Federal Chamber (Besmenia)

Federal Chamber Bundeskammer
Type
Type	Lower house
Term limits	4 years
History
Founded	August 2, 1920
Leadership
President of the Federal Chamber	Rupert Bödermann, BVP since 2012
Vice Presidents of the Federal Chamber	Viktor Kühnhold, FBBP since 2020
	Timo Wälzer, SDU since 2021
Structure
Seats	442
Political groups	Government (258):   Besmenian People's Party: 142 seats   Social Democratic Union: 69 seats   Green Party of Besmenia: 47 seats Opposition (184):   Free Besmenian Citizen's Party: 92 seats   Party of the Besmenian Left: 45 seats   National Besmenian Party: 45 seats   Non-attached: 2 seats   PADBE - Democratic Palingia: 2 seats
Elections
Voting system	Open list proportional representation
Last election	2021 Besmenian federal election
Next election	Next Besmenian federal election
Meeting place
Federal Chamber building, Laitstadt
Website
www.bundeskammer.bes

The Federal Chamber (Besmenian: Bundeskammer), is the lower house of the Besmenian Parliament and is based in the Federal Chamber building in the Besmenian capital, Laitstadt. In accordance with the Basic Law, together with the Federal Senate, which represents the federal states, it is called upon to legislate at the federal level. Both chambers are set up as independent bodies. In general, initiatives are initially discussed by the Federal Chamber, with the Federal Senate acting as the confirming or rejecting body in the legislative process. In special cases, the Federal Chamber and the Federal Senate meet together as a Federal Assembly, for example when the president is sworn in.

Before 1967, the Federal Chamber had 210 members. In the course of the Besmenian reunification, membership increased by 427 MPs. After Palingia joined in April 2022, membership increased by 442 MEPs. Palingia's 15 MPs were determined by party percentage in the 2022 Pallingian state election. The parties that reached the 5% threshold in that election also got seats in the Federal Chamber.

The last Federal Chamber election was held on August 8, 2021. The next election is scheduled for August 2025, should the Federal Chamber not dissolve itself before then.

Competences of the Federal Chamber

Legislative process

In addition to the Federal Government and the Federal Senate, the Federal Chamber has the right to propose bills, the so-called right of initiative.

A bill introduced from within the Federal Chamber must be supported by a faction or five percent of MPs. The bills are usually discussed and drafted beforehand in the Federal Chamber committees. In this way they are made “ready for voting”. The draft is first discussed in the entire Federal Chamber and approved or rejected there. If the law is passed, it goes on to the Federal Senate for deliberation. A federal government bill is first referred to the Federal Senate, where it is discussed. Together with his statement and the counter-statement of the federal government, the bill is then submitted to the Federal Chamber. Conversely, a bill from the Federal Senate goes to the Federal Chamber along with the Federal Government's opinion.

If a law is passed by the Federal Chamber, the further cooperation of the Federal Senate is required for it to pass. A distinction must be made here as to whether it is an objection law or a consent law. The rejection of an objection law by the Federal Senate can be overruled in the Federal Chamber. If the Federal Senate does not agree to a consent law, it has failed.

Current composition of the Federal Chamber

Group		Members	Leader
	Besmenian People's Party (BVP)	142 / 442	Karsten Betzler
	Free Besmenian Citizen's Party (FBBP)	92 / 442	Maria Herbst
	Social Democratic Union (SDU)	69 / 442	Angelika Pauer
	Green Party of Besmenia (GPB)	47 / 442	Stefan Tritter
	National Besmenian Party (NBP)	45 / 442	Markus Ernst
	Party of the Besmenian Left (PBL)	45 / 442	Ingrid Schencker
	PADBE - Democratic Palingia (PADBE)	2 / 442	Christian Pöhlmann

Organization of MPs

Factions

Most members of the Federal Chamber are members of a faction. A faction is usually formed by MPs from the same party. A faction must have at least 5 members. A faction consisting of less than 5 members is called a group. The groups have fewer rights in the Federal Chamber than a faction; For example, they have no right to nominate a vice-president from among their members. MPs whose party has even fewer members in the Federal Chamber or who have resigned from or been expelled from their parliamentary group/group are non-attached MPs. They have all the rights and duties of an MEP in a parliamentary group or group, but not the rights of the parliamentary group or group itself.

Presidium

In the first session after the election to the Federal Chamber, the members elect the President of the Federal Chamber and two deputies. The President of the Federal Chamber traditionally comes from the largest faction in the Federal Chamber, regardless of whether that faction is a member of the governing coalition or in opposition. the two deputies come from the second and third largest factions. The members of the presidium take turns in chairing Federal Chambers meetings; Only at very important meetings does the President of the Federal Chamber actually preside for the entire duration of the meeting.

The President of the Federal Chamber has domiciliary rights in the Federal Chamber. He also makes the most important personnel decisions in the administration of the parliament. Formally, all letters from other constitutional bodies and also bills from the Federal Chamber are addressed to him. The President of the Federal Chamber is also the official deputy of the Besmenian President.

Presidents of the Federal Chamber

Name	Took office	Left office	Party
Nicklas von Tanne (1873-1951)	1920	1924	BDP
Wolfgang Stück (1876-1957)	1924	1938	BVP
Olaf Kirche (1883-1960)	1938	1944	BVP
Horst Wagner (1888-1974)	1944	1956	LBB
Gerald Volk (1893-1973)	1956	1960	BVP
Viktor Wangenknecht (1905-1993)	1960	1964	BVP
Herbert Lehmberg (1913-1996)	1964	1972	SDU
Franz Waboff (1929-2011)	1972	1980	BVP
Manfred Knecht (1933-2021)	1980	1993	FBBP
Susanne Regen (1940-)	1993	2001	BVP
Harald Karpmann (1945-)	2001	2007	FBBP
Gudrun Senf (1946-)	2007	2012	FBBP
Rupert Bödermann (1954-)	2012	Incumbent	BVP

Elections

Due to the equal, direct, personal, free and secret suffrage of men and women who have reached the age of 16 on election day (since 2021, previously the age of 18), 442 members (MPs ) are elected.

Latest election

Main article: 2021 Besmenian federal election

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Besmenian People's Party	17,775,672	30,8	137
	Free Besmenian Citizen's Party	11,658,071	20,2	90
	Social Democratic Union	8,426,130	14,6	65
	Green Party of Besmenia	6,175,314	10,7	47
	Party of the Besmenian Left	5,829,035	10,1	45
	National Besmenian Party	5,540,469	9,6	43
	Other parties	2,193,102	3,8	0
Invalid/blank votes		115,426	0,2	–
Total		57,713,219	100	427
Registered voters/turnout		62,832,132	93,9	–

It should be noted that the election took place before the accession of Palingia and the associated enlargement of the Federal Chamber.

List of Federal Chamber sessions since 1920

Session	Election	Seats	Government
1.	1920	210	BDP-SDU-BKP majority
2.	1924	210	BVP-SDU majority
3.	1928	210	BVP-SDU majority
4.	1932	210	BVP majority
5.	1936	210	BVP-SDU majority
6.	1940	210	BVP-FBBP majority
7.	1944	210	FBBP-BVP majority
8.	1948	210	FBBP-SDU majority
9.	1952	210	FBBP-SDU majority
10.	1956	210	BVP-SDU majority
11.	1960	210	BVP-SDU majority
12.	1964	210	SDU-BVP majority
13.	1968	427	SDU-BVP majority
14.	1972	427	BVP-BRP majority
15.	1976	427	BVP-BRP majority
16.	1980	427	FBBP-SDU minority
17.	1981	427	FBBP-SDU majority
18.	1985	427	FBBP-SDU majority
19.	1989	427	FBBP-SDU majority
20.	1993	427	BVP-GPB majority
21.	1997	427	BVP-GPB minority
22.	2001	427	FBBP-SDU majority
23.	2005	427	FBBP-BVP majority
24.	2009	427	FBBP-BVP majority
25.	2012	427	BVP-SDU majority
26.	2016	427	BVP-FBBP majority
27.	2020	427	BVP-FBBP majority
28.	2021	427	BVP-SDU-GPB majority