WELCOME TO THE

STATE PARLIAMENT

EN
CONTENTS FOREWORD
→ 04 The State of Baden-Württemberg The State Parliament of Baden-­
→ 06 The Parliament Building Würt­temberg is at the very heart of
→ 08 Legislative, Voting and Supervisory Powers our democratic body politic. It is in
→ 10 Budgetary Powers Parliament that political issues of
→ 11 Right of Petition current concern are addressed and debated before binding
→ 12 The Electoral System decisions are taken which affect many different areas of our
→ 13 Votes and Percentages lives. This booklet provides an introduction to the functions
→ 14 Members of Parliament and their 70 Constituencies and organisation of the most important constitutional body
→ 17 Allocation of Seats in the Debating Chamber in the Federal State of Baden-­Württemberg.
→ 20 Composition of the Parliament Parliamentary Pay
→ 21 The Duties of Members of Parliament What decision-making powers does the State Parliament
→ 22 Plenary Sessions have? Who sits in the Parliament? When does it meet? This
→ 23 The Parliamentary Agenda, Away from the Floor booklet not only provides clear and concise answers to these
→ 24 The President and her Deputy, and other important questions, it is also intended to encour-
The Executive Committee age readers to find out more about the work of Members of
→ 25 The Parliamentary Groups Parliament. Democracy needs active and informed citizens.
→ 26 The Committees
→ 28 The State Government With the refurbishment of the State Parliament building and
→ 30 The State Parliament Administration the addition of the new Civic and Media Centre our parlia-
→ 32 Visitors ment has not only been modernised, it is now also much more
→ 33 Public Relations open, friendly and inviting.
→ 34 Further Information (Selection)
I will be tireless and passionate in working to ensure that our State
Parliament is transparent and connects with the public it serves.
Publisher
The President of the State Parliament of Baden-Württemberg
I welcome you to our State Parliament and am delighted in
Editor
Press and Public Relations
your interest, whether you have come to attend the public
Baden-Württemberg State Parliament gallery, to meet Members of Parliament, or to take part in a
Design seminar or other event. I hope that you will take away two
unger+ kreative strategen GmbH, www.ungerplus.de things from your visit: a deeper understanding of the workings
Translation of representative democracy itself and a keener critical
David Allison awareness of political processes. I am absolutely committed
Photography to building confidence in the work of our Parliament.
Fotolia (Manuel Schönfeld, Sebastian Duda, visivasnc), Jan Potente,
LTBW, Marcus Ebener, Staatsministerium
Address of publisher and editor
Haus des Landtags, Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 3, 70173 Stuttgart
Tel.: 0711 2063-268, Fax: 0711 2063-299
E-Mail: [email protected], www.landtag-bw.de Muhterem Aras MP
Copy date President of the State Parliament of Baden-Württemberg
September 2019
© 2019, Landtag von Baden-Württemberg

02 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 03

Front-runner in many fields

THE STATE OF
BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG
Baden-Württemberg is situated at the very heart of Europe.
The State borders on France to the west, and to Switzer-
land and – across Lake Constance – to Austria in the
south. It is the third largest of the country‘s sixteen states
in terms of area (35,751 km2) and population (11.02 million
inhabitants). universities, 6 universities of education, 23 universities of
applied science, the Cooperative State University, 8 art
Germany‘s southwest is one of the leading economic regions schools and colleges of music, the Academy of Perform-
in the country and in Europe. The region is home to industry ing Arts, the Film Academy and Pop Academy and more
giants and thousands of small and medium-sized enterpris- than 25 recognised private and ecclesiastical universi-
es, many of which are market leaders in their product fields. ties. Baden-Württemberg also has a state-of-the-art re-
Today, more than (29.2 %) one quarter of industrial revenues in search infrastructure and is home to many leading re-
the region are generated by Baden-Württemberg‘s key au- search institutions, such as the Max Planck Society or the
tomotive engineering industry and its large supplier network, German Aerospace Centre in Stuttgart.
closely followed by mechanical and plant engineering
(around 20 per cent) and the metal and electrical industries Baden-Württemberg has not only produced numerous
(each accounting for around 7 per cent). Equally significant inventors and entrepreneurs, it is also the land of thinkers
are the chemical, pharmaceutical and optical industries. and poets - the home of Schiller, Hölderlin, Hegel, Mörike,
Baden-Württemberg typically enjoys above-average rates Hesse, Heidegger and many more famous names.
of growth, high levels of labour productivity and consistently
low unemployment. The State of Baden-Württemberg was created over 65
years ago. Following a referendum held in 1951, the States
Southwest Germany is also at the forefront of innovation. of Baden, Württemberg-Baden and Württemberg-Ho-
More homespun ingenuity is invested in products and henzollern merged to form the single cohesive State of
processes in southwest Germany than anywhere else in Baden-Württemberg on 25 April 1952.
Europe. Baden-Württemberg invests 5.1 per cent of its
gross domestic product in research and development, The new constitution was adopted on 19 November 1953.
well ahead of all the EU‘s 97 regions by a large margin. Stuttgart is the seat of the State Government, home to
The fruits of these investments are evident in the number the State Parliament and the state‘s political hub.
of patents – more relative to the size of the population
than anywhere else – registered in Baden-Württemberg. The first President of the Federal Republic of Germany,
Theodor Heuss, paid tribute to the political and economic
This success would be unthinkable without the many success of the newly emerged State of Baden-Württem-
qualified minds in the southwest. The region is home to a berg when he pithily described the state as a “model of
broad spectrum of institutions of higher learning: 9 general German possibilities“.

04 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 05

 THE STATE COAT
OF ARMS

Baden-Württemberg‘s coat of arms eloquently expresses the state‘s

unity in diversity. The escutcheon bears the ancient coat of arms of the
Hohenstaufen duchy of Swabia. The three black lions on a gold field recall
the period of the high Middle Ages between 1079 and 1268 when the histo-
ry of the holy Roman Empire was dominated by the Staufer dynasty. The
supporters are the stag of Württemberg and the heraldic griffin of Baden.
The circlet represents the former constituent territories of the state: the
historic coat of arms of eastern Franconia (the silver-tipped “Franconian
rake”), Hohenzollern (white and black quartered escutcheon), Baden (red
bars on a gold field), Württemberg (three black stag antlers on a gold
field), the Palatinate (golden lion in black) and anterior Austria (red-white-
red bordered escutcheon).

Space for encounters

THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING

The world‘s first television tower is a piece of contemporary and design standards on fire protection, accessibility,
classic architecture. Constructed in 1956, its timeless aes- lighting, architectural acoustics, building services, thermal
thetic is very much part of Stuttgart‘s identity and one of insulation, security technology and energy efficiency.
the city‘s main features. The same goes for the State Par-
liament building which was opened in 1961 as the first gen- The fossils embedded in the great slate wall in the en-
uine new parliament building to be constructed in the 20th trance hall are from the area around Holzmaden at the
century on the European continent. foot of the Swabian Alb. The triptychon “Paraphrases on the
national colours“ was painted by the Stuttgart-based artist
The cube-shaped building (12m high and built on an area Otto Herbert Hajek. The lobby hall on the main floor –
of 55 x 55m) is constructed around the Debating Chamber. graced by an equestrian statue by the Italian sculptor
Following its general refurbishment (between autumn 2014 Marino Marini – offers an ideal arena for meetings and for-
and spring 2016) the Debating Chamber now has a glass mal events.
façade which faces the rose garden. Grouped around the
Debating Chamber on the main and first floors are smaller The “Haus der Abgeordneten” on the other side of Konrad-
committee rooms and the offices of the parliamentary Adenauer Straße has been in use since 1987 and is linked to
groups, the State Government and the State Parliament the Parliament building by a tunnel. The eight-storey build-
Administration. ing houses offices, meeting rooms and rooms for the use of
the parliamentary groups. The State Parliament also
The structural alteration work included both technical and uses the Queen Olga Building in Stauffenbergstraße and
energy measures. The building has been modernised and other buildings in Ulrichstraße and Urbanstraße.
now complies with all the applicable building, technical

06 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 07

 PARLIAMENTARY INITIATIVES

The State Parliament has a number of initiative and control

instruments available to it in the form of parliamentary
motions and questions which enable it to examine the work
of the government.

Key functions

LEGISLATIVE, VOTING Draft law

AND SUPERVISORY POWERS Draft laws are introduced by MPs and must be signed by at least eight
MPs or a parliamentary group. Draft legislation is debated in two or three
readings in the Chamber. Bills pass into law by majority vote, with the
Making laws is the most important task of any democratical- exception of constitutional amendments which require a two thirds
ly elected parliament. The State Parliament exercises legis- majority.
lative power and monitors the State Government‘s use of its
Debate
executive powers. The third branch of government, the judi-
One or two debates can be initiated on issues of current or general in-
ciary, is independent and its powers are exercised by judges terest by motions tabled on an alternating basis by the parliamentary
who are answerable only to the law. groups.

The State Parliament is able to pass laws by simple majority Motion

Motions are proposals that the government take specific action. Motions
of the MPs present. The State Parliament has the power to
can be tabled by five MPs or a parliamentary group.
pass amendments to the state constitution by two thirds
majority (but at least half of all MPs) if at least two thirds of Minor interpellation
the Parliament‘s members are present. Another fundamental All MPs are able to direct‚ minor interpellations to the government, which
duty of the State Parliament is to elect the holders of other responds to these questions in writing.
constitutional offices: it elects the Minister President in a se-
Major interpellation
cret ballot and confirms the State Government in office. The Major interpellations can be submitted by a group of fifteen MPs or a
Parliament also elects the President and the members of the parliamentary group and are used to elicit statements from the State
Constitutional Court (formerly State Court of Justice). Ap- Government or to trigger a parliamentary debate.
pointments to the presidency of the State Court of Audit and
Question time
the State Commissioner for Data Protection also require the
All MPs are able to put formal verbal questions to the government. Ques-
approval of Parliament. tions must be submitted to the President at least three days before the
parliamentary session begins and are answered briefly by the govern-
The work of the State Parliament has changed in response to ment in the Chamber.
an array of new political challenges. In the period after 1952,
Questions for the government
when the administrative foundations of the new state were
MPs can also direct questions about issues of current interest to the gov-
being laid, Parliament focused squarely on passing legisla- ernment during special‚ questions for the government sessions. The parlia-
tion. Today, in contrast, Parliament concentrates on scruti- mentary groups must state the subject of their questions and the ministry
nizing the work of the government and the administration. responsible for answering them by 5 p.m. the day before the session.

08 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 09

Getting the finances right Citizens‘ petitions and complaints

BUDGETARY POWERS RIGHT OF PETITION

The Parliament‘s budgetary powers - or as is often said, its Anyone is entitled to send written petitions or complaints to
“royal prerogative” - allow the State Parliament to decide Members of Parliament. This basic right is held by citizens
how the money derived from taxes, duties and charges and non-citizens alike, as well as by minors and those in pris-
should be spent. The State‘s budget, which details its revenue on. Concerns expressed in this way are dealt with by the
and spending, is approved by the State Parliament. In addi- State Parliament‘s Petitions Committee which examines the
tion to its approval or rejection rights, the Parliament‘s budg- facts in each case by reviewing particular decisions which
etary powers also include the right to monitor government have been taken by public authorities. The Petitions Com-
spending. The State Parliament scrutinises the financial mittee consequently has special statutory powers, such as
activities of the state authorities by examining the budget the right to demand the submission of files, the disclosure of
accounts submitted at the end of the year by the Ministry information, or access to state institutions. After completing
of Finance. its examinations the Committee submits proposals which it
believes are in the interest of all the parties involved. Since
2011 it has also been possible to submit petitions online.

During the last (15th) legislative period 23 committee

members dealt with around 6,200 petitions, most of which
concerned

→ Building issues
→ Criminal justice
→ The rights of non-nationals
→ Social assistance

10 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 11

 Baden-Württemberg‘s 70 constituencies. In contrast to na-
tional elections where voters have two votes, voters in state
elections only have one vote which they must cast for a
candidate in their constituency. The vote counts twice,
however: firstly in deciding how many seats a party gains in
the State Parliament and, secondly, in determining which of
the party‘s candidates have won a parliamentary seat.

Each of the state‘s 70 constituencies has one constituency

Every “X“ counts twice
seat in the Parliament. At least 50 more seats are allocated
THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM to candidates who, although they have not won on a first-
past-the-post basis in their constituency, have attracted
The people of Baden-Württemberg elect their parliamen- the most votes in relation to other candidates from the
tary representatives every five years. The right to vote and same party.
the right to stand for election are held by all German citizens
who, on the day of the election, are at least 18 years old and This arithmetic means that there are at least 120 MPs in par-
have lived, had their main residence, or otherwise been liament in every legislative period. As a rule, however, the
permanent residents in Baden-Württemberg for the previ- overhang seats granted to one party and the adjusting
ous three months as a minimum. seats which need to be granted to other parties mean that
there are usually more than 120 MPs elected to each parlia-
No special qualifications are required in order to become a ment. The present parliament has 143 MPs. On average, one
Member of Parliament. The political parties have the final MP represents around 75,000 inhabitants.
say on who ultimately stands as a candidate for election
and their main criteria for choosing a candidate at the par-
ty‘s internal selection conferences is the ability to do the
job, commitment to political activism in the community and The 16th legislative period
life experience. At the end of the day, however, it is the voter
who decides on election day which of the parties‘ candi- VOTES AND PERCENTAGES
dates is given a mandate to represent them in the State
The official results of the State Parliament elections held on 13 March 2016:
Parliament. Electorate → 7,683,464
Number of votes → 5,41 1 ,945
The electoral system combines the principles of proportion- Valid votes → 5,361,250
al representation with a first-past-the-post system of votes Turn out → 70.4 %

for individual candidates. The number of seats won by po-

litical parties in the State Parliament is based on the pro- Party Share of votes Seats
portional distribution of votes for the parties (proportional GRÜNE 30.3 % 47
representation). Seats are won by individual candidates ac- CDU 27.0 % 42
cording to the number of votes cast directly in their constit- AfD 15.1 % 23
uencies (first-past-the-post system). SPD 12.7 % 19
FDP/DVP 8.3 % 12
Only constituency candidates can be elected – in other Others 6.6 %
words, every candidate must stand for election in one of Total 143

12 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 13

MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT AND 26 Aalen 42 Pforzheim
Winfried Mack CDU Dr. Bernd Grimmer AfD
THEIR 70 CONSTITUENCIES Dr. Hans-Ulrich Rülke FDP/DVP
27 Karlsruhe I
Dr. Ute Leidig GRÜNE 43 Calw
143 seats Thomas Blenke CDU
28 Karlsruhe II Klaus Dürr AfD
1 Stuttgart I 14 Bietigheim-Bissingen Alexander Salomon GRÜNE
Muhterem Aras GRÜNE Daniel Renkonen GRÜNE 44 Enz
Fabian Gramling CDU 29 Bruchsal Stefanie Seemann GRÜNE
2 Stuttgart II Ulli Hockenberger CDU Bernd Gögel AfD
Winfried Hermann GRÜNE 15 Waiblingen Dr. Rainer Balzer AfD Dr. Erik Schweickert FDP/DVP
Gabriele Reich-Gutjahr FDP/DVP Wilhelm Halder GRÜNE
Siegfried Lorek CDU 30 Bretten 45 Freudenstadt
3 Stuttgart III Dr. Ulrich Goll FDP/DVP Andrea Schwarz GRÜNE Norbert Beck CDU
Franz Untersteller GRÜNE Joachim Kößler CDU Dr. Timm Kern FDP/DVP
16 Schorndorf
4 Stuttgart IV Petra Häffner GRÜNE 31 Ettlingen 46 Freiburg I
Brigitte Lösch GRÜNE Claus Paal CDU Barbara Saebel GRÜNE Reinhold Pix GRÜNE
Jochen Haußmann FDP/DVP Christine Neumann-Martin CDU
5 Böblingen 47 Freiburg II
Thekla Walker GRÜNE 17 Backnang 32 Rastatt Edith Sitzmann GRÜNE
Paul Nemeth CDU Wilfried Klenk CDU Thomas Hentschel GRÜNE Gabi Rolland SPD
Harald Pfeiffer AfD Gernot Gruber SPD Dr. Alexander Becker CDU
Jonas Weber SPD 48 Breisgau
6 Leonberg 18 Heilbronn Bärbl Mielich GRÜNE
Dr. Bernd Murschel GRÜNE Susanne Bay GRÜNE 33 Baden-Baden Dr. Patrick Rapp CDU
Sabine Kurtz CDU Dr. Rainer Podeswa AfD Beate Böhlen GRÜNE
Rainer Hinderer SPD Tobias Wald CDU 49 Emmendingen
7 Esslingen Nico Weinmann FDP/DVP Alexander Schoch GRÜNE
Andrea Lindlohr GRÜNE 34 Heidelberg Sabine Wölfle SPD
Andreas Deuschle CDU 19 Eppingen Theresia Bauer GRÜNE
Nicolas Fink SPD Friedlinde Gurr-Hirsch CDU 50 Lahr
Thomas Axel Palka AfD 35 Mannheim I Sandra Boser GRÜNE
8 Kirchheim Rüdiger Klos AfD Marion Gentges CDU 57 Singen 64 Ulm
Andreas Schwarz GRÜNE 20 Neckarsulm Dr. Stefan Fulst-Blei SPD Dorothea Wehinger GRÜNE Jürgen Filius GRÜNE
Karl Zimmermann CDU Isabell Huber CDU 51 Offenburg Dr. Wolfgang Gedeon Martin Rivoir SPD
Andreas Kenner SPD Carola Wolle AfD 36 Mannheim II Thomas Marwein GRÜNE (non-attached member)
Reinhold Gall SPD Elke Zimmer GRÜNE Volker Schebesta CDU 65 Ehingen
9 Nürtingen Dr. Boris Weirauch SPD 58 Lörrach Manuel Hagel CDU
Winfried Kretschmann GRÜNE 21 Hohenlohe 52 Kehl Josef Frey GRÜNE Daniel Rottmann AfD
Arnulf Freiherr von Eyb CDU 37 Wiesloch Willi Stächele CDU Rainer Stickelberger SPD
10 Göppingen Anton Baron AfD Karl Klein CDU Stefan Räpple AfD 66 Biberach
Alexander Maier GRÜNE Claudia Martin CDU 59 Waldshut Thomas Dörflinger CDU
Dr. Heinrich Fiechtner 22 Schwäbisch Hall 53 Rottweil Sabine Hartmann-Müller CDU
(non-attached member) Jutta Niemann GRÜNE 38 Neckar-Odenwald Stefan Teufel CDU 67 Bodensee
Peter Hofelich SPD Udo Stein AfD Peter Hauk CDU Emil Sänze AfD 60 Reutlingen Martin Hahn GRÜNE
Stephen Brauer FDP/DVP Georg Nelius SPD Daniel Karrais FDP/DVP Thomas Poreski GRÜNE Klaus Hoher FDP/DVP
11 Geislingen Ramazan Selcuk SPD
Nicole Razavi CDU 23 Main-Tauber 39 Weinheim 54 Villingen-Schwenningen 68 Wangen
Sascha Binder SPD Dr. Wolfgang Reinhart CDU Hans-Ulrich Sckerl GRÜNE Martina Braun GRÜNE 61 Hechingen-Münsingen Raimund Haser CDU
Dr. Christina Baum AfD Julia Philippi CDU Karl Rombach CDU Karl-Wilhelm Röhm CDU Petra Krebs GRÜNE
12 Ludwigsburg Gerhard Kleinböck SPD Hans Peter Stauch AfD
Jürgen Walter GRÜNE 24 Heidenheim 55 Tuttlingen-Donaueschingen Rudi Fischer FDP/DVP 69 Ravensburg
Martin Grath GRÜNE 40 Schwetzingen Guido Wolf CDU Manfred Lucha GRÜNE
13 Vaihingen Dr. Heiner Merz AfD Manfred Kern GRÜNE Doris Senger AfD 62 Tübingen August Schuler CDU
Dr. Markus Rösler GRÜNE Andreas Stoch SPD Klaus-Günther Voigtmann AfD Daniel Andreas Lede Abal GRÜNE
Konrad Epple CDU Daniel Born SPD 56 Konstanz 70 Sigmaringen
25 Schwäbisch Gmünd Nese Erikli GRÜNE 63 Balingen Andrea Bogner-Unden GRÜNE
Dr. Stefan Scheffold CDU 41 Sinsheim Jürgen Keck FDP/DVP Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut CDU Klaus Martin Burger CDU
Hermann Katzenstein GRÜNE Stefan Herre AfD

14 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT

Dr. Albrecht Schütte CDU 15 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 16
When Parliament is in session

THE SEATING PLAN Administration Director

Recording Recording
President
clerk clerk
The 16th legislative period
es Gove
nt b e n ch rnme
nt be
ove rnme n ches
G
Speaker
er Sten
g raph o grap
Steno her
Baron Gall
Dr. Podeswa Dr. Fulst-Blei Hinderer
Gögel Stoch
Dr. Grimmer Wolle Born
Palka Wölfle Rolland
Dr. Baum Fink
Dr. Balzer Schwarz,
Pfeiffer Mack Andreas Binder Stickelberger
Stein Kleinböck
Sänze
Sckerl Gruber
Dr. Reinhart Weber
Klos Rivoir
Stauch Razavi Boser
Röhm Dr. Rülke Lede Abal Hofelich
Herre Nelius
Senger Blenke Kenner
Lindlohr
Dürr Teufel Walker Selcuk
Rottmann Epple Kurtz Aras
Dr. Kern, T. Haußmann Dr. Weirauch
Dörflinger Bauer
Räpple
Haser Deuschle
Burger
Bay
Erikli SPD
Bogner-Unden
AfD Hagel
Gurr-Hirsch
Beck
Braun
Böhlen Filius
Brauer Weinmann Frey
Gramling Grath
Dr. Merz Huber Hermann Lösch
Gentges Häffner
Klenk Katzenstein
von Eyb Hahn Lucha
Voigtmann Dr. Becker Halder
Kößler Kern, M.
Dr. Gedeon Dr. Goll Fischer Maier Renkonen
Klein
(non-attached
member) Dr. Hoffmeister-Kraut Krebs Marwein
Dr. Scheffold Dr. Rösler
Hockenberger Kretschmann Mielich
Schebesta Hauk Hentschel Saebel
Dr. Fiechtner Dr. Leidig
(non-attached Rombach Karrais Hoher
member) Dr. Rapp Dr. Murschel
Paal Niemann Salomon
Zimmermann Pix
Neumann- Schoch
Wolf Martin Nemeth Lorek Poreski
Zimmer Schwarz, Andrea
Wald Reich-Gutjahr Keck
Martin Seemann
Philippi
CDU Stächele
Dr. Schütte Untersteller
Sitzmann GRÜNE
Schuler Walter
Hartmann- Dr. Schweickert Wehinger
Müller

FDP/DVP

17 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 18 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 19

Personal profiles Diverse challenges

COMPOSITION OF THE DUTIES OF MEMBERS

THE PARLIAMENT OF PARLIAMENT
By age Whether on the floor of the house, working in committees or
The average age of MPs at the beginning of the legislative in parliamentary groups, parliamentarians must cope with an
period was 52.7. The largest age group, to which 21 per cent enormous workload of meetings and debates. MPs also use
of MPs belong, is the group of 51-55-year-olds. Stefan Herre their time in the state capital to arrange meetings with public
(13 January 1992) is the youngest MP, and the oldest is Klaus- authorities and associations, issue public statements and
Günther Voigtmann (3 June 1945). get involved in discussions with groups of visitors. And yet
despite all these activities, MPs‘ work in the Parliament itself
By gender only represents one aspect of their work as elected repre-
At present the proportion of female MPs sitting in parliament sentatives.
is 26.6 per cent. 38 of the 143 MPs sitting in the 16th parliament
are women. The other, equally time-consuming, part is their constituency
work. Being available to voters, engaging in discussions with
institutions, taking part in negotiations and working to solve
Safeguarding representatives‘ independence
local problems, speaking at all sorts of local events – the
PARLIAMENTARY PAY challenges are broad and diverse. A glance at a typical
page of one parliamentarian‘s full diary shows just how busy
The State Parliament of Baden-Württemberg has been a MPs are.
full-time parliament since the start of the 15th legislative
period. Parliamentary pay has been index linked since
2005.

As of 1 July 2019, an MP is currently paid a taxable amount -

referred to as compensation - of 8,210 euros a month.
This income is liable for tax. A 13th monthly salary is not
paid. The President, the Vice-President, chairpersons and
parliamentary leaders of the parliamentary groups re-
ceive higher salaries.

MPs are paid a flat rate amount of 2,252 euros to cover

general costs, such as for their constituency office, post-
age costs, additional costs incurred during their work in
the parliament and for parliamentary travel. Travel costs
are reimbursed against receipts. The State also pays MPs
the actual costs for office or secretarial staff. MPs are re-
sponsible for making their own provision for their retire-
ment and recieve an additional monthly taxable amount
for this purpose.

20 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 21

 Preparation is crucial

THE PARLIAMENTARY AGENDA

Matters which are debated and decided in the Chamber
represent only the visible aspect of the work of the Parlia-
ment. The Chamber is where final decisions are taken, often
after months of detailed preparatory work by the parlia-
mentary groups and the State Parliament‘s select commit-
tees. This also explains why some items of the agenda can
be dealt with very quickly. The programme of business laid
down by the Executive Committee can also be changed at
short notice.

An open forum
Outside the Debating Chamber
PLENARY SESSIONS
AWAY FROM THE FLOOR
Decisions are taken by the State Parliament in the Chamber
where all the MPs meet and discuss bills. The Chamber is Everything on the Parliamentary Agenda goes through sev-
the venue for political debate and the forum at which im- eral stages before being considered in the Chamber. This
portant political statements are made by parliamentary enables MPs to use some sitting days to deal with other work.
groups and the government. When not taking direct part in debates, for example, they
may hold discussions away from the floor with speakers from
Verbatim minutes of parliamentary proceedings – which government ministries, give press interviews, receive visitors
are always open to the public – are recorded by the official from their constituencies, meet school classes or prepare
stenographer. The minutes of proceedings and consultative speeches or contributions to discussions in their parliamen-
papers (parliamentary journals and publications) are all tary offices. To make sure they have the very best information
made available to the general public. possible about issues being debated, some MPs access
press clippings from within the Chamber itself or use smart-
Proceedings in the Chamber are chaired by the President or phones or tablet PCs to find information on the Internet -
the Vice-President. The President is flanked by two MPs who sometimes up to the last minute before they give a speech.
act as recording clerks and provide support maintaining or-
der and directing voting proceedings. When deciding who The diverse duties which MPs have on sitting days - which
should be called to speak in a debate the President must frequently continue for over 8 hours - as well as their other
not only take account of the order in which requests to work, explain why MPs are not always present in the Debat-
speak have been received, but must also try to ensure that ing Chamber. However, a public address system ensures
a balance of political views is represented during a debate. they are always aware of what is currently being debated on
Official spokesmen or women of the government must be the floor of the house.
called to speak on request even if they are not included on
the list of speakers or in the agenda. Details are governed
by the State Parliament‘s standing orders.

22 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 23

Impartial representatives Political actors

THE PRESIDENT AND THE PARLIAMENTARY GROUPS

HER DEPUTY A parliamentary group is an organisational structure formed
by MPs from the same political party. The political positions
represented by a party‘s MPs are mediated and focused in
President: Vice-President:
Muhterem Aras Sabine Kurtz
the Debating Chamber and committee decision making
GRÜNE CDU by the parliamentary groups. A large share of the political
initiatives started in Parliament originate from the parlia-
mentary groups, which are supported – according to their
The President of the State Parliament (in Brit. and Us parl. size – by a staff of specialists provided by the parliamentary
systems: Speaker) and the Vice-President are elected by advice and support service.
the State Parliament in a secret ballot. Traditionally the The parliamentary groups have the right to propose or
President is a member of the strongest parliamentary nominate individuals to various positions, such as the State
group. The President conducts parliamentary business Parliament committees, committee chairs, or for the posi-
and represents the State Parliament in its relations with tions of President and Vice-President. The parliamentary
outside bodies. The President must protect the authority groups can introduce draft laws and other motions signed
of the State Parliament and act with impartiality to ensure on their behalf by the chairperson of the group.
that debates and deliberations are conducted in an orderly The parliamentary groups form working parties which focus
way. In the State Parliament buildings the word of the Pres- on particular policy areas or issues. The main task of the
ident is final. working parties is to prepare the initiatives submitted by
the parliamentary groups and to help bring them success-
Planning and coordination fully through the committees.

THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PARLIAMENTARY GROUPS

The 21 members of the Executive Committee include the
President of the State Parliament, the Vice-President and the Andreas Dr. Wolfgang
chairpersons and several leading members of the parlia- Schwarz Reinhart
mentary groups. The State Government is also represented. GRÜNE CDU
The Executive Committee holds the main responsibility for
managing and directing the activities of the Parliament.
The Committee sets dates for the plenary sessions in the Bernd Andreas
year ahead, as well for the committees, the parliamentary Gögel Stoch

groups and their working parties. It also schedules the busi- AfD SPD

ness to be dealt with in the Chamber and agrees how much

time will be granted to individual speakers. The Committee
Dr. Hans-Ulrich
discusses all the fundamental issues concerning relations
Rülke
between the Parliament and the State Government and
FDP/DVP
agrees the Parliament‘s staff and materials budget. What
does the State Parliament cost every year? Around 106 million
euros, or approximately 9.64 euros a year per inhabitant.

24 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 25

 Standing Committee
Convener: Dr. Stefan Scheffold, CDU
Deputy Convener: Jürgen Filius, GRÜNE

Internal Affairs, Digitisation and Migration Committee

Convener: Karl Klein, CDU
Deputy Convener: Alexander Maier, GRÜNE

Finance Committee
Convener: Rainer Stickelberger, SPD
Deputy Convener: N. N.

Committee of Education, Youth and Sport

Convener: Brigitte Lösch, GRÜNE
Deputy Convener: Gerhard Kleinböck, SPD

Science, Research and Arts Committee

Convener: Andreas Deuschle, CDU
Efficient division of labour Deputy Convener: Thomas Marwein, GRÜNE

THE COMMITTEES Environment, Climate and Energy Policy Committee

Convener: Dr. Bernd Grimmer, AfD
The State Parliament sets up a number of committees in or- Deputy Convener: August Schuler, CDU

der to achieve an efficient division of labour and to ensure

Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing Committee
that the necessary groundwork is laid for its deliberations Convener: Dr. Erik Schweickert, FDP/DVP
and decisions. The parliamentary groups send specialists in Deputy Convener: Carola Wolle, AfD
areas such as financial policy, education policy or environ-
mental issues to be members of the relevant committees. Social Affairs and Integration Committee
Convener: Rainer Hinderer, SPD
Deputy Convener: Christine Neumann-Martin, CDU
The committees discuss and produce recommendations on
specific issues which are usually sent to them for considera- Rural Development and Consumer Protection Committee
tion by the Chamber. Committees are also empowered to Convener: Martin Hahn, GRÜNE
discuss other issues appropriate to their subject matter and Deputy Convener: Klaus Hoher, FDP/DVP

to submit recommendations to the State Parliament. All

Transport Committee
committees are made up of 21 members. Exceptions to Convener: Karl Rombach, CDU
this rule are the Internal Affairs Committee and the European Deputy Convener: Hans Peter Stauch, AfD
Relations Committee, both of which have one additional ad-
visory member. Europe and International Committee
Convener: Willi Stächele, CDU
Deputy Convener: Dorothea Wehinger, GRÜNE

Petitions Committee
Convener: Beate Böhlen, GRÜNE
Deputy Convener: Norbert Beck, CDU

26 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 27

Confirmed by Parliament

THE STATE GOVERNMENT

The members of State Government

Minister President
Winfried Kretschmann (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) MP

Deputy Minister President and

Minister of Internal Affairs, Digitisation and Migration POLITICAL STATE SECRETARIES
Thomas Strobl (CDU)
Political State Secretary in the Ministry of
Minister of Finance Internal Affairs, Digitisation and Migration
Edith Sitzmann (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) MP Wilfried Klenk (CDU) MP

Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Political State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance
Dr. Susanne Eisenmann (CDU) Dr. Gisela Splett (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)

Minister of Science, Research and the Arts Political State Secretary in the Ministry of Education,
Theresia Bauer (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) MP Youth and Sport
Volker Schebesta (CDU) MP
Minister for the Environment, Climate and Energy Policy
Franz Untersteller (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) MP Political Secretary in the Ministry of Science,
Research and the Arts
Minister of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing Petra Olschowski
Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut (CDU) MP
Political State Secretary in the Ministry for
Minister of Social Affairs and Integration the Environent, Climate and Energy Policy
Manfred Lucha (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) MP Dr. Andre Baumann (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)

Minister of Rural Development and Consumer Protection Political State Secretary in the Ministry of
Peter Hauk (CDU) MP Economic Affairs, labour and housing:
Katrin Schütz (CDU)
Minister of Justice and European Affairs
Guido Wolf (CDU) MP Political State Secretary in the Ministry of
Social Affairs and Integration
Minister of Transport Bärbl Mielich (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) MP
Winfried Hermann (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) MP
Political State Secretary in the Ministry of
State Secretary for Civil Society and Civic Participation Rural Development and Consumer Protection
Gisela Erler (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) Friedlinde Gurr-Hirsch (CDU) MP

28 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 29

Services for the Parliament

THE STATE PARLIAMENT

ADMINISTRATION
The two departments of the State Parliament Administra-
tion are responsible for the smooth performance of parlia-
mentary business and support the work of MPs and the
parliamentary groups. The State Parliament Administration
is headed by the State Parliament Director and is directly President Director
of the State of the State
accountable to the President of the State Parliament. It
Parliament Parliament
has 184 positions – as well as 55 parliamentary advisory Muhterem Aras Berthold Frieß
positions for the parliamentary groups – and is the highest
government agency in Baden-Württemberg.
Public Relations
The State Parliament Administration implements decisions Protocol, Visitor Services
Event Management
taken by the Executive Committee and lays the business
and organisational foundations for the Parliament‘s ple-
nary sessions and helps committee conveners to prepare
PARLIAMENTARY ADMINISTRATION
for meetings.
SERVICES
The Parliament‘s legal service is available to provide as-
sistance on legal issues, such as constitutional matters or Europe and Petitions MP Support, Budget
standing orders. In response to the growing impact of Eu-
ropean policy at the regional level, the Parliament has set
up its own European affairs office.
Legal Services Staff

The Public Relations Department is the mouthpiece of the

State Parliament and its President. While the Parliament‘s
special visitor section takes care of the protocol for visiting Chamber, Committee Service, Information and
Publications Communication
dignitaries, the needs of our many other guests are looked
after by our Visitor Services.

The Parliament‘s administration and all MPs‘ offices are, of Stenographic Services Facility Management
course, equipped with modern computers. The Information
Centre provides material in book and magazine form, as
well as statutes, minutes and publications. Archive,
Documentation, Library
Staff with special responsibilities and for events are as-
signed directly to the President.

30 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 31

Curiosity abounds

VISITORS TO THE STATE Our Parliament and the wider world

PARLIAMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS

The State Parliament of Baden-Württemberg is visited by The State Parliament maintains many links with regions in
large numbers of people from Germany and abroad every other parts of the world and, in particular, promotes coop-
year. Visitors include high-ranking delegations, school eration with our immediate neighbours.
children and students – in fact, interest is expressed in the
work of the State Parliament by people from almost every The 71 members of the Upper Rhine Council from Alsace,
walk of life. The new Civic and Media Centre opened in Baden-Württemberg, north-west Switzerland and Rhine-
June 2017. The refurbished State Parliament and the Civic land- Palatinate include 16 MPs from the State Parliament in
and Media Centre have enhanced the transparency of Stuttgart, for example. In a similar venture, the parliaments
parliamentary democracy and the work of our parliamen- of the countries bordering lake Constance have agreed on
tarians. The multifunctional underground extension is also a joint “parliamentary conference”.
used for events, press conferences and seminars. A per-
manent exhibition with analogue, digital and playful ele- The State Parliament has also established close ties with
ments provides information about the Parliament‘s work, other European regions, such as Vorarlberg in Austria, Swiss
tasks and functions. border cantons such as St. Gallen, the provinces of south
Visitors wishing to book a visit may contact the State Par- Tyrol and Trento in Italy, the northern Finnish region of Oulu
liament‘s Visitor Services. and the autonomous province of Vojvodina in Serbia. There
is also a Baden-Württemberg Parliamentary Friendship
Visitor registration Group with members from Turkey‘s Grand National Assembly.

Landtag von Baden-Württemberg The State Parliament also maintain relations beyond Eu-
Besucherdienst rope. For example, the Parliament attaches particular im-
Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 3 portance to developing the partnership between Baden-
70173 Stuttgart Württemberg and the Republic of Burundi.
Phone: 0049 (0)711 2063-228
Fax: 0049 (0)711 2063-299
E-mail: [email protected]

32 WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT WELCOME TO THE STATE PARLIAMENT 33

Printed and online

FURTHER INFORMATION
(SELECTION)
→ Volkshandbuch (Manual) → Grundgesetz/Landesverfassung –
16th legislative period: Members of Basic Law/State Constitution
the State Parliament with photos Paperback book
and potted biographies, excerpts
from the Constitution of the State
of Baden-Württemberg, the State
Parliament‘s standing orders

Orders
These publications can be ordered free of charge from: Referat
Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Haus des Landtags, Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 3,
70173 Stuttgart, Fax 0711 2063-299, E-mail: [email protected]
www.ltbw.de/informationsmaterial

→ State Parliament film

www.ltbw.de/landtagsfilm

LandtagBW landtag_BW

BWLandtag

www.landtag-bw.de