Overview
- The chamber approved the package late Thursday with votes from CDU/CSU and SPD, and the new rules are slated to take effect on November 1.
- Fines for serious breaches double to €2,000, rising to €4,000 for repeat cases, with automatic expulsion after three reprimands in one sitting and an automatic €2,000 fine after three within three sitting weeks.
- Deductions for absence increase to €200 for missing roll-call votes and €300 for an unexcused full sitting day, with established exemptions such as medical certification and parental circumstances.
- Election procedures are tightened: vice-presidential posts depend on a free, secret vote; a fourth nomination requires support from 25% of members after three failed attempts; removal thresholds are set for vice presidents, and committee chairs can be deposed by a two‑thirds vote after a one‑third motion.
- Further changes include allowing questions during Current Affairs hours, requiring roll-call votes to be scheduled at the start of the day, plans for electronic attendance lists under review, and sharp criticism from the AfD, which labels the move a “frontal attack,” as President Julia Klöckner welcomes it as overdue.