The Left party has advocated for granting voting rights to residents who have been legally living in Germany for five years, irrespective of their citizenship. Clara Bünger, co-Vice Chair of The Left in the Bundestag, stated in “Der Welt” (Thursday edition) that there is a “democratic deficit” noting that 14 million people reside in the country, pay taxes, raise children, yet remain excluded from voting.
The Left politicians argue that liberalizing voting rights would help alleviate social frustration. Bünger stressed that anyone who lives, works, pays taxes, and raises children in Germany should have a voice in the political decisions that affect them. She asserted that democracy becomes stronger when more people are granted rights.
According to the party, while all residents in Germany are subject to German laws, it constitutes a “structural inequality” that they are not involved in making the laws that govern them. Therefore, granting voting rights to foreigners is presented as a “compensatory measure”. Bünger argues that “Germany wants to be a democratic state, and that is achieved when we grant the greatest possible rights to all people here”.
The Bundestag representative explained that the average duration of residence for non-German passport holders is 15 years, without ever having cast a vote. Exclusion, in this view, breeds alienation rather than participation. Additionally, the Left has called for easing naturalization procedures, pointing out that many who wish to become German citizens fail due to bureaucratic hurdles-particularly those who are poor, single parents, or caregivers. Bünger concluded that voting rights should not be tied to financial status, and that expanding participation could resolve these democratic deficits.
The Greens have echoed these sentiments. Filiz Polat, Parliamentary Director of the Green caucus in the Bundestag, told a newspaper that those who live, work, and become part of German society should not be perpetually excluded from political life. She called voting rights the foundation of democratic participation and a crucial pillar of German democracy. However, Polat also noted the existence of a “democratic deficit” pointing out that Germany maintains a “relatively restrictive and citizen-centric model” for non-EU permanent residents concerning municipal elections. She called for democratic participation to be opened up, particularly at the local level.
The Green politician viewed rising naturalization numbers and easier citizenship processes as “a success and an expression of a modern, self-determined immigration society”. She contrasted this progressive view with the Union, stating that while the CDU leans toward restriction and deterrents, the issue is fundamentally a democratic one. She insisted that anyone who is a permanent part of society must have the opportunity to contribute to their democracy.
The Union strongly opposed the proposal. Vice-faction chair Günter Krings (CDU) criticized the motion as “an absurd proposal that shows how far the Left Party is removed from democracy and the rule of law”. Krings stated that, according to the constitution, the German Bundestag is elected by the German people-a core element protected by the fundamental rights guarantee. He emphasized that German citizenship comes with both “rights and duties” not merely with residency. Krings contended that “democracy truly means the rule of the people-and not the right to vote of everyone who happens to be present at any given time” warning that the proposal would cause the Left Party to “leave the basis of the Basic Law”.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) also rejected the idea, dismissing it as a “typical leftist folly”. Stephan Brandner, one of the AfD’s parliamentary directors, stated that voting rights are not arbitrarily tied to residence but are an expression of “belonging to the German citizenry” and citizenship. He emphasized that those wishing to influence Germany’s political future must be German citizens. Brandner argued that implementing the Left’s proposal would “massively devalue” German citizenship. For the AfD, democracy is based not just on attendance but on belonging to a sovereign people with shared rights and duties. While they accept that someone can become a citizen to become part of Germany, they reject both the “sabotage of citizenship” and any arbitrary expansion of voting rights.
