Die Zeit1 hour agoPolitics1 min readGermanyView original

Conference of Interior Ministers abolishes the principle of unanimity

In the future, IMK resolutions will only require a majority of 13 of the 16 votes.

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The Conference of Interior Ministers (IMK) has abandoned the principle of unanimity.
In the future, a majority of 13 of the 16 votes will be sufficient for resolutions.
The change is intended to prevent blockages if the AfD takes over government responsibility in a federal state.

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Why It Matters

The IMK is the permanent conference of the interior ministers of the federal states to coordinate their policies. Until now, the committee was based on a long-standing practice of unanimity.

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The Conference of Interior Ministers (IMK) has abandoned its principle of unanimous decisions. As the German Press Agency learned from the interior ministers, this decision was made a few days ago by circular resolution. Accordingly, anything that receives a majority of at least 13 of the 16 votes in the committee is deemed to have been decided with immediate effect.

The federal government is only there as a guest

The question of whether or not this principle should be retained with a view to a possible AfD interior minister had been discussed in the IMK for a long time. The IMK has no rules of procedure. Rather, the principle of unanimity, which allows for the possibility of a decision even in the event of abstentions, is based on long-standing practice.

The Conference of Interior Ministers is the permanent conference of the interior ministers and senators of the federal states in which they coordinate their policies and make joint decisions. The Federal Minister of the Interior takes part in their meetings as a permanent guest with the right to speak and make proposals, but without the right to vote, and brings the interests of the federal government into the deliberations. The top personnel of the federal security authorities present the current situation at the regular meetings, which take place twice a year.

Prevent blockage

Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) said at the 2025 autumn conference that if the AfD were to participate in government in a federal state, she would assume that in such a case the IMK would ensure "that we continue to have a quorum so that the AfD cannot block any important decisions." The Hessian Interior Minister, Roman Poseck (CDU), said at the time: “An AfD representative in a position that is so important for security would be fatal.” In such a case, the IMK would do everything to remain able to act.

In the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6th, the AfD with its top candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, became the strongest force with 43.8 percent, ahead of the CDU with 17.2 percent. The AfD is three votes short of an absolute majority. In his own words, Siegmund would still like to be elected as the first AfD prime minister in December. Before the state elections, he had repeatedly ruled out governing without a majority of his own.