Overview
- After a debate pause and an appeal by Minister-President Michael Kretschmer, CDU and SPD secured a slim majority with Greens and The Left, while AfD and BSW voted no.
- The Reformstaatsvertrag requires unanimous approval by all 16 Länder; with Saxony’s vote, 13 parliaments have approved, with decisions still pending in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Brandenburg.
- The pact trims ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio by reducing radio and TV offerings, tightening rules on presseähnliche online content, capping sports rights and some top pay, and mandating closer cooperation.
- Funding changes remain unresolved, as ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio have a constitutional complaint over a missed fee increase and several states plan to wait for a Federal Constitutional Court ruling expected in 2026.
- Backers frame the package as modernization under fiscal pressure, while critics warn of reduced reach and note that a single state’s rejection would still block nationwide implementation.