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German Bundestag petition surge

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2026-08-05 19:02 UTC → 2026-08-06 07:25 UTC · added ~~removed~~

A 2025 Bundestag report showed a 34 % jump in citizen petitions, with over half a million signatures and millions of registered users, indicating growing public use of the platform to influence legislation. In July 2026, a coalition of ten animal‑rights groups launched a petition demanding the rejection of a proposed separate animal‑testing law, aiming for 30,000 signatures by 31 August 2026 to trigger a hearing. The following month, an online petition against a finance‑ministerial proposal to tax cryptocurrency gains regardless of holding period reached the 30,000‑signature threshold, prompting a public hearing. The petition opposed a flat 26.375 % tax rate and sought to preserve the existing one‑year tax‑free period for private crypto investors. The crypto‑tax petition (number 201716), launched on 4 August 2026, quickly met the required quorum, leading the Petitions Committee to schedule a hearing. The Finance Ministry’s 2027 budget proposal would reclassify crypto‑asset gains as capital income, subject to a flat 25 % tax plus a solidarity surcharge (total 26.375 %). Vice‑Chancellor Lars Klingbeil expects the change to generate billions of euros in revenue, while critics warn it could hurt long‑term investors, reduce private retirement savings and diminish Germany’s appeal as a digital‑innovation hub. Around nine million Germans currently hold crypto assets, underscoring the reform’s potential impact. Both petitions illustrate how German citizens are increasingly mobilising through the Bundestag’s petition system to shape policy across diverse issues, from animal welfare to financial regulation.

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