Court to Rule on FDP's Bid to Challenge Baden-Württemberg's Expanding Parliament

The FDP seeks to limit the size of the state parliament through a Volksbegehren, but the initiative's legality is contested by the Interior Ministry.

The FDP has proposed a Volksbegehren titled 'XXL-Landtag verhindern' to address concerns about the growing size and costs of the Baden-Württemberg state parliament.
The state's 2022 electoral reform introduced a two-vote system, leading to potential overhang and compensatory mandates, which could expand the parliament beyond its current 154 members.
The Interior Ministry rejected the FDP's Volksbegehren, citing concerns over its constitutionality, including its impact on the balance between direct and proportional representation.
The FDP argues that the rejection was politically motivated and fears that the public might support their initiative if allowed to proceed.
The state's Constitutional Court is set to decide on the Volksbegehren's legality, but any changes are unlikely to affect the 2026 state elections due to existing procedural timelines.