The Left Proposes Voting Rights for Non-Germans After Five Years of Residency

The Left Party Proposes Six-Point Plan to Reform German Democracy, Including Voting Rights for Long-Term Foreign Residents

The German Left Party (Die Linke) has unveiled a six-point proposal aimed at revitalizing the country’s democratic framework, with one of the central recommendations being the extension of voting rights to international residents after five years of continuous residence.

Van Aken’s Vision for a More Inclusive Democracy

Jan van Aken, co-leader of Die Linke, shared the plan in a policy paper obtained exclusively by RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND). The six key proposals include:

1. Introducing federal-level referendums (Volksentscheide)

2. Lowering the national voting age from 18 to 16

3. Granting voting rights to international residents after five years in Germany

4. Establishing citizens’ assemblies (Bürgerräte) at both federal and state levels

5. Capping private political donations at €10,000

6. Expanding voting rights for residents on key economic decisions

While items such as reducing the voting age and donation limits are relatively straightforward, the first, fourth, and sixth proposals suggest more systemic reforms.

Inspired by the Swiss Mode

The introduction of referendums would move Germany toward a more direct democracy, akin to Switzerland’s system, where citizens vote directly on policy issues at local, regional, and national levels.

Citizens' Councils and Participatory Democracy

The proposal also calls for a broader use of citizens’ assemblies, which are currently rare in Germany. Typically composed of 200–300 randomly selected residents, these councils deliberate on societal issues and present policy recommendations. For example, in early 2023, a citizens’ council discussed the idea of offering free school meals nationwide.

Expanding Economic Voting Rights

The final point proposes giving residents the right to vote on major economic decisions affecting their livelihoods, such as large-scale layoffs or business closures.

International Voting Rights: A Global Minority

The proposal to enfranchise non-citizens after five years would be a bold move—only four countries worldwide currently permit non-citizens to vote at the national level: New Zealand, Chile, Uruguay, and Malawi.

Prospects for Reform

Despite Die Linke’s electoral rebound—winning 9% of the vote and securing 64 seats—its influence in the new parliament remains limited. Still, the party’s presence, alongside that of the far-right AfD, prevents the governing CDU/CSU-SPD coalition from achieving the two-thirds majority required to amend the German constitution.

While the ruling coalition is unlikely to take up Die Linke’s proposals, particularly on voting rights for non-citizens, the discussion signals growing interest in broadening democratic participation in Germany.