Photo : Fabrizio Bensch/REUTERS
By Fleur Elizabeth Philip
GERMANY
First meet in the Bundestag after election; New president elected; Coalition talks continue
On 25 March, Bundestag welcomed the newly elected government, and it highlights the changes in comparison to the Scholz government.
Demography of the parliament
The demography of the new government is made up of three factors, one, members aged below 30, two, members with a migration background, and three, the proportion of women since 1990. Compared to the previous ones, the younger lawmakers have an average age of 47. The lawmakers below 30 started with 1.5 per cent in 1990 and have risen to 7.5 per cent. The share of the lawmakers with a migrant background are not in line with the people who have a migrant background in the German population. It was around 30 per cent but it has increased to 11.6 per cent from 5.9 per cent in 2013. The share of women in the Bundestag has seen a decline in the female representatives which was 32.5 per cent in the new government are women in comparison to the previous government which had 34.8 percent in the previous term. The AfD had the most female representatives, and with the new government, there are not many females in the Bundestag. The Bundestag has welcomed several new lawmakers. The Bundestag sees new faces in the parliament, some of them include Zada Salihovic, Kerstin Przygodda, and Luca Scnabacher.
Opening speech by Left Party politician Gregor Gysi
The first session of the new Bundestag kicked off with a speech by Gregor Gysi. According to the German parliament rules, the longest-serving member has the right to kick off the first session of a new Bundestag after a general election. Gysi was a member since 03 October 1990, since the German unification. He is seen as the defender of East Germany. Millions of former German Democratic Republic (GDR) citizens lost their jobs after the reunification because the ailing state-owned enterprises were unable to compete with the capitalist system. Gysi was pleased with the unexpected voter turnout of his party in the 2025 elections, with just under nine per cent. Gysi expressed his dismay at the increasing support for the AfD. He said: “35 years after the reunification of Germany, it is an honour and a responsibility to be able to open the first session of the new Bundestag, he will give the first speech and the last speech of his life in this function and there is no time or limit for his speech.”
Composition of the new parliament
Germany’s new parliament will be sitting for its first session, and among the total of 630 members of the Bundestag, of which, CDU/CSU have 208, SPD has 120, Alternative for Deutschland (Afd) has 152 seats, Greens have 85, the Left has 64 seats and the MP’s have seats ranging from 23 to 84. In the future of Olaf Scholz, the German Bundestag has withdrawn their confidence in the politician.
New President from CDU Julia Klöckner elected
CDU’s politician Julia Klöckner is to be the new President of the German Parliament. The new Bundestag in Berlin elected Julia Klöckner as the new President, a senior politician from the Christian Democratic Party. Klöckner is considered as a confidant by new chancellor Friedrich Merz. He said, “Parliament is the heart of our democracy and the president’s job will be to protect the heart.” Klöckner is the fourth woman to hold the office since 1949. In her speech, she said, “I have firmly resolved to always fulfil my tasks impartially, calmly and undauntedly, stay clear on the matter, while connecting with others.” Klöckner will have to meet regularly in sitting weeks to discuss matters relating to the Parliament, among other things it is also involved when personnel decisions with the administration of the Bundestag have to be taken, or when important contracts are concluded, which also includes Parliament’s public relations work. The president of the German Bundestag represents the house, and therefore the legislative branch in Germany. They occupy the second highest office of the state after the Federal President-superior rank to the Federal Chancellor and the President of Bundesrat.
Ongoing coalition talks
Germany’s new election-winning conservatives and the centre-left Social Democrats have presented the results of their first round of coalition talks and Merz added, “The trust is growing, and I am very confident that we can do this.” However, both the parties have disagreements on topics like taxes, welfare policies, and migration. Both sides of the new government have emphasized getting the substance of the talks rather than toiling under self-imposed deadlines. The SPD has doubts over Merz’s plans for tougher migration which include turning away the asylum seekers at the border, and the CDU want to reform welfare payments and find savings in the budget, but the SPD has qualms over how far the changes could go. SPD General Secretary, Matthias Miersch said “I assume that everyone will naturally want to continue working with concentration, but we also don't want to put ourselves under pressure.” After winning the elections, Merz urged the coalition to form quickly, for Europe has to fend for itself against Russia and with the US no longer seen as a reliable ally. Merz’s tougher stance on migration reflects a changing political landscape where the far-right AfD has surged to become the country’s second largest party. Merz refuses to form a coalition with the AfD or to govern with a minority government, and this only means that the SPD is the only real option as a coalition partner, giving significant leverage.
Certificates issued to the former government
Germany President Frank Walter Steinmeier presented certificates for the members of the ex-Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s outgoing government, in his residence Bellevue Palace. The President paid tributes to the old government for its merits and the actions taken by the government after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He added that the outgoing government had made Germany more resilient and had also succeeded in forging cross party alliances to secure and improve our defence capabilities with the help of a special fund. (Marcel Fürstenau, “Germany: Left Party's Gregor Gysi in the Bundestag spotlight,” Deutsche Welle, 24 March 2025; Ajit Niranjan, “German parliament sits for first time with AfD as second biggest party,” The Guardian, 25 March 2025; Jens Thurau, “Who is new Bundestag President Julia Klöckner?,” Deutsche Welle, 25 March 2025; “Functions and duties of the President and Presidium” Deutscher Bundestag; Andreas Rinke, “Merz and SPD try to narrow differences in German coalition talks,” Reuters, 24 March 2025; “New German Bundestag meets for first time since election” Deutsche Welle, 25 March 2025)
FRANCE
Despite low birth rates, French population to stabilize by 2070
On 26 March, Le Monde reported that despite the low birth rate, the French population is expected to remain stable overall by the end of 2070. A report was published by the National Institute for Demographic Studies that said that it will reach a peak of 0 million inhabitants in the 2040s. France has a population of 68.6 million in 2025, which increases the number by 0.25 per cent every year. The difference in the number of births and deaths contributes to only a tenth of the population, the natural balance has drastically reduced from 140,000 people in 2019 to 17,000 in 2024 due to two factors, which are: the number of deaths has increased due to the arrival of the large baby boom generation at ages of high mortality, and the other is the number of births that have fallen, due to decline in fertility, which is difficult to anticipate. There have been various theories floating which are, that some aspire to start a family, or are held back by concerns related to economic, political, or climatic uncertainties. In France, population growth is now mainly based on net migration, i.e. the difference between the number of people who entered and those who left the country. If birth rates and net migration remain at the 2024 level, the population will increase for another two decades to a ceiling of 70 million by 2040. (“Demographics: the French population is expected to be almost stable until 2070, despite a low birth rate” Le Monde, 26 March 2025)
HUNGARY
Law passed to ban LGBTQ+ events and right to assembly
On 26 March, thousands protested in Budapest, in opposition to the recently passed law that bans LGBTQ+ pride events and restricts Hungarians' right to assembly. This is the second time protests have happened since the ruling of the Fidesz party in Hungary, which won a two-thirds majority, to expedite the law, which is considered the government's most recent threat to the community. Crowds gathered in Kossuth Lajos, blocking traffic while chanting “democracy” and “assembly” is a fundamental right. The new law amends Hungary’s assembly rules to make it illegal to host or attend events that violate the country’s controversial “child protection” legislation that forbids the depiction or promotion of homosexuality to minors under the age of 18. Opponents have said that this law draws parallels to the restriction of sexual minorities in Russia. (Jerry Fisayo-Bambi, “Demonstrators block traffic in Budapest in opposition to new law banning LGBTQ+ Pride events” Euro News, 26 March 2025)
NETHERLANDS
Dutch aims to double the military personnel by the end of 2030
On 25 March, due to the ongoing geopolitical tensions, the Dutch government wanted to double the number of personnel serving in the armed forces. The number currently stands at 70,000 and the targeted number is 200,000. The Dutch Ministry of Defence has confirmed to reach the goal by the end of 2030. State Secretary of Defence, Gijs Tuinman wrote a letter to the House of Representatives, which mentioned that the defence is facing a major change, and that the Netherlands must stand on its own two feet. In order to achieve this goal, the government will send a survey to all youth above the age of 17, who are interested in serving. The government also aims at increasing the number of reservists (part-time) for the armed forces, often combining their service with civilian duties (work/study). (“The Netherlands confirms it wants to more than double its military personnel by 2030” Euro News, 25 March 2025)
TÜRKIYE
Day 07 of protests: President Erdoğan visits Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in jail
On 25 March, President Tayyip Erdoğan visited the Istanbul Mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu in jail, after six nights of protests, calling for his release. Imamoglu was arrested on 19 March, on charges of corruption and acts of suspicious terrorism, and is seen as a major competition for Tayyip Erdoğan, in the upcoming presidential elections. The government insists that the Turkish judiciary is independent and free of political influence. Özgür Özel, leader of the Republican People’s Party, (CHP), held a two-hour meeting with İmamoğlu at Silivri Prison, West Istanbul. He said that he was ashamed on behalf of those who govern Turkey of the atmosphere, and “I am in a situation that Turkey is being put through.” Özgür Özel announced the night before that Tuesday evening would be CHP’s final rally outside Istanbul’s City Hall, calling for protestors to join in. Additionally, the party will appoint a member to the municipal council to act as Mayor, to avoid the possibility of a state-appointed replacement. Ekrem İmamoğlu is considered a modern and eloquent leader, he strives to include opponents instead of having divisions among them, which has gained popularity beyond the party. The CHP has chosen Imamoğlu to represent them for the coming presidential elections, despite the arrest. The elections are to take place three years later, however, the conviction at this stage could ensure his candidacy is removed. This arrest and the court's pre-trial detention order have triggered the largest opposition protests since the Gezi protests in 2013. (Gavin Blackburn, “Turkey's CHP party leader visits jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in prison” Euro News, 25 March 2025)