Willkommen E
Willkommen E
Willkommen E
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: post@landtag-bw.de, www.landtag-bw.de Muhterem Aras MP
Copy date President of the State Parliament of Baden-Württemberg
September 2019
© 2019, Landtag von Baden-Württemberg
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“.
Key functions
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.
→ Building issues
→ Criminal justice
→ The rights of non-nationals
→ Social assistance
Recording Recording
President
clerk clerk
The 16th legislative period
es Gove
nt b e n ch rnme
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ove rnme n ches
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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
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.
groups and their working parties. It also schedules the busi- AfD SPD
Finance Committee
Convener: Rainer Stickelberger, SPD
Deputy Convener: N. N.
Petitions Committee
Convener: Beate Böhlen, GRÜNE
Deputy Convener: Norbert Beck, CDU
Minister President
Winfried Kretschmann (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) 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
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.
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: bsd@landtag-bw.de
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: post@landtag-bw.de
www.ltbw.de/informationsmaterial
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