What do the parties say on democracy and the state?

The AfD wants to allow nationwide referendums modeled on Switzerland. Citizens should be able to amend or reject laws passed by parliament, pass their own laws, and decide on constitutional amendments and major international treaties.

The AfD wants referendums for all of Germany. Switzerland is the model. Citizens should be able to change or reject laws. They should also be able to propose and pass laws themselves. Citizens should also vote on changes to the constitution.

The AfD wants to abolish state rules on removing online statements, which it calls censorship, and to require large social networks to respect their users' freedom of expression. It also wants to end the special criminal-law protection of politicians against insult.

The AfD wants to end rules on deleting posts on the internet. It calls these rules censorship. Large social networks should have to respect free speech. Politicians should no longer get special protection against insults. Parties should not be allowed to own shares in media companies.

The AfD wants to bar members of parliament from serving in a government at the same time. Parliamentary state secretaries and political civil servants would be abolished, and the Federal President would be elected directly by the people.

Members of parliament should not be in the government at the same time. The AfD wants to abolish parliamentary state secretaries. These are lawmakers who assist ministers. Political civil servants should also go. Citizens should elect the Federal President themselves.

The AfD wants to introduce open-list voting for Bundestag elections, letting voters give candidates multiple votes or strike them out. Mail-in voting would be allowed only in justified exceptional cases. The party rejects a voting age below 18, a longer legislative term, and quotas.

The AfD wants to change election law. Voters should be able to boost or strike out single people on party lists. Voting by mail should need a reason. The voting age should stay at 18. Parliament should be able to hold secret votes.

The AfD wants to abolish state-funded party-affiliated foundations and have audit offices review decisions that parties make in their own interest. Public offices should be filled solely on aptitude and merit, without regard to party membership and without quotas.

Party-affiliated foundations get money from the state. The AfD wants to abolish them. Audit offices should check what parties decide for themselves. People should get state jobs only based on skill. Party membership should play no role.

The AfD wants to limit the chancellor to three legislative terms and members of parliament to a combined total of four. It bases this on its ideal of the citizen-legislator and sees career politics as a cause of cronyism and lobbying.

The AfD wants to limit time in politics. A chancellor should serve three terms at most. Lawmakers should serve four terms at most. The AfD says politics should not be a job for life.

The AfD wants to stop political parties from having a say in appointing judges and prosecutors. Prosecutors would no longer be bound by instructions from justice ministries, and the judiciary would govern itself.

The AfD wants parties to have no say in choosing judges. The same goes for prosecutors. Ministers should no longer give orders to prosecutors. The courts should run themselves.

The AfD wants to overhaul the Verfassungsschutz (domestic intelligence service) from the ground up. In its view, the agency now protects the government and no longer fulfills its original tasks. Until the reform, all parliamentary groups should take part in overseeing it.

The AfD wants to change the Verfassungsschutz a lot. That is Germany's domestic spy agency. The AfD thinks it now protects the government. Until the change, every group in parliament should help oversee it.

The AfD wants to revise the Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz (Whistleblower Protection Act) so that it also covers cases where the state fails or government bodies act unlawfully. It argues that legal violations by state bodies often come to light only through whistleblowers and alternative media.

Some people report mistakes and wrongdoing. They are called whistleblowers. A law protects them. The AfD wants to change this law. It should also apply when the state does wrong.

The BSW wants a cabinet made up of subject experts rather than party politicians. It notes that the constitution does not require government members to have risen through a party. The aim is to restore trust in the state and in democracy.

The BSW wants experts in the government. Ministers do not have to come from a party. The constitution does not require that. People should trust the state again.

The BSW wants the state to guarantee basic services everywhere and to run areas such as health, housing, energy and water for the common good. Municipalities should get more money of their own and a solution for their legacy debts. Public administration should become more accessible and efficient.

The state should make sure basic services exist everywhere. This includes buses, doctors, shops and fast internet. Cities and towns should get more money of their own. They should decide for themselves how to spend it.

The BSW wants to cut positions in federal ministries and shift staff to where citizens and businesses need service. The ministries' special commissioners would be abolished. Twice a year, agencies would weed out unnecessary rules.

The BSW wants fewer jobs in the ministries. There should be more staff in offices that serve people. The special commissioners in ministries should go. Twice a year, offices should throw out old rules.

The BSW wants to add substantially more staff to the justice system and reduce the number of cases. The platform justifies this with overload and overly long proceedings.

Courts and prosecutors have too few staff. Cases therefore take a very long time. The BSW wants to hire many more people. It also wants fewer cases.

The BSW wants to stop public money going to projects and organizations that, in its view, are meant to steer public debate in a political direction. The party rejects a Demokratiefördergesetz (democracy promotion act). It also wants to end any cooperation between the state and the media aimed at influencing opinion.

The state gives money to some groups and projects. The BSW says these groups push certain political opinions. The BSW wants to stop these payments. It does not want a law that funds such groups for the long term.

The BSW wants to abolish state-funded offices where people can report statements, and it opposes the state systematically recording expressions of opinion. The limits of free speech should not be shifted through vague terms, and criminal law should not be expanded at its expense.

There are offices where people can report what others have said. The state pays for many of them. The BSW wants to close them. The state should not collect and study opinions. Legal opinions should stay legal.

The BSW wants public prosecutors to no longer be subject to instructions from politicians. The party sees prosecutors as currently exposed to political influence.

Public prosecutors investigate crimes. Today, ministers can give them orders. The BSW wants to change that. Prosecutors should work independently of politics.

The BSW wants to amend the Basic Law so that citizens can vote directly on important questions nationwide. Through citizens' initiatives, they should also be able to force binding votes on laws themselves.

The BSW wants referendums for all of Germany. Then citizens vote on important questions themselves. For this, the constitution has to be changed. Citizens should also be able to demand a vote on a law.

The BSW wants to push back corporate influence on laws and government action. Former politicians should be allowed to move into industries they dealt with only after at least five years, and private organizations should no longer share in decisions on regulatory bodies.

Companies try to influence laws. This is called lobbying. The BSW wants stricter rules against it. Politicians should wait five years after leaving office. Only then may they work in an industry they dealt with before.

The CDU and the CSU want to relieve associations and volunteers of red tape through a package for clubs. The tax-free allowances for volunteers and for trainers are to rise noticeably.

The CDU and the CSU want to help clubs and associations. Clubs should have less paperwork. People who volunteer should pay less tax. Clubs should get public funding more easily.

The CDU and the CSU want to strengthen cities, towns and counties and achieve equivalent living conditions in urban and rural areas. According to the platform, whoever decides on or expands a public service should also pay for it. Municipalities are to be involved earlier in decisions and receive reliable revenue sources.

The CDU and the CSU want to strengthen cities and towns. The federal government should pay for new tasks itself. Towns should have a say earlier. They should have secure income. Life in the countryside should be as good as in the city.

The CDU and the CSU want to scrap the electoral law passed by the previous 'traffic light' coalition and reform it. The Bundestag is to stay smaller, but directly elected members should not be weakened. The platform sees them as a guarantee of closeness to citizens and independence.

The CDU and the CSU want to change the election law again. The Bundestag should stay small. But people who win their district should stay strong. The parties say these members are close to the people.

The CDU and the CSU want to cut the number of federal commissioners by at least half and reduce staff in ministries and the Bundestag administration by at least ten percent. The administration is to work digitally by default and get more discretion. According to the platform, the goal is a state that acts faster and sees itself as a service provider.

The CDU and the CSU want fewer staff in the ministries. There should be only half as many commissioners. Offices should work digitally. People should give their data only once. Offices should be freer to decide.

The CDU and the CSU want to shorten planning and approval procedures. To do so, the right of associations to sue against infrastructure projects is to be removed, which the parties want to push for at EU level. Applications are to be decided faster and court proceedings shortened.

The CDU and the CSU want faster building and faster permits. Associations should no longer be able to sue against big building projects. Offices should decide on applications faster. There should be fewer court levels.

The FDP wants to make courts more digital, test AI in the justice system and allow online proceedings. The criminal code would be reviewed and outdated offenses removed. Riding public transit without a ticket would become a mere administrative offense.

The FDP wants more digital courts. Some cases should run online. Old criminal rules should go. Riding without a ticket should no longer be a crime. There would only be a fine.

The FDP wants to turn the law on church-state relations into a body of law that applies equally to all religious communities. The state payments to the churches would be ended through a settlement. Islamic associations would be reviewed to determine whether they can be partners of the state.

The FDP wants the same rules for all religions. The state still pays the churches money under old agreements. These payments should end. The FDP wants to check Islamic associations closely. More imams should be trained in Germany.

The FDP wants to relieve clubs and associations of red tape and liability risks and strengthen sports as a task for society. It rejects general compulsory service as a serious intrusion on freedom and relies on voluntary service instead.

The FDP wants to make work easier for clubs. They should have less paperwork. Big sports events like the Olympics should come back to Germany. The FDP rejects mandatory service for young people.

The FDP calls for a Bundestag committee of inquiry into the COVID pandemic. It is to examine failures and what the party regards as excessive restrictions on fundamental rights, and to make recommendations for future crises.

The FDP wants a close look at the COVID years. A committee in parliament should do this. It should uncover mistakes. It should also give advice for later crises.

The FDP wants to review all responsibilities and administrative processes of the federal government, states and municipalities and then reform federalism. The aim is a leaner state with clear responsibilities.

The FDP wants to check who does what in the state. Many offices do similar tasks today. After that, the federal government and the states should divide their tasks anew. The state should become smaller and work better.

The FDP wants a new commission to sort out the financial relations between the federal government and the states. The platform argues that strong federalism needs clear responsibilities and accountability.

The federal government and the states share tasks and money. The FDP wants a new commission for this. A commission is a group of experts and politicians. It should make clear who pays and who decides.

The FDP wants fewer federal ministries, agencies, commissioners and state secretaries, and significantly fewer positions in the federal administration. In its view this saves taxpayer money and makes government more efficient.

The FDP wants a smaller government. There should be fewer ministries and agencies. The number of federal jobs should go down too. The FDP says this saves taxpayers' money.

The FDP wants more flexible civil service rules and wants performance in public administration to be measured and rewarded more. According to the platform, administration should serve citizens and enable rather than refuse.

The FDP wants to change how public offices work. Good performance should count more. Citizens' satisfaction should be part of staff reviews. Experts should be able to move up more easily.

The Free Voters want the federal government to hand new tasks to municipalities only together with the money needed to carry them out. Cities and towns should also have a stronger say in federal decisions.

The federal government often gives cities and towns new tasks. The Free Voters say the federal government must then pay for them. This rule is called connexity. Towns should also have more say in federal decisions.

The Free Voters want more direct democracy so that citizens can help decide important questions between elections as well. The federal president should in future be elected directly by the people.

The Free Voters want more referendums. In a referendum, citizens vote on a question themselves. This lets people have a say between elections too. Citizens should also elect the federal president themselves.

The Free Voters want to lower the five-percent threshold in federal elections to three percent so that fewer votes go unrepresented. The Grundmandatsklausel (the rule that three constituency wins secure entry) should be kept.

Today a party needs 5 percent of the votes to enter the Bundestag. The Free Voters want to lower this to 3 percent. Then more votes count. Winning three districts should also still be enough to get in.

The Free Voters want to set up a new independent body that reviews state interference with fundamental rights. According to the platform, such interference is necessary for security in individual cases but must be open to review.

The state sometimes limits basic rights. It does this for security. The Free Voters want a new office to check this. It is called the Bürgeranwaltschaft, a citizens' advocate office. Citizens can turn to it.

The Free Voters want to end the federal justice minister's power to give instructions to prosecutors so that politics cannot influence investigations. At the same time, dropping criminal cases is to become harder. A new citizens' advocate office would be able to review dropped cases and have them reopened.

Today the justice minister can give orders to prosecutors. The Free Voters want to end that. Politicians should not influence investigations. Prosecutors should not be able to drop cases so easily. A new office for citizens should check such cases.

The Free Voters want to relieve volunteers of red tape, adjust tax allowances regularly and count long-term engagement toward pensions. Time off from work and staffed support offices would make volunteering easier.

Many people help in clubs without pay. The Free Voters want to make their work easier. People who help for many years should get a higher pension. Advice offices should help clubs with applications.

The Greens propose a reform of the state that reorders tasks among the federal government, the states, and municipalities. The federal level is to get more powers over digitalization, while states and municipalities get more leeway in implementation. The federal ministerial bureaucracy is to shrink.

The Greens want to reorganize the state. The federal government, states, and towns should divide their tasks more clearly. The federal government should be in charge of digital solutions. States and towns should decide more on their own. Federal ministries should get smaller.

The Greens want to lower the voting age for federal elections to 16 and write children's rights into the Basic Law, Germany's constitution. Young people are also to be more involved in political decisions.

The Greens want teenagers to be able to vote for the Bundestag from age 16. Children's rights should be written into the constitution. Young people should have more of a say in politics.

The Greens want to use commercial tenancy law to protect shops, restaurants and cultural venues from being pushed out. Public spaces such as streets, parks and train stations are to be safe and accessible. The platform argues that social cohesion grows where people come together.

The Greens want to protect meeting places. These include shops, restaurants, cinemas and clubs. They should not have to close because of high rents. Streets, parks and train stations should be safe. People with disabilities should be able to use them easily.

The Greens want to update the law governing relations between the state and religious communities to reflect the growing diversity of religions and worldviews. People without religious affiliation are to be given equal consideration. Groups such as Alevis and Yazidis are to be protected from hostility.

Germany has many religions. Many people also have no religion. The Greens want to adapt the rules between state and religion to this. People without religion should have equal rights to take part. Alevis and Yazidis should get protection from hostility.

The Greens want to give programs like “Demokratie leben!” more funding and secure them permanently through a Demokratiefördergesetz (democracy promotion act). People engaged in civil society are to be better protected from attacks and civic education strengthened. The platform sees protecting democracy as a task for society as a whole.

Many associations and groups work for democracy. The Greens want to give them money for the long term. A new law should secure this. People who get involved should be better protected from threats. Civic education should also become stronger.

The Greens call on the Bundestag, the Bundesrat and the federal government to promptly prepare a motion asking the Federal Constitutional Court to rule the AfD unconstitutional. The platform refers to the instrument the Basic Law provides for protecting the democratic order.

The German constitution allows a ban on parties. The highest German court decides on this. The Greens want the court to examine the AfD. Parliament and the government should soon prepare a motion for this. All parties should work together on it.

The Greens want to strengthen citizens' assemblies and anchor them in law, including democratic procedures on their results. To that end, a popular initiative is to be examined. The right of petition is also to be developed further.

In citizens' assemblies, randomly chosen people discuss politics. The Greens want to secure these assemblies by law. There should be democratic procedures on their results. The party will examine a popular initiative for this. Petitions should also carry more weight.

The Greens want everyone who lives permanently in Germany to be able to take part on equal terms in all elections and referendums. Voting is to be made easier for Germans living abroad.

Some people live in Germany permanently. But often they are not allowed to vote. The Greens want to change that. These people should be able to take part in all elections. Germans abroad should be able to vote more easily.

The Greens want to limit donations and sponsorship to parties to an annual maximum and make the government's lobbying meetings visible. Cooling-off periods for departing members of government are to be lengthened. The platform argues that transparent politics serves the common good.

The Greens want more openness in politics. No one should be able to give parties unlimited money. There should be a limit per year. The government should make meetings with lobbyists public. Lobbyists represent the interests of companies or associations.

The Greens want to establish a legal right to a voluntary service placement and expand places in the Bundesfreiwilligendienst (federal volunteer service). Expense allowances for volunteers are to be uniformly tax-free as a flat rate, and a nationwide volunteer card is to offer discounts. The platform sees volunteering as a foundation of life together.

Many people volunteer in clubs or with the fire department. The Greens want to support that. Everyone should have a right to a voluntary service. Money paid for volunteer roles should be tax-free. A card should make entry fees and public transit cheaper.

The Greens want to change nonprofit law so that charitable organizations may also take part in political debate. The list of recognized charitable purposes is to grow, and associations are to face less red tape.

Clubs and groups help society. The Greens want to make their work easier. These groups should be allowed to speak about politics. They would keep their tax benefits. More kinds of work should count as charitable.

The Greens want to renew the Pakt für den Rechtsstaat (a federal-state pact for the rule of law) to better equip and digitize courts and prosecutors' offices. In the platform's view, trust in the rule of law grows when courts decide quickly and enforce the law effectively.

Courts should work faster. The Greens want more staff and more digital tools for this. The federal government and the states should do this together. People should be able to file lawsuits online. Several people should be able to sue together.

The Left wants to lower the voting age to 16 and create youth bodies with voting rights in municipalities. Children's rights would be written into the Basic Law. The platform argues that young people must be involved in decisions about their future.

The Left wants people to vote from age 16. Towns and cities would have youth parliaments. Children's rights would be in the constitution. Leisure activities for children would be free.

The Left wants a guarantee of basic services in every locality: bus service, a bakery, access to cash, a doctor's office and meeting places. The platform argues that the market does not provide this, so privatization and cuts should end.

The Left wants a guarantee for every town. Every place should have a bus, a bakery, a doctor and places to meet. People should be able to get cash everywhere. Towns should get enough money for this.

The Left wants to introduce federal referendums and popular vetoes, lower the voting age to 16 everywhere, and let people without a German passport vote after five years of residence. The right to demonstrate should not be curtailed.

The Left wants popular votes for all of Germany. People should be allowed to vote at 16. People without a German passport should also be allowed to vote. They must have lived here for five years.

The Left wants to ban corporate donations to parties and party sponsorship and cap private donations at 25,000 euros a year. More transparency is meant to make lobbyists' influence on laws and lawmakers visible.

Companies should no longer give money to parties. One person may give at most 25,000 euros a year. Lawmakers should not accept donations. People should see who helped write laws.

The Left wants an institutional separation of state and religion and an end to preferential treatment of Christian churches. Churches would collect their own tax, state payments to them would be ended by settlement, and the churches' special labor law abolished.

The Left wants to separate church and state more. Churches should collect their money themselves. The state should treat all religions the same. Two new holidays should come: Eid al-Fitr and Yom Kippur.

The Left wants to ban militant neo-Nazi organizations and have the Federal Constitutional Court examine a ban of the AfD. Initiatives against right-wing extremism would get permanent funding through a democracy promotion law.

The Left wants to ban armed neo-Nazi groups. The highest court should examine a ban of the AfD. Groups against right-wing extremism should get lasting funding. May 8 should become a public holiday.

The ÖDP wants to introduce citizen-initiated petitions and referendums at the federal level and strengthen public participation by law at every level. Corporate donations to parties would be banned so that, in the party's view, politics cannot be bought.

The ÖDP wants more direct democracy. Citizens should also be able to vote on laws at the national level. Companies should no longer be allowed to give money to parties. Lawmakers should need permission for side jobs.

The ÖDP wants Germany to carry out a thorough review of how well it can withstand severe crises. Weak points found in the review should be fixed quickly, and resilience should become a guiding goal of policy.

The ÖDP wants Germany to be better prepared for crises. The state should check where the country is vulnerable. It should fix weak points quickly. Being crisis-proof should be an important goal of politics.

The PdF wants to cap the number of positions politicians may hold at once and tighten the rules on awarding contracts to relatives and party-affiliated organizations. This is meant to strengthen credibility and fairness in the political system.

The PdF wants clear rules for politicians. Politicians should not hold too many positions at once. Contracts for relatives should only be possible in an open process. Anyone who misuses public money should face quick consequences.

The PdF wants to strengthen the justice system with more staff, better pay and digitalization. This is meant to shorten proceedings and secure trust in the rule of law.

The PdF wants to strengthen the courts. Judges and prosecutors should get more pay. There should be more staff. Files should be digital everywhere. This should make court cases faster.

The PdF wants to involve citizens more in political decisions through digital citizens' parliaments and citizens' assemblies. This is meant to counter disenchantment with politics and make decisions more transparent and better legitimized.

People should have more of a say. They should be able to join debates of the Bundestag online. Citizens' assemblies should give recommendations. A citizens' assembly is a group of citizens who discuss a topic. Parliaments must deal with what they recommend.

The PdF wants to strengthen referendums at the federal level through a dedicated law and give them a firm institutional basis. This would let the public decide key questions directly, as a complement to representative democracy.

The PdF wants stronger referendums at the national level. In a referendum, citizens vote on a question themselves. A new law should make this possible. Groups that work for democracy should also get more support.

The PdF wants to set up a digital platform for petitions, feedback and participation. The federal government would develop it as open-source software and give it to states and municipalities free of charge. Results of citizen participation would be publicly documented.

The PdF wants a website for citizen participation. People can submit concerns, join debates and vote there. The federal government builds the site. States and towns can use it for free. Everyone should be able to see the results.

The PdF wants to abolish the five-percent threshold or replace it with alternatives, arguing that it disadvantages small parties and leaves votes unrepresented. It also calls for backup votes or ranked-choice voting.

Parties now need five percent of the vote to enter the Bundestag. The PdF wants to end or change this rule. Voters should also be able to rank parties. If the first party fails, the vote goes to the next one.

The PdF wants to add the option of voting "No" on the ballot. These votes would count in the allocation of seats, but the corresponding seats would stay empty.

The PdF wants a "No" box on the ballot. Voters can use it to reject all parties. These votes should count. The seats for them in parliament stay empty.

The PdF wants to build citizens' assemblies permanently into democratic structures. They would meet regularly, be filled by lottery, and policymakers could reject their proposals only with a stated justification.

In a citizens' assembly, randomly chosen people discuss one issue. The PdF wants such assemblies to meet regularly, for example every month. Members get paid for taking part. Politicians must explain why if they reject the proposals.

The PdF wants to drop the minimum vote threshold for public party funding and lift the cap that ties it to a party's self-generated income. In its view, the current system disadvantages small and financially weak parties.

Parties get money from the state. Today they need a minimum number of votes for that. The PdF wants to end this limit. Small parties should get money too. State money should no longer depend on donations and member fees.

The PdF wants to introduce citizens' forums, regular assemblies and digital dialogue spaces in municipalities. Local votes should offer more options than just yes or no.

The PdF wants people to have more say in cities and towns. There should be citizens' forums and regular meetings. People should also be able to join in online. Votes should offer more choices than just yes or no.

The PdF wants to make it mandatory to involve citizens' parliaments in drafting important laws. A legislative footprint would disclose which interest groups influenced a law and when.

The PdF wants citizens to take part in making new laws. Citizens' parliaments should do this. They must always be heard on important laws. Each law should also show which groups influenced it.

The PdF wants to develop the right to petition into a digital platform for ideas. Petitions could be prioritized by the public, would be reviewed within a deadline, and would get a comprehensible answer if rejected.

With a petition, citizens can send a request to parliament. The PdF wants to make petitions easier. People should be able to vote on petitions online. Each petition should be reviewed within a fixed time. A rejection needs a clear explanation.

The PdF wants all meetings between politicians and lobbyists to be documented and the lobby register tightened. Stricter, uniform transparency rules should also apply at the EU level.

Lobbyists speak to politicians on behalf of companies or groups. The PdF wants all such meetings written down. A website should show this information. Rule-breakers should face tougher penalties. The EU should have stricter rules too.

The PdF wants to support youth citizens' assemblies, set up digital platforms where young people can have a say, and expand civic education in schools. The platform cites a widespread sense of political powerlessness among young people and sees it as a threat to democratic values.

Many young people think politicians do not listen to them. The PdF wants to support youth citizens' assemblies. These are groups of young people who advise politicians. Young people should also be able to have a say online. Schools should teach more about politics.

The SPD wants to lower the voting age to 16 and write children's rights into the Grundgesetz (Basic Law). According to the platform, young people should have a right to real participation, in politics as well as at school.

Young people should be allowed to vote at 16. Children's rights should be written into the Basic Law. The Basic Law is Germany's most important law. Young people should have more say in politics and at school.

The SPD wants to test laws for effectiveness and practicality before they are passed and to cut bureaucracy together with business, the states and municipalities. Applications would count as approved if an agency misses a deadline. This is meant to make construction and investment projects easier to plan.

The SPD wants less red tape. New laws should be tested first. Offices should handle applications quickly. If an office does not answer in time, the application counts as approved. This helps building projects.

The SPD wants the state to be a model employer that attracts and keeps skilled workers. Flexible working arrangements, further training and fewer fixed-term contracts are meant to help.

The SPD wants the state to be a better employer. Staff should be able to work from home more often. There should be more part-time work and training. Most contracts should have no end date.

The SPD wants to promote civic and historical education, give lasting support to civil society initiatives and make citizens' assemblies chosen by lot a permanent feature. Their recommendations would feed into parliamentary debate, while elected institutions would still decide.

The SPD wants to strengthen democracy. Citizens' assemblies should become a fixed part of it. People chosen by lot discuss hard questions there. Parliament still makes the decisions. Groups that work for democracy should get lasting funding.

The Tierschutzpartei rejects the state collecting the church tax and paying, for example, bishops' salaries. It invokes the separation of church and state.

Today the state collects the church tax for the churches. The party wants this to stop. The state should not pay bishops either. Church and state should be separate.

The Tierschutzpartei wants to cap party donations at 50,000 euros per person or company per year and broaden the lobby register. Members of parliament would be barred from sitting on corporate executive or supervisory boards at the same time. The aim is to reduce the influence of wealthy industries on politics.

The Tierschutzpartei wants to limit large donations to parties. One donor could give at most 50,000 euros a year. Lobbyists should be listed in a register. Lobbyists speak for the interests of companies or groups. Lawmakers should not run companies at the same time.

The Tierschutzpartei wants to lower the five-percent threshold to no more than one percent so that votes for small parties are represented in parliament. It also calls for a nationwide voting age of 16 and citizens' assemblies chosen by lot.

Today a party needs five percent of the vote to enter the Bundestag. The Tierschutzpartei wants to lower this to one percent. Young people should be able to vote at 16. Citizens' assemblies should advise politicians. These are groups of citizens picked by lottery.

Volt wants to reallocate responsibilities among the federal government, the states and municipalities and to strengthen municipal finances. To that end, the Gewerbesteuer (local business tax) is to be replaced by a revenue source that does not depend on the business cycle.

Volt wants new rules on who does what in the state. This concerns the federal government, the states, and towns and cities. Towns and cities should get money more reliably. For this, Volt wants to replace the local business tax. Companies pay this tax to their town.

Volt wants the federal government to work toward verifiable impact goals and ministries to cooperate more closely. Laws are to be checked for their practical effect both before and after they are passed.

Volt wants the government to set clear goals. People should be able to measure whether it reaches them. New laws should first be tested in towns and cities. Later, someone checks whether the laws work. Budget money should also be tied to goals.

Volt wants to make public administration more digital, flexible and service-oriented. Applications are to count as approved if the authority does not process them in time, and central contact points are to simplify access to services.

Volt wants to modernize government offices. There should be one central place for many requests. If an office does not handle an application in time, it counts as approved. Rules should be checked regularly and made simpler. Work in the offices should become more flexible.

Volt wants to lower the voting age to 16 for all elections and introduce a backup vote. EU citizens are to be allowed to vote and run in state and federal elections after three years of residence.

Volt wants people to vote from age 16. This should apply to every election. There should also be a backup vote. It counts if the first party gets too few votes. People from other EU countries should be allowed to vote after three years.

Volt wants to introduce a national anti-corruption strategy and disclose lobbying influence on legislation. In addition, citizens' budgets in municipalities and a youth parliament are meant to strengthen participation.

Volt wants to do more against corruption. Corruption means someone uses their office for personal gain. People should be able to see who influenced a law. Local residents should decide on part of their town's money. Young people should get their own parliament.

Volt wants to narrow the differences between eastern and western Germany, relying on new participation formats and cultural funding. In the platform's view, a united Germany is a precondition for credibly advocating more European integration.

Volt wants East and West in Germany to grow closer together. For this, there should be a Future Council. There, citizens, politicians and associations look for solutions together. Schoolchildren everywhere should learn about the years around reunification. Meeting places for youth, clubs and culture should get money.

Volt wants to set up a central digital platform for public participation. Government spending would also be published in one place for everyone to see. The party says this would strengthen trust in how the state works.

Volt wants one website for taking part in politics. People can give their views there. The state should also show what it spends money on. Volt says this helps people trust the state.