Ferda Ataman has been elected Federal Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination. On Thursday in the Bundestag, the publicist achieved slightly more than the necessary so-called chancellor majority of 369 votes. 376 MPs voted for the 42-year-old, 278 against her. There were 14 abstentions.
The General Equal Treatment Act prescribes a chancellor majority for the election of the “Independent Federal Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination”. This is the majority not only of those present, but of all 736 members of the Bundestag.
The traffic light coalition has a total of 416 MPs, 47 more than would have been needed for the necessary majority. The election also took place without further debate, as required by law.
Ataman explained in a first statement that she would support all people “who experience disadvantages – be it because of their age, because of a disability, origin, gender, sexual identity, religion or belief”. She also announced that she would campaign for the rapid implementation of the improvements in legal protection against discrimination announced in the coalition agreement.
