Return in representation: Bundestag becomes older and male after choosing the choice

We do not yet know what the election on Sunday - which parties will form the government or who the new Chancellor will be. But one thing is pretty certain: with regard to the representation of women, the choice in 2025 will be quite a step backwards. Because the German Bundestag is getting older and more male.

A new forecast of the "MPwatch" internet platform on behalf of the ARD shows that the proportion of women in the Bundestag drops to an estimated 31.5 percent. That is 4.2 percent less than in the last election in 2021. A total of 118 female and 181 young voices are missing that could better reproduce our society. For the forecast, “MPwatch” evaluated current survey values ​​and looked at which members have put up the parties on their state lists and in constituencies.

The Bundestag has always been a very male place. Although women's organizations and politicians struggle for more participation in women, we have been on the spot in terms of parity for 20 years. But not even a third - the proportion of women was no longer that low for a long time.

What's going on there? Do women don't feel like politics? On the contrary. If you wonder why fewer women move into the Bundestag, you only have to look at the parties who are particularly strong in the surveys: Union and AfD. These are exactly the parties with very few female members. Only 26 percent of the Union MPs in the Bundestag are women, and the AfD is only 12 percent. And it is precisely these parties that are also known for their very conservative roles and rejection of women's quotas.

MPs in a parliament should reflect people in the country - with all their wishes and needs. This is how democracy works. In a country like Germany, in which 41,783,535 men and 42,885,791 women live, at least as many women as men should participate in the government. Likewise, the perspectives of boys, queer and non-binary people should be included in the decisions, because it is precisely this diversity that is ensured that politics is made for everyone. And not just for old white men.

That is why other European countries rely on regulations that force parliaments to represent women and men equally - that is, 50:50. The proportion of women in the Scandinavian countries is over 40 percent, even 47.6 in Iceland. But the Spanish parliament is also 43 percent formed by women and our neighbors in Austria and France are also much more progressive in terms of parity than we do. Germany only comes 15th in the parity ranking of European countries, in international comparison in 47th place.

In the ARD magazine "Panorama", CDU politician Rita Süßmuth said about the expected proportion of women in the next Bundestag: “If the proportion of women in the Bundestag continues to drop, this means a step back for our entire society. A parliament that does not reflect the reality of our country loses credibility. In addition, it is a fatal signal at a time when women's rights are increasingly under pressure worldwide. ”