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CDU welcomes new visitor quota for so-called “orphaned constituencies”
Good news for school classes and politically interested people in the Darmstadt constituency: Despite the current lack of representation in the Bundestag, access to subsidized visitor trips to Berlin intact. The Council of Elders of the German Bundestag recently decided to provide a special quota of 230 places per year for trips from the four affected constituencies – including the Darmstadt constituency.
CDU district chairman Lutz Köhler welcomes this step: "I am very pleased that the Bundestag is also thinking about the citizens of Darmstadt and the 14 surrounding towns and communities. The electoral reform has deprived our region of its political representation – yet interest in politics remains undiminished."
Background: Direct mandate won, but no seat in the Bundestag
In the early federal election on February 23, 2025, Dr. Astrid Mannes (CDU) won the direct mandate in the Darmstadt constituency. However, due to the electoral reform passed beforehand, which limits overhang and compensatory mandates, Darmstadt is now one of the four "orphan constituencies" without a representative in parliament.
With the abolition of the direct mandate, the possibility of organizing subsidized visits to the Bundestag through a member of parliament—including tours, plenary sessions, and discussions—was also eliminated. Thanks to the new resolution, interested groups can now once again travel to Berlin with support , even without their own parliamentary representation.
Applications can be submitted directly to the Bundestag
197 places available for the current year, 2025. School classes, , traditionally enjoy taking advantage of these opportunities. The Bundestag administration will contact educational institutions in the constituency relevant school authorities the Visitors Service of the German Bundestag directly .
Köhler, who is also the deputy district administrator and education director of the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, points out that members of the CDU Hesse regional group obligatory parliamentary interview on behalf of the orphaned constituencies – "as far as time allows," said Köhler.
"Thank you to all those who have pushed for this solution. This ensures that political education remains a tangible experience – even in constituencies without a direct vote in the Bundestag," Köhler concluded.
(Darmstadt - Red/CDU)
