Germany’s top court to rule on EU election threshold

Preview and reports of a decision by Germany's top court, the Federal Constitutional Court, in February 2014 on whether political parties still needed at least 3% of the vote to get into the European Parliament. The ruling was seen by some that could open the door to more fringe movements in the May 2014 elections.

The Court announced its decision on the 26 February 2014. The judgement abolished the rule that said political parties needed at least 3% of the vote to enter the European Parliament. The court said the hurdle infringed on parties’ rights to equal opportunities.

• Primary Source

Germany: Federal Constitutional Court http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/en/index.html

Spiegel Online International, 19.09.13: Complicated Yet Fair: Germany's Voting System Explained http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-election-system-explained-a-923243.html

European ParliamentI InfoGraphic, 08.11.13: 2014 European elections: national rules http://www.europarl.europa.eu/eplibrary/InfoGraphic-2014-European-elections-national-rules.pdf

BBC News, 26.02.14: Germany Karlsruhe court scraps EU vote threshold http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26351565

Deutsche Welle, 26.02.14: Opinion: No reason to fear variety http://dw.de/p/1BFpj

Deustche Welle, 26.02.14: German court scraps 3 percent EU Parliament election threshold http://dw.de/p/1BFSu

Social Europe Journal, 26.02.14: Karlsruhe’s Campaign Against European Integration Continues http://www.social-europe.eu/2014/02/karlsruhes-campaign-european-integration-continues/

EurActiv, 27.02.14: Germany's top court annuls 3% threshold for EU election http://www.euractiv.com/eu-elections-2014/german-constitutional-court-eras-news-533780

Germany: Federal Foreign Office: Press Release, 26.02.14: Minister of State Roth: The European Parliament is the pulsating heart of European democracy http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2014/140226_StMR_Europawahlrecht.html

Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, 03.03.14: German judges question barring clause (via Euro|Topics) http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/aehnliche/archiv_article/ARTICLE139378-German-judges-question-barring-clause

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