Legislative, Voting and Supervisory Powers

Key functions

Making laws is the most important task of the representatives elected to parliament. The State Parliament exercises legislative power and examines the way the State Government uses its executive powers. The third branch of government, the judiciary, is independent and its powers are exercised by judges who are answerable only to the law.

The State Parliament is able to pass laws by simple majority of the MPs present. The State Parliament has the power to pass amendments to the state constitution by two thirds majority (but at least half of all MPs) if at least two thirds of the Parliament's members are present.

Another fundamental duty of the State Parliament is to elect the holders of other constitutional offices: it elects the Minister President from among its members in a secret ballot and confirms the State Government. The Parliament also elects the President and the members of the State Court of Justice. Appointments to the presidency of the State Court of Audit and the State Commissioner for Data Protection also require the approval of Parliament.

The work of the State Parliament has changed in response to an array of new political challenges. In the period after 1952, when the administrative foundations of the new state were being laid, the Parliament focused on passing legislation. Today, in contrast, the Parliament concentrates on scrutinizing the work of the government and the administration.