Bürgerschaft of Bremen

Bürgerschaft of Bremen
Bremische Bürgerschaft
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Leadership
President
Christian Weber, SPD
Since 1999
Structure
Seats 83
Political groups


     Government (44)

Opposition Parties

Elections
Last election
 10 May 2015
Meeting place
Bremische Bürgerschaft, Bremen
Website
bremische-buergerschaft.de

The Bremische Bürgerschaft (Parliament of Bremen) is the legislative branch of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen in Germany. The state parliament elects the members of the Senate (executive), exercises oversight of the executive, and passes legislation. It currently consists of 83 members from five parties. The current majority is a coalition of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance '90/The Greens, supporting Mayor and Senate president Jens Böhrnsen. The delegates of the city of Bremen also form the Stadtbürgerschaft (the local parliament of the city), while Bremerhaven has its own local parliament.

Current composition

After the elections of 10 May 2015, the composition of the Bürgerschaft is as follows:

Party Seats
Social Democratic Party (SPD) 30
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) 20
Alliance '90/The Greens (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) 14
The Left (Die Linke) 8
Free Democratic Party (FDP) 6
Alliance for Progress and Renewal (ALFA) 3
Alternative for Germany (AfD) 1
Citizens in Rage (BIW) 1

Elections are conducted using proportional representation systems in both voting districts Bremen (68 seats) and Bremerhaven (15 seats), with a minimum of 5% vote share per voting district to receive any seats. The 5% rule is used separately, thus allowing the German People's Union to join the Bürgerschaft by winning 5.7% of the votes in Bremerhaven while winning only 2.75% in the whole state of Bremen. The 68 members from Bremen also form the Stadtbürgerschaft (city council for the City of Bremen only) - Stadtbürgerschaft is elected by an extended electorate: the minimum age for voting is 16 instead of 18 and all citizens of the European Union are allowed to vote. It is the only German state parliament with a 4-year, rather than 5-year term. These additional votes created a green Stadtbürgerschaft-only member and a SPD non-Stadtbürgerschaft member from Bremen(City) after the 2003 elections.

In 1979, the Bremer Grüne Liste managed to join the Bürgerschaft, thus being the first Green Party to ever enter a German Landtag.

Originally, Siegfried Tittmann was voted into the Bürgerschaft on the ticket of the right-wing German People's Union (DVU). He left the party in July 2007 and did not join another party since then, thus being factionless.

Presidents of the Bürgerschaft

So far, the presidents of the Landtag of Bremen have been:

See also

The House of the Parliament

The House of the Parliament officially opened in September 1966. Bremen’s parliament building is called ‘Haus der Bürgerschaft’. The building has a frame construction of iron-reinforced concrete. The sheathing of glass has been hung in front of this construction. The height of the building is approximately that of the level of the eaves of both the Town Hall und the house 'Schütting'. The folded roof was a compromise solution conceived as a means for converging and linking the building with the older buildings surrounding the historic market square. The facade of the parliament building reflects the old buildings in the mirror-like surface of the glass sheathing. Artificial reliefs made of aluminum highlight the window sills.

Coordinates: 53°04′30″N 8°48′29″E / 53.075°N 8.808°E / 53.075; 8.808

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