London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Germany lowers voting age to 16 for future EU elections

Germany lowers voting age to 16 for future EU elections

The German Bundestag has approved a draft law to lower the legal voting age - from 18 to 16 - for elections to the European Parliament from 2024 onwards.
The German Bundestag has approved a motion to lower the legal voting age to 16 for elections to the European Parliament, on the basis that the younger generation is particularly affected by the decisions politicians are now making. The voting age for federal and state elections in most federal states will remain at 18 for now.

16 and 17-year-olds allowed to vote in next European Parliament elections

For the first time ever in Germany, young people aged 16 and over will be allowed to cast their votes in the next European parliament elections - scheduled to take place in May 2024 - after the Bundestag approved a draft law to lower the minimum voting age.

The draft law, put forward by the traffic light coalition government, will increase the number of enfranchised people in the federal republic by almost 2,3 percent, in a bid to recognise the “political commitment” of many young people. The law’s text states that the previous minimum age of 18 excluded many people “who can and want to take on responsibility in numerous places in society and get involved in the political process.”

Carmen Wegge, the deputy legal policy spokesperson for the SPD, explained to dpa that the younger generation had a right to political participation, having proven themselves to be engaged and vocal on a range of issues that particularly affect them - including climate change and the restructuring of the social security system.

Minimum voting age to remain the same for federal elections in Germany

In some states in Germany, 16-year-olds are already allowed to vote in state and local elections, but the Basic Law stipulates a minimum voting age of 18 for the federal elections, meaning that the coalition government would have to garner votes from the opposition to support a move to lower the voting age for Bundestag elections - a policy which has been rejected by both the CDU / CSU union and the AfD.

Three other EU countries have already lowered the voting age for European elections: in Austria, people aged 16 and over have been able to vote since 2007; in Malta the national voting age was lowered to 16 in 2018, and in Greece people above the age of 17 are allowed to vote. In May this year, the European Parliament recommended lowering the voting age to 16 across the bloc. .
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×