Germany's constitutional change limits AfD's parliamentary influence

Rhineland-Palatinate's constitutional tweak sparks backlash over AfD's opposition power

Rhineland-Palatinate's Governing Parties Push Constitutional Change to Raise Threshold for Parliamentary Inquiries

A constitutional amendment proposed by the CDU, SPD, and Green factions in Rhineland-Palatinate's state parliament aims to increase the number of votes required to establish an investigative committee. Here's what's behind the move—and how it would work:

What Exactly Is at Stake?

The debate centers on the quorum needed to launch parliamentary inquiries—considered the opposition's most powerful oversight tool. Under current rules in Mainz, one-fifth of lawmakers must support such a motion. The governing parties now want to raise that threshold to one-quarter.

What Do the Numbers Mean—and What's the Real Motive?

The change is widely seen as a direct response to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which won 19.5% of the vote in the March 22 state election. In the new 105-seat parliament, set to convene on May 18, the AfD will hold 24 seats—making it the largest opposition party.

Under the existing one-fifth rule, an inquiry would require 21 votes, meaning the AfD could unilaterally trigger one. Raising the threshold to one-quarter (27 votes) would block the party from acting alone—especially since all other factions have ruled out cooperation with the AfD.

How Are the Arguments Playing Out in Rhineland-Palatinate?

In a joint statement, lawmakers Marcus Klein (CDU), Michael Hüttner (SPD), and Carl-Bernhard von Heusinger (Greens) framed the reform as a safeguard: "Investigative committees must never be exploited as a political tool to deliberately undermine the state parliament's ability to function or weaken the government's capacity to act."

The move is particularly awkward for the CDU, which spent 35 years in opposition before its expected return to government—now leading a coalition with the SPD. Critics note the party is tightening minority rights just as it prepares to take power.

Damian Lohr, the AfD's parliamentary manager, called the proposal a "frontal assault on the opposition" and accused the governing parties of "trampling on voters' decisions." The AfD has already signaled plans to push for an inquiry into the state's COVID-19 policies.

How Do Other States and the Bundestag Handle This?

A one-quarter threshold is far from unusual—it applies in the Bundestag and several state parliaments, including neighboring Saarland and Baden-Württemberg. By contrast, Hesse (like Rhineland-Palatinate until now) still requires just one-fifth of lawmakers to approve an inquiry.

Since 2014, Hesse has seen seven investigative committees, covering: - The shutdown of the Biblis nuclear plant - The NSU neo-Nazi terror network - A controversial anti-terrorism software purchase - The murder of Kassel regional president Walter Lübcke - The Hanau racist attack - The dismissal of a state secretary (already concluded) - The COVID-19 pandemic (still stalled over disputes on permissible questions, with the state constitutional court yet to rule)

What's Required for a Constitutional Amendment in Rhineland-Palatinate?

A two-thirds majority is required. Article 129 of the Rhineland-Palatinate state constitution states: "An amendment to the constitution shall only be adopted if the law explicitly alters or supplements the text of the state constitution and is approved by the Landtag with a two-thirds majority of its statutory members, or by the people through a referendum with a majority of eligible voters."

The outgoing Landtag, which still has 101 members, is set to vote on the change to the quorum rules for parliamentary investigative committees. A two-thirds majority would require 68 votes. Currently, the SPD—which until now governed in a traffic-light coalition—holds 39 seats, the CDU 31, the Greens 9 (after recent losses), and the AfD 6 (following several defections). The FDP has 6 seats, the Free Voters parliamentary group 4, and there are 6 non-affiliated members. Combined, the SPD, CDU, and Greens already command a comfortable majority of 79 votes.

What happens next?

The path to a constitutional amendment requires three readings in the plenary session. These cannot all take place on the same day, though the Landtag may decide to hold the second and third readings in a single session—which is expected in this case. It is therefore likely that two sitting days will be scheduled for the proposal, and they could take place soon. According to current plans, the newly elected Landtag is set to convene on May 18, Constitution Day.

by Christian Schultz, dpa