Politics · Germany · 3 hrs ago
Berlin parties propose local voting rights after five years of residence
Berlin’s SPD, Greens and Left Party are exploring a plan that would change the city’s policies on migration.
The proposal would let people vote in state elections after five years in Berlin, without requiring German citizenship.
It also calls for fewer deportations, longer temporary permits for rejected migrants and faster legal status for some people.
Two constitutional law professors say the voting plan conflicts with Germany’s constitution as it stands.
Berlin’s interior administration says both the national constitution and Berlin’s state constitution would need changes, each approved by a two-thirds majority.
Twenty SPD members of parliament have opposed coalition talks with the Left Party, while the party’s federal leader has defended the Berlin plans.
The proposal can proceed only if the required majorities support those constitutional changes.
Berlin’s Left, Greens and Social Democrats propose allowing people to vote in state elections after five years of residence.
The proposal is part of an exploratory agreement on forming a government in Berlin.
Legal experts and Berlin’s interior administration say the plan conflicts with constitutional rules unless the Basic Law and Berlin constitution are changed.
The proposal has drawn criticism from some Social Democrats at the federal level.
- Who
- Berlin’s Left, Greens and Social Democrats proposed the change. Legal experts and Berlin’s interior administration criticized it.
- What
- They propose voting rights in state elections for people after five years of residence, regardless of German citizenship.
- When
- The proposal was reported on 19 October 2026.
- Where
- Berlin.
- Why
- The parties’ stated reason is not given. Bild says critics suspect the Left wants to increase its political power.
Berlin proposal supporters
Critics of the proposal
Constitutionality
Berlin proposal supporters
The parties included the proposal in their exploratory agreement.
Critics of the proposal
Legal experts say it would violate the constitution; the interior administration says the current rules link voting rights to German citizenship.
How to change the rules
Berlin proposal supporters
The interior administration says the change is possible if both the Basic Law and Berlin constitution are amended by two-thirds majorities.
Critics of the proposal
The administration’s statement indicates that the proposal cannot be implemented without those amendments.
Bild reported the proposal and published reactions to it.
Berlin’s interior administration said changes would require two-thirds majorities to amend both the Basic Law and the Berlin constitution.
- Residence period
- Five years
- Proposed election level
- State elections in Berlin
- Parties backing the proposal
- The Left, Greens and SPD
- Required amendments
- The Basic Law and Berlin constitution
- Required majorities
- Two-thirds for each amendment
What people are saying
Clearly, this change to voting rights is unconstitutional and would certainly be overturned by the Constitutional Court.
The link between voting rights and the electorate, which in turn is tied to German citizenship, is one of the basic structural requirements of the Basic Law for state constitutions.
of fear