German Bundestag

The **German Bundestag** (commonly referred to as _Bundestag_) is the legislature of Germany. It meets in Berlin, in the Reichstag building, which was specially rebuilt ready for the Bundestag to move from Bonn.

The Bundestag has at least 598 members. Every 4 years the German people vote. After the 2017 election there were 709 members. In the election of 26 September 2021, 736 members were assigned - the base 598 seats plus 138 overhang and leveling seats. After the 2025 election, this was reduced to 630. The next election is expected in 2029.

A party gets seats when it gets at least 5% of the votes or 3 direct mandates. Every voter has two votes, one for a person and one for a party. 299 members each represent a constituency, just as in the British House of Commons or the US House of Representatives. The other half are elected from a party list in each Land. The total number of seats a party gets depends on the number of the second "party votes" it gets.

But if a party wins more constituency seats than its share of the party votes, then it keeps those extra seats. These extra seats, or _extra mandates_, are the reason the Bundestag sometimes has more than 598 members. If a party gets extra mandates, the other parties get some extra seats too to make sure every party gets exactly its share of party seats. This system of giving extra mandates was changed in 2013. Before 2013, if a party won extra mandates, then it got to put more members in the Bundestag, which gave the party more influence over the Bundestag than it won in the elections.

The Bundestag president is named Bärbel Bas. She oversees the sessions of the body.

## Related pages

- Politics of Germany#Bundestag (election results of 2013)
- German federal election, 2025

## Infobox (legislature)

- **name**: German Bundestag
- **legislature**: 21st German Bundestag, 21st Bundestag
- **coa pic**: Deutscher Bundestag logo.svg
- **coa res**: 150px
- **leader1 type**: President of the Bundestag
- **leader1**: Julia Klöckner
- **party1**: Christian Democratic Union of Germany, CDU
- **election1**: 25 March 2025
- **leader2 type**: Presidium of the Bundestag, Vice presidents of the Bundestag
- **leader2**: Josephine Ortleb
- **party2**: Social Democratic Party of Germany, SPD
- **election2**: 25 March 2025
- **leader3 type**:  
- **leader3**: Andrea Lindholz
- **party3**: CDU/CSU
- **election3**: 25 March 2025
- **leader4 type**:  
- **leader4**: Omid Nouripour
- **party4**: Alliance 90/The Greens
- **election4**: 25 March 2025
- **leader6 type**:  
- **leader6**: Bodo Ramelow
- **party6**: The Left (Germany), The Left
- **election6**: 25 March 2025
- **leader7 type**: President by right of age
- **leader7**: Gregor Gysi
- **party7**: The Left
- **election7**: 25 March 2025
- **leader8 type**: Chancellor of Germany, Chancellor
- **leader8**: Friedrich Merz
- **party8**: CDU/CSU
- **election8**: 6 May 2025
- **leader9 type**: Leader of the opposition (Germany), Leader of the Opposition
- **leader9**: Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla
- **election9**: 6 May 2025
- **party9**: AfD
- **members**: 630
- **structure1**: Bundestag (current composition).svg
- **structure1 res**: 260px
- **political groups1**: **Government (328)**
*  CDU/CSU, Union (208)
**  Christian Democratic Union of Germany, CDU (164)
**  Christian Social Union in Bavaria, CSU (44)
*  Social Democratic Party of Germany, SPD (120)
**Opposition (302)**
*  Alternative for Germany, AfD (151)
*  Alliance 90/The Greens, Greens (85)
*  The Left (Germany), The Left (64)
*  Non-attached (2)
**  Independent politician, Ind. (1)
**  South Schleswig Voters' Association, SSW (Stefan Seidler, 1)
- **voting system1**: Mixed-member proportional representation (MMP)
- **last election1**: 2025 German federal election, 23 February 2025
- **next election1**: Next German federal election, On or before 25 March 2029
- **session room**: File:Deutscher Bundestag Plenarsaal Seitenansicht.jpg
- **meeting place**: Reichstag building
Mitte, Berlin, Germany
- **preceded by**: Reichstag (Nazi Germany), Reichstag (Nazi Germany, 1933–1945)
- **rules**: [https://www.btg-bestellservice.de/pdf/80060000.pdf Rules of Procedure of the German Bundestag and Mediation Committee] (English)
- **native name lang**: de
- **background color**: #000000