Federal Chamber (Besmenia)

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Besmenian Federal Chamber

Besmenische Bundeskammer
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Type
Type
Term limits
4 years
History
FoundedAugust 2, 1920
Leadership
Rupert Bödermann, BVP
since 2012
Vice Presidents of the Federal Chamber
Viktor Kühnhold, FBBP
since 2020
Timo Wälzer, SDU
since 2021
Structure
Seats442
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Political groups
Government (258):

Opposition (184):

Elections
Open list proportional representation
Last election
2021 Besmenian federal election
Next election
Next Besmenian federal election
Meeting place
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Federal Chamber building, Laitstadt
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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 the federal republic in April 2022 as the 14th state, 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.

History

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

MPs and organization

The 165 Federal Chamber election districts

The Federal Chamber consists of 442 MPs who are usually elected every four years. As in most democracies, members of the Federal Chamber in Besmenia enjoy political immunity. This is divided into:

  • Professional immunity: Members of Parliament can only be held responsible for their statements in plenary session before the Federal Chamber (personal immunity reason).
  • Non-professional immunity: Typically, a Member of Parliament may only be prosecuted for his extra-parliamentary criminal behavior with the approval of the Immunity Committee, unless the offense is obviously unrelated to his political activity (e.g. false testimony in court in a criminal case) or he was caught in the act of committing a crime. In this case, the Immunity Committee can demand the end of the prosecution (and the lifting of an arrest that has already been made). Prosecution is possible again as soon as the mandate ends.

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
Martin Strobel (1873-1951) 1920 1924 BDP
Wolfgang Stück (1876-1957) 1924 1938 BVP
Johannes Kreiger (1883-1960) 1938 1944 BVP
Bruno Wagner (1888-1974) 1944 1956 LBB
Rudolf Volker (1893-1973) 1956 1960 BVP
Viktor Wangenknecht (1905-1993) 1960 1964 BVP
Herbert Lehmberg (1913-1996) 1964 1972 SDU
Franz Missmahl (1929-2011) 1972 1980 BVP
Hertha Schuardt (1933-2021) 1980 1993 FBBP
Holger Kremfeld (1940-) 1993 2001 BVP
Hans Westphal (1945-) 2001 2007 FBBP
Gudrun Senf (1946-) 2007 2012 FBBP
Rupert Bödermann (1954-) 2012 Incumbent BVP

Elections

In Besmenia, Federal Chamber elections are referred to as Bundeskammerwahl. Due to the equal, direct, personal, free and secret suffrage of men and women who have reached the age of 16 on the day of the election (since 2021; previously the age of 18), the Besmenian population will elect 442 members (deputies) according to the principles of proportional representation ) chosen. Eligible for election are those entitled to vote in the Federal Chamber who have Besmenian citizenship on the key date and have reached the age of 18 on the day of the election. The conduct and administration of the elections to the Federal Chamber is the responsibility of the electoral authorities, which are formed before each election. There is a 5% hurdle in the election. The first session of the newly elected Federal Chamber always takes place 20 days after the election.

List of elections to the Besmenian Federal Chamber

Latest election

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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.

Distribution of Federal Chamber seats by state

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State Seats
Sedakania 69
Maurenmark 49
Summingia 43
Laitstadt 33
Greuningia 32
Lemberland 31
Trissia 31
Zollingia 29
Neidenstein-Sulzburg 27
Jakartaburg 26
Metakumburg 25
Gablitz 16
Frankenburg 16
Palingia 15

List of Federal Chamber sessions since 1920

Session Election Seats Government
1. 1920 210 BDP-SDU 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-LBB majority
7. 1944 210 LBB-BVP majority
8. 1948 210 LBB-SDU majority
9. 1952 210 LBB-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 majority
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