The new German government has planned a record number of expert commissions. Sven T. Siefken has been doing research on their various uses for many years and talked about his findings to the Spiegel magazine. There are symbolic uses, they may help settle negotiations by postponing though decisions, but they can also bring about fundamental…
Discussing deficits, challenges and solutions in parliamentary representation by the Bundestag – with MP Hanna Steinmüller and Konstantin Kuhle. Broadcast on the German public radio station on March 28 in Deutschlandfunk Kultur and also available online https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/hat-der-bundestag-eine-repraesentationsluecke-100.html – tune in! And read more here: https://doi.org/10.3224/gwp.v70i2.11
The coalition negotiations in Germany are moving to the next phase: From the working groups to the main negotiation group. In 2023, we analyzed changes in health policy along those steps. On March 25, Süddeutsche Zeitung picked up some of the findings and related them to the current negotiations as they are moving from the…
On March 13, 2025, the Bundestag gathers for a special session to hold the first reading of bills that will amend the constitution. The goal is to allow for military spending unlimited by the constitutional debt brake. On top, a special debt program of 500 billion Euro for infrastructure spending is planned. These far-ranging decisions…
In the pre-negotiation talks for coalition formation, CDU/CSU and SPD decided on far ranging plans to invest in infrastructure and military spending. This happens with the background of an announced reduction in international support by the United States. To make this spending increase possible, the German Constitution with its mandatory debt brake has to be…
After the 2025 Bundestag election, the right-populist party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and the socialist “Die Linke” jointly will have 34 percent of the seats in the Bundestag. This gives them the opportunity to block certain activities that require a 2/3 majority: Changes to the constitution, the election of constitutional court judges. In an interview…
On the day of the Bundestag election 2025, Sven T. Siefken talked about the ongoing competition for the design of the ballot boxes in Germany. The interview was broadcast on Radio Bremen 2, you can listen to the full interview here:
On January 22, the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung featured the ongoing design competition in the ReDeRe project on its front page. We are looking forward to many interesting contributions. The interdisciplinary project “Redesigning Democratic Representation”, jointly led by Professors Friedrich von Borries and Sven T. Siefken is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation and aims to…
75 years ago, today, the first German Bundestag held opening meeting. Over the decades, the Bundestag has developed into one of the strongest parliaments in the world. On the occasion of the Bundestag Birthday, Sven T. Siefken spoke with Radio Bremen 2 about the developments in the past and the challenges ahead. A recording of…
Deutschlandfunk, the German national public radio station, held its “agenda” show on life as a professional politician. MPs and researchers discussed the relationship between citizens and politicians, how it has changed and developed. The show is hosted by Michael Roehl, guests are MP Emily Vontz (SPD), MP Peter Ramsauer (CSU), author Robert Lorenz and Sven…
In its latest issue, Choices, the Cologne magazine of culture, focuses on current developments of democracy. In an interview, Sven T. Siefken discusses current developments and challenges – and emphasizes the need for everyone to get in touch and be active. The interview is available in the printed magazine and online
Sven Siefken discussed the consequences of the recent corruption scandal in the European Parliament for its members and their ways of information gathering. You can hear parts of the interview here at Deutschlandfunk „Europa heute“ (8:30)
The first reading of the reform bill for the electoral law of Germany has been debated in the Bundestag today. Sven T. Siefken discussed with “Die WELT” daily newspaper, if this new law may lead to deserted districts in the future. The complete article is here. In a separate interview, Siefken spoke about topic with…
The Pandemic posed a double shock for parliaments around the globe; they had to adjust their ways of working to the requirements of infection protection, and they also needed to deal with the prerogative of executive action. In an interview with German newspaper „Das Parlament“, Sven T. Siefken discusses perspectives of parliamentarism in the Covid-19…
How does political representation work in modern democracies? And what exactly is representation in the first place? Hendrik Hering, the President of the State Parliament of Rhineland Palatinate discusses these questions with Sven T. Siefken in the latest edition of the Podcast “Hintergrundgespräch”. Wie funktioniert politische Repräsentation in modernen Demokratien? Und was ist Repräsentation eigentlich…
Mit den zentralen Themen der Bundestagswahl 2021 befasst sich die neue Reihe #Nachgefragt!BTW21 des Portals für Politikwissenschaft. Die Einschätzungen dazu von Sven T. Siefken finden Sie hier …
Die neue Initiative “Brand New Bundestag” unterstützt bei der Kandidatur für ein Parlamentsmandat. Über die Chancen und Möglichkeiten von parteiunabhängigen Abgeordneten im Bundestag sprach Sven T. Siefken mit dem Mitteldeutschen Rundfunk. Sie finden das Gespräch hier.
Anlässlich der Anpassung des Infektionsschutzgesetzes sprach Sven T. Siefken mit Radio SAW über die aktuellen Herausforderungen der Pandemie – und ihre Auswirkungen auf die verfassungsmäßigen Grundrechte. Auszüge aus dem Gespräch finden Sie hier
Untersuchungssausschüsse sind ein etabliertes Instrument parlamentarischer Kontrolle. Sie werden meist von der Opposition zur Aufklärung rückwirkender Geschehnisse eingesetzt. Der SPIEGEL hat in einer groß angelegten Auswertung die Parlamentarischen Untersuchungsausschüsse in Bund und Ländern ausgewertet und zur Einordnung der Ergebnisse mit Sven T. Siefken gesprochen. Den Beitrag finden Sie hier
Im Bundestag wird überlegt, nach Vorbild des Parlaments der Niederlande eine Kinderfragestunde einzuführen. Darüber sprach Sven T. Siefken mit dem Kindersender “Tweens” des Mitteldeutschen Rundfunks. Hier finden Sie den Beitrag als Podcast: https://www.mdr.de/tweens/podcast/live-show/live-show-podcast-102.html
Im Gespräch mit der Abendakademie Mannheim diskutiert Sven T. Siefken welche Folgen die gegenwärtige Situation für das politische System hat. Dabei geht es um die Fragen, ob in Deutschland der Notstand herrscht, wie politische Entscheidungen gegenwärtig getroffen werden und welche Herausforderung dies für Opposition und Mehrheit mit sich bringt. Sie finden das Interview in der…