The German left-wing party Die Linke has renewed its push for a major expansion of the franchise, tabling a motion in the Bundestag that would grant voting rights in federal elections to all foreigners who have lived legally in Germany for at least five years, regardless of nationality.
In the application submitted on May 26, the party urges the federal government to draft legislation extending the active and passive right to vote at national level to long-term residents. It also calls for coordination with the federal states to enable participation in state and local elections.
The proposal lands in a country that hosts roughly 14 million foreign nationals, equivalent to about 17 per cent of the total population.
The proposal would require a constitutional amendment, as Germany’s Constitution currently reserves the right to vote in Bundestag and state elections for German citizens. EU citizens already enjoy local voting rights under EU treaties, but non-EU foreigners do not.
Die Linke argues that the measure would improve political representation of interests, strengthen societal participation and enhance democratic legitimacy in a country where millions of long-term residents lack a say in national politics.
According to the left-wing group, the 1990 decision on the matter by the Federal Constitutional Court, which stated that “people” with the right to vote were “German state people”, is outdated and needs a new interpretation.
The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has reacted with sharp condemnation to Die Linke’s Bundestag motion.
MEP Martin Sichert said: “The Left Party is nothing more than a continuation of the SED, the party of the Berlin Wall murderers, with figures such as Gysi or Ramelow. They no longer even try to hide the fact that they want to get rid of you and are looking for a new electoral ‘people’.”
Studies consistently show that voters with a migration background in Germany lean strongly towards left-leaning and centre-left parties.
Analyses of immigrant-origin voters indicate a clear preference for the SPD (often around 40 per cent), with additional support for the Greens, Die Linke and other left-of-centre options, compared to native voters who tilt more towards the Right and the centre.
The right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD) has achieved its best result ever in a major election in Western Germany.https://t.co/FJo6BvxN3P
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) March 23, 2026
