Constitutional Amendment in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Fails in State Parliament

Constitutional amendments in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania require a two-thirds majority in the state parliament. This threshold was missed on July 1, 2026 in Schwerin. In the Schwerin state parliament, a joint proposal by the SPD, The Left, and the Greens failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority.

Positions of the Parliamentary Groups

Even before the vote, the CDU and AfD parliamentary groups had announced that they would not vote in favor of the proposed amendments. The FDP also rejected a constitutional amendment regarding the election of judges for the State Constitutional Court. The CDU, AfD, and FDP reject a constitutional amendment regarding the election of judges for the State Constitutional Court.

The CDU voted against a constitutional reform in the decisive ballot. The SPD, The Left, and the Greens wanted to prevent blockades in the election of judges for the State Constitutional Court. The CDU had argued that "a constitution is not amended preventively, but only when it demonstrably no longer fulfills its task."

Together with the Greens, the red-red coalition had cited that this – in the event of the AfD gaining strength – protects the constitutional court from political influence. The governing parties and the Greens thus justified the pressure for reform as a precautionary measure against possible future blockades.

The opposition rejected this reasoning. The CDU parliamentary group referred to its principle of not amending constitutions preventively, but only when there is a concrete need for adjustment. Thus, two positions faced off in the debate: preventive protection of the constitutional court on one side, adherence to the status quo on the other.

Impacts and Consequences

The state government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, composed of the SPD and The Left, had aimed to enshrine in the constitution that the election of judges for the State Constitutional Court cannot be blocked in parliament. With the defeat, the existing regulation on the election of constitutional judges remains unchanged for the time being.

This news was broadcast on 01.07.2026 on the Deutschlandfunk program. The reform has thus failed in this legislative term. Constitutional amendment in MV failed – this is the broadcaster's summarizing assessment of the voting defeat in the state parliament.

Outlook for the Electoral Period

The red-red coalition can only put the draft to a vote again in the remaining electoral period if it secures additional votes from the opposition. Otherwise, the possibility of a new initiative would only arise after a change in the parliamentary majority.

Observers interpret the voting behavior as a signal in how state politics deals with the State Constitutional Court. While supporters of the reform pointed to risks arising from future political constellations, opponents emphasized the principle of constitutional fidelity through restraint. The debate is likely to continue in the further electoral period.