Member of the German Bundestag facts for kids
Member of the German Parliament (called Mitglied des Deutschen Bundestages in German) is the official name for a person elected to the German Parliament. These elected members work in the Reichstag building in Berlin.
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What is a Member of Parliament?
A Member of Parliament, often called an MP, is someone chosen by the people to represent them. In Germany, they are part of the main law-making body, the Bundestag. The German name for them is Mitglied des Bundestages, often shortened to MdB. Another common term is Abgeordneter, which means "delegate".
How are MPs Chosen?
Members of the German Parliament are chosen through special elections. These elections are fair and secret, meaning no one knows who you voted for. Everyone's vote counts equally. The German constitution, called the Basic Law, says that MPs represent all people. They must follow their own conscience, not orders from others.
Voting System
Germany uses a voting system that tries to make sure all votes are counted fairly. This system is called proportional representation. It means that if a political party gets a certain percentage of votes, they should get a similar percentage of seats in the Parliament.
The Role of MPs
MPs have a very important job. They make laws for the whole country. They also discuss important issues and make decisions that affect everyone in Germany. They work to make sure the government is doing its job well.
Bundestag vs. Bundesrat
Germany has two main parts to its parliament. The first is the Bundestag, where the MPs work. The second is the Bundesrat. The Bundesrat represents the 16 different states (called Länder) of Germany. The people in the Bundesrat are not directly elected by citizens. Instead, they are representatives from the state governments.
Number of MPs
The number of MPs can change after each election. For example, in the 2021 German federal election, a record number of 736 MPs were elected. This was the largest number of members in the history of the German Parliament.
