Die Bundestags-Wachstumsbremse: 26/08/20

This caricature ('The Bundestag brake on growth') depicts Angela Merkel's coalition government attempting to halt further growth of the Bundestag, Germany's federal parliament. The eagle is representative of the Federal Republic of Germany, while 'Groko' is an abbreviation of 'Große Koalition' (great coalition), describing the coalition between the CDU and SPD, the two largest German political parties.

The image refers to the current debate surrounding the size of the Bundestag, which is increasingly coming under criticism that it has become too large. It currently has 709 representatives, making it the second largest parliament in the world. The nature of Germany's voting system is what allows for this inflation of parliamentary representatives, and researchers warn that it could well continue to expand in future elections. As a result, a number of individuals and political parties are now demanding amendments which will curb the inflation, including former Bundestag president Norbert Lammert.

In this caricature, the cartoonists depict a lacklustre attempt by the current coalition to restrict the growth of the Bundestag by placing a small weight on its formidable head. The fact that they have to be lifted by a crane to reach the top of the eagle, not to mention the size of the eagle in comparison to the politicians, presents the Bundestag as an already oversized force which will be difficult to reign in. In this way, the idea of the 'Bundestags - Wachstumsbremse' is shown as being as yet ineffective in the face of an ever-growing parliament.

With Bundestag elections taking place later this year, this will undoubtedly be an ongoing theme as Germany approaches the election of new representatives for the 20th Bundestag.

For more information, see: https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/bundestag-wachstumsbremse-dringend-gesucht-1.4761970