Overview
- Party officials reported that members backed all 17 proposed changes in a three-week postal and online vote with about 35 percent turnout.
- Most proposals won at least two thirds of the votes, a result party leaders say gives them a clear mandate to speed up decision-making.
- The package raises quorums for motions, lengthens advance notice periods for proposals, tightens support thresholds for federal board candidates, and elevates the role of the Parteirat, the party’s advisory council of state and parliamentary leaders.
- A fast-track legal bid by some members to stop the vote was rejected by the Berlin regional court which said challengers can wait for the result and sue afterward, and those challengers have said they may pursue further legal review.
- Supporters say the changes adapt procedures to a much larger membership and aim for more efficient politics while critics warn the rules centralize power and could weaken grassroots influence on key decisions.