Former German Transport Minister Scheuer’s seat in the Bundestag will remain vacant as no other member of the CSU will replace him. This means that the party will have 44 members until the end of the legislative period. The CSU won 45 direct mandates in Bavaria during the 2021 federal election, resulting in more seats in the Bundestag than their proportional share. Due to the current electoral law, there is no provision for a replacement process for the CSU. Scheuer announced his resignation from his parliamentary mandate, effective before April 1, 2024, surprising many who initially thought it was an April Fools’ joke. Scheuer, who had already stated he would not run in the next federal election, had faced skepticism within the CSU regarding his future candidacy.
Scheuer had been a member of the Bundestag since 2002, representing the Passau district. He served as State Secretary in the Transport Ministry from 2009 to 2013 and as CSU General Secretary from 2013 to 2018 alongside then party leader Horst Seehofer. He became the Federal Transport Minister in Angela Merkel’s fourth cabinet after the 2018 federal election. However, Scheuer faced heavy criticism for the failed car toll project and was seen as a liability within the CSU. Despite his long political career, he did not disclose his future plans after leaving the Bundestag. The decision not to replace Scheuer’s seat in the Bundestag comes as a result of the current electoral law for the CSU, which does not allow for a replacement process in this scenario.
Scheuer’s decision to resign from his parliamentary mandate before the end of the legislative period means that the CSU will have one fewer member in the Bundestag. The party won 45 direct mandates in Bavaria during the 2021 federal election, giving them more seats in the Bundestag than their proportional share. As the electoral law does not allow for a replacement process for the CSU, Scheuer’s decision to vacate his seat will lead to 44 CSU members in the Bundestag until the end of the current legislative period. Despite initially announcing that he would not run in the next federal election, Scheuer faced skepticism within the CSU about his potential candidacy.
Scheuer’s announcement of his resignation from the Bundestag came as a surprise, with many initially interpreting it as an April Fools’ joke. He had already stated that he would not run in the next federal election and had faced skepticism within the CSU regarding his future candidacy. Scheuer had a long political career, serving as a member of the Bundestag, State Secretary in the Transport Ministry, CSU General Secretary, and Federal Transport Minister. However, he faced criticism for the failed car toll project and was seen as a liability within the CSU. Despite not disclosing his future plans, Scheuer’s decision not to seek re-election and resign from the Bundestag will result in the CSU having one fewer member in the Bundestag until the end of the legislative period.
