliamentary democracy, referendums on such questions are not actually provided for at federal level – unlike at state level. Whether so-called consultative referendums – i.e. ultimately an expression of opinion by vote – are constitutionally possible is controversial.
Constitutional lawyer has doubts
In an essay on the subject in 2015, lawyer Arne Pautsch concluded that a constitutional amendment would be necessary for this, because the surveys have a “factually binding character”.
The Basic Law mentions referendums in Article 29. It states: “Measures for the reorganization of the federal territory are issued by federal law, which requires confirmation by referendum.” And further: “The referendum is intended to determine whether a change in state affiliation proposed in the law is approved.” This could include, for example, mergers of federal states.
Source: Stern

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