Landtag of Bavaria

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Landtag of Bavaria

The Landtag of Bavaria, also called the Bavarian State Parliament, is the unicameral (one-chamber) legislature of the German state of Bavaria. It meets at the Maximilianeum in Munich and is the main lawmaking body for the state.

Elections and terms
Elections are held every five years. The last election was on October 8, 2023, and the next is expected in 2028. Ballots are cast on Sundays or public holidays. The Landtag has about 180 seats, a number that can change due to overhang and leveling seats to keep the results proportional.

How members are elected
Bavaria uses a mixed-member proportional representation system. There are 91 single-seat districts that elect representatives (first vote). In addition, 89 seats are filled from open party lists in seven administrative regions to ensure the overall results reflect voters’ shares (second vote). Voters cast two votes: one for a district candidate and one for a party list. This combination aims to produce a proportional result while still having district representatives.

Current government and leaders
The current state government is a coalition of the Christian Social Union (CSU) and Free Voters (FW). Markus Söder has been the Minister-President since 2018. The CSU has usually been the largest party in the Landtag, and coalitions have often included other parties such as FW.

History
The Landtag began in 1819 during the Kingdom of Bavaria. It started as a two-house body and was called the Ständeversammlung. In the Weimar era, the upper house was abolished and the Landtag became unicameral. Under Nazi rule, it was dissolved in 1934. After World War II, Bavaria adopted a new constitution, and Landtag elections resumed in 1946. Since then, the CSU has dominated Bavarian state politics for most of the postwar period.

Composition
The Landtag is elected mainly to represent Bavarian voters through a mix of district representatives and party-list seats. The CSU has been the largest party in recent decades, with other parties such as Greens, SPD, AfD, FW, and others represented in various elections. The exact number of seats for each party can shift with elections to maintain proportional representation.

Website
For more information, you can visit the official Bavarian Landtag website.