# Bürgerschaft of Bremen

The State Parliament of Bremen (Bremische Bürgerschaft, lit. 'Bremish Citizenry' or 'Citizenry 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 87 members from six parties. The current majority is a coalition of the Social Democratic Party, Alliance 90/The Greens and The Left, supporting Mayor and Senate president Andreas Bovenschulte. The 72 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 14 May 2023, the composition of the Bürgerschaft is as follows:
| Party | Seats |
| Social Democratic Party (SPD) | 27 |
| Christian Democratic Union (CDU) | 24 |
| Alliance '90/The Greens (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) | 11 |
| The Left (Die Linke) | 10 |
| Citizens in Rage (BIW) | 10 |
| Free Democratic Party (FDP) | 5 |
After the elections of 26 May 2019, the composition of the Bürgerschaft is as follows:
| Party | Seats |
| Christian Democratic Union (CDU) | 24 |
| Social Democratic Party (SPD) | 23 |
| Alliance '90/The Greens (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) | 16 |
| The Left (Die Linke) | 10 |
| Alternative for Germany (AfD) | 5 |
| Free Democratic Party (FDP) | 5 |
| Citizens in Rage (BIW) | 1 |
Composition (June 2018)
| Party | Seats |
| Social Democratic Party (SPD) | 30 |
| Christian Democratic Union (CDU) | 19 |
| Alliance '90/The Greens (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) | 12 |
| The Left (Die Linke) | 8 |
| Free Democratic Party (FDP) | 7 |
| Liberal Conservative Reformers (LKR) | 1 |
| Alternative for Germany (AfD) | 1 |
| Citizens in Rage (BIW) | 3 |
| Independent | 2 |
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), which 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.

## Presidents of the Bürgerschaft

So far, the presidents of the Landtag of Bremen have been:
* 1946–1966 August Hagedorn, Social Democratic Party (SPD)
* 1966–1971 Hermann Engel, SPD
* 1971–1995 Dieter Klink, SPD
* 1995–1999 Reinhard Metz, Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
* 1999–2019 Christian Weber, SPD
* 2019 Antje Grotheer, SPD
* 2019–2023 Frank Imhoff, CDU
* since 2023 Antje Grotheer, SPD