Overview
- Saxony’s Landtag ratified the Reformstaatsvertrag with backing from CDU, SPD, Greens and Die Linke after an announced abstention by Die Linke was withdrawn.
- With Saxony on board, only Brandenburg, North Rhine–Westphalia and Lower Saxony still need to ratify before an end‑November deadline for a planned 1 December start.
- The treaty aims to slim ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio by cutting program lines, reducing duplicate structures, increasing cooperation and shifting focus to digital services.
- Funding remains unresolved as a KEF‑recommended fee increase is being blocked by several states, with the dispute before the Constitutional Court and a decision expected in 2026 as broadcasters lean on reserves.
- Critics, including Die Linke, warn that a ban on press‑like online offerings will curb standalone text journalism, even as the party says it will now judge Kretschmer by his follow‑through on consultations.