German-speaking parliamentarians have demanded guaranteed representation in the Chamber in response to the new federal government’s proposal to abolish the Senate, they announced on Saturday.
“The federal government’s plan has significant implications for the German-speaking Community,” lamented members of the ProDG, CSP, and PFF coalition, including Freddy Cremer (ProDG), Stéphanie Pauels (CSP), and Evelyn Jadin (PFF). The new federal government plans to modernise state structures, notably by abolishing the Senate.
“The representation of the German-speaking region at the federal level is currently guaranteed only by the community senator sent to the Senate by the Parliament of the German-speaking Community,” they explained. Since the 1995 elections, this institution has delegated a member to the Senate.
As there is no constitutional representation for the German-speaking population in the Chamber of Deputies, the elected officials have been demanding for decades “guaranteed and adequate representation for the population of the eastern part of the country,” the three parliamentarians reminded. To achieve this, they are calling for the creation of a specific electoral district without the requirement of combining areas for the German-speaking region.
“Within the Parliament of the German-speaking Community, all efforts must be made in the coming months, across all political groups, to achieve the dual objectives of assured and adequate representation in the Chamber of Deputies and the creation of a specific electoral district for federal elections,” concluded the three representatives. They emphasised that meeting these demands is fundamental for the future organisation of autonomy within their community and declared their readiness to collaborate with all political groups in the German-speaking assembly to achieve this dual objective.
