Bundestag

The Bundestag is the federal parliament of Germany. It is the main group of lawmakers in the country and is directly elected by the people of Germany. Established in 1949 by the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, the Bundestag works together with another group called the Bundesrat to make laws.

Members of the Bundestag are chosen every four years by German citizens who are 18 and older. They use a special voting system that helps make sure the group reflects the opinions of the whole nation. The Bundestag has 630 members and meets in the Reichstag building in Berlin since 1999.

The Bundestag is very powerful. It is in charge of making most laws and controlling the budget. The chancellor and the federal government are responsible to the Bundestag, meaning they must answer to this group. The head of the Bundestag is called the president, and since 2025, this role has been held by Julia Klöckner of the CDU/CSU.

History

The first group called the Bundestag was a meeting of leaders from different German states in Frankfurt am Main from 1816 to 1866. Later, in 1848 and 1849, people elected a parliament in the same city to help create a new German country, but this did not succeed.

In 1866/67, a new group of German states formed, and their first parliament was called the Reichstag. When more states joined in 1870/71, it became the German Empire. The building where today’s Bundestag meets was built in 1888. Although this was a democracy with some voting rights, not everyone could vote—only men over 25.

After World War I, Germany became a republic in 1919 with a new voting system. Women could now vote, and the voting age was lowered to 21. However, this democracy faced problems, and in 1933, Adolf Hitler took control.

After World War II, Germany created a new democracy in 1949 with the Basic Law of 1949, and the Bundestag became the new parliament. Until Germany reunited in 1990, the Bundestag was only for West Germany and met in Bonn. Since 1999, the Bundestag meets again in Berlin in the old Reichstag building.

Tasks

Legislative process

The Bundestag works with the Bundesrat to help make laws in Germany. Together, they are part of the group that can start the process of creating new laws. To suggest a new law, a group of lawmakers or at least 5% of the Bundestag members must agree.

Once a law is suggested, it goes through several steps. First, it is discussed and may be changed by special groups of lawmakers. Then it returns to the full group for more voting. Most laws need a simple majority to pass, but some important changes need more support.

After the Bundestag approves a law, it goes to the Bundesrat. Some laws need the Bundesrat’s approval, while others only need them not to object for a short time. If the Bundesrat disagrees, the two groups may meet to find a compromise. Finally, the President of Germany signs the law.

Elections

The Bundestag helps choose important leaders. It elects the chancellor, who leads the government. The president suggests a candidate, and the Bundestag votes. If they don’t agree quickly, they can keep voting for up to two weeks. If no one is chosen, the president has to decide what to do next.

The Bundestag also helps choose judges for the country’s top court and other important positions, like the head of the country’s audit office or the person in charge of protecting personal information.

The Bundestag’s members are also part of the group that elects the President of Germany, along with representatives from the states.

Electoral term and principle of discontinuation

The Bundestag is elected for four years, and new elections must happen between 46 and 48 months after the start of a term.

Sometimes, there can be an early election if certain special conditions are met, like if the president of Germany dissolves the Bundestag after a failed election for a new leader or if the current leader asks for it after losing a vote. This is meant to help groups work together better.

A term ends when the newly elected Bundestag meets for the first time, which must happen within 30 days after an election. The old Bundestag keeps working until the new one meets.

The Bundestag follows a rule called the principle of discontinuation. This means that each new Bundestag is seen as completely different from the old one. If a bill or motion wasn’t finished by the old Bundestag, it is considered gone. The new government has to start the process again if they want to continue it. The new Bundestag also decides its own rules again. If the new group is similar to the old one, they can sometimes keep the old rules to save time.

Election and membership

The Bundestag is Germany's main parliament, chosen by people through elections. Since 2023, it has exactly 630 members. Voters have two votes: one to pick a local representative and another to support a political party.

If a representative leaves the Bundestag before their term ends, another person from the same party and state takes their place. If no one is left on the list, the seat stays empty for the rest of the term.

Main article: Member of the German Bundestag

Latest election result

Regular election of 2025

The most recent federal election took place on Sunday, 23 February 2025. This election was to choose the members of the 21st Bundestag.

See also: 2025 German federal election

See also: Results of the 2025 German federal election

List of Bundestag by term

  Parties in the ruling coalition

Seats (%)Election Year204060801001201949196119721983199420052017CDUAfDSPDBündnis 90/Die GrünenDie LinkeCSUSSWFDPBPDPKPDWAVZentrumDKP/DRPGB/BHEFDVIndependentHistory of seat distribution in the German Bundestag

View source data.

Presidents since 1949

Organization

The Bundestag has two main groups that help it run: the Presidium and the Council of Elders. The Presidium includes the President and some Vice Presidents, chosen by all the members. The Council of Elders has extra members and helps plan what the Bundestag will discuss each day and who will lead important groups.

The Bundestag meets for at least twenty weeks each year. Usually, they have meetings from Wednesday to Friday, with some days used for smaller group work. Special meetings can happen anytime if enough members or important leaders ask for it.

Inside the Bundestag, there are groups called factions. These are made up of members from parties that got at least 5% of the votes. These factions get more chances to speak, lead groups, and get money to help with their work. Smaller parties can sometimes join together in groups, but they get fewer benefits. Most of the work happens in committees, which focus on different areas like defense or agriculture, and are led based on how many members each group has.

The Bundestag has its own team of around 3,000 workers to help with daily tasks, research, and information.

Main articles: Fraktion (Bundestag) and Parliamentary group (Germany)

Location

The Bundestag, Germany's main parliament, can meet in any place in Germany or even other countries. It does not have to meet in a special building. In the past, before World War II, the Bundestag's older version met in different places, including a theater in Berlin after their main building burned down.

After World War II, the Bundestag did not have its own building, so it met in Bonn, a city in Germany. Sometimes, it also met in Cologne and Berlin. In 1990, just after Germany became one country again, the Bundestag met in Berlin for the first time in many years. After that, the Bundestag decided to move back to Berlin from Bonn.