German Court Upholds Signature Requirement for Small Parties in 2025 Election

The Federal Constitutional Court has rejected a challenge by smaller parties, maintaining that signature collection rules do not violate electoral fairness.

• The Federal Constitutional Court ruled that smaller political parties must collect hundreds to 2,000 signatures to participate in the 2025 Bundestag election.
• The challenge was brought by the Ökologisch-Demokratische Partei (ÖDP), which argued the rule violates principles of equal voting rights and party fairness.
• The court found that the rule does not infringe on party equality or electoral fairness, citing existing legal standards.
• The ÖDP had filed an urgent motion after the election was moved forward, claiming the tighter timeline made the requirement unreasonable, but this was also rejected.
• Parties not already represented by at least five members in the Bundestag or a state legislature must submit their participation applications by January 7, 2025.

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