Federal Constitutional Court: Urban applications against special meetings fail in Karlsruhe

The old Bundestag can probably vote on the planned billion dollar package for defense and infrastructure next week. The Federal Constitutional Court rejected several urgent requests against the planned special meetings of the old Bundestag. The court in Karlsruhe decided that the applications were unfounded. There were also urgent requests against the design of the legislative procedure.

The left regretted the decisions of the constitutional judges, but wants to accept it. Regardless of the left, the AfD in the Bundestag and individual MPs had also tried to stop the special sessions or the planned decisions with entries in Karlsruhe.

Old Bundestag still work and quorate

Union and SPD want to decide on Tuesday with the Greens, a special fund for infrastructure in the amount of 500 billion euros and a loosening of the debt brake for defense spending. The plans require changes to the Basic Law, for which two -thirds majorities are required in the Bundestag and the Federal Council.

In the new Bundestag – who has to meet for the first time on March 25 at the latest – such a majority would only come about with voices from the left or the AfD. That is why the Union and the SPD had negotiated with the Greens to make the decisions with old majorities. On Friday afternoon, the three pages announced an agreement.

Old Bundestag work capable

As long as the new Bundestag has not constituted, the old one is still considered to work and quorate. Bundestag President Bärbel BAS (SPD) had therefore convened special meetings of the old parliament for 13 and 18 March after consultations by the Union and SPD. According to Article 39 in the Basic Law, special meetings can be convened if a third of the members of the Bundestag requests this.

The Federal Constitutional Court confirmed this in its decision. The election period of the old Bundestag will only be ended in accordance with the Basic Law through the meeting of the new Bundestag. “Until then, the old Bundestag is not limited in its options for action.”

Several lawsuits in Karlsruhe

Against these special sessions, several lawsuits at the Federal Constitutional Court have received an interim arrangement (also: urgent applications). These orders are intended to prevent irreversible conditions from arising before the Karlsruhe judges decide on the lawsuits.

The Federal Constitutional Court decided on four procedures, including the applications from AfD and Linke. According to a court spokesman, three organ dispute procedures and four constitutional complaints of individual citizens are pending.

Linke complains of advice “between breakfast and roast goose”

The parliamentary managing director of the left, Christian Görke, said in Berlin that his knowledge of a second complaint by the left against “this robbery procedure” of legislation on the financial package was not yet decided.

Görke called the way of how the financial package was decided by the German Bundestag unworthy. Applications for additional specialist hearings in the committees had been prevented, the advisory bases changed constantly, questions would not be answered.

“And now the committees between breakfast and roast goose on Sunday should not even meet in presence, a limitless upgrade program and expenses in a financial volume of up to a trillion, ie 1, 000 billion euros, waving through,” criticized Görke.