Thuringia’s parliament president pushes factions to settle new electoral district boundaries
Thuringia’s state parliament president Thadäus König has urged political factions to agree on new electoral district boundaries, warning that the current maps risk unequal voter weight due to population decline. The redrawing is required before the next state election, but König expects only modest adjustments.
Population decline forces legal mandate
Thuringia’s population has been steadily shrinking, which means the existing electoral districts for the state parliament no longer meet the legal threshold. The state’s election law stipulates that the population of a constituency must not deviate more than 25 percent from the average across all districts. When that limit is breached, a redraw becomes mandatory.
Expert groundwork already done
A special commission was convened in 2023 to propose new boundaries. In mid-2024 it delivered its report to the then-president of the Landtag, Birgit Pommer. However, political agreement on the recommended changes has since stalled, leaving the file untouched.
König calls for parliamentary initiative
Interior minister Georg Maier (SPD) recently wrote to current Landtag president Thadäus König, making clear that a parliamentary initiative is needed. König forwarded the letter to all factions, urging them to negotiate a solution. “I think talks will begin in the coming months,” he said. The president stressed there is no acute time pressure, but added:
It must happen by the next state election.
Sensitive business
Redrawing electoral boundaries is always fraught because it can shift local majorities. König acknowledged the delicate nature of the exercise:
He also admitted an emotional dimension:Depending on how you cut them, majority ratios can also change. And that is the sensitive point.
I am reluctant to give up places from my constituency to another, because I feel responsible for that constituency and the people there.
No grand reform expected
König sought to cool fears that one party might engineer an advantage through the redrawing, calling it a negotiated process. “There won’t be a major electoral-district reform,” he said. “Because of the changed population figures there will be an adjustment.” The expectation is for limited, technical changes rather than a sweeping reorganisation.
