Bundestag and Parliament of the United Kingdom - A Few Thoughts on Similarities and Differences

In a short span of time I have visited both Bundestag in Berlin and Parliament of the United Kingdom in London, and that got me thinking about similarities and differences between these two institutions. The following paragraphs are not consequence of a research, they are more kind-of-a collection of my impressions. 

Firstly, I would like to point out to terminology, because many terms are being used interchangeably: Westminster Parliament, Westminster Palace, House of Commons, House of Lords, Bundestag, Reichstag… The official name of the institution in London is the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is also colloquially called British Parliament, or just Parliament. Its two houses, the House of Lords and the House of Commons, meet in the Palace of Westminster. 

In German case, the name of the institution is the Bundestag, and its meetings are held in the Reichstag. To get over the confusion, Germans say that the Bundestag meets in Reichstag Gebaude (Reichstag Building). The reason for this is the fact that Germany got unified and got its first assembly when the country was an Empire (Ger. Reich = Empire), so Reichstag means Imperial Assembly. After German unification in 1990, and after all the institutions slowly got back to Berlin over the coming years, the federal parliament returned the Reichstag. Since Germany is not an Empire anymore (the official name of the country is Bundesrepublik Deutschland), the name of the parliament is the Bundestag. 

I would say that the key difference is the fact that these institutions are part of different systems. While German parliament is established by the German constitution (Das Grundgesetz), the Parliament in the United Kingdom is the Grundgesetz of the Great Britain Britain. All of it is a consequence of a specific understanding of constitution in the UK. While in Germany every law needs to be in accordance with the constitution, in UK the parliament is the law. British system of “parliamentary sovereignty” in practice means that, as experts usually put it, the parliament can do everything it wants except to bind the next parliament. Witty commentators also claim that “England is governed not by logic but by Parliament”. The British system was made more "continental" in the last years, with the creation of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. However, this court is still very limited in its capabilities to overturn legislations made by parliament. 

British constitutional theory is based on idea of the Crown-in-Parliament. I understand this slightly vague concept as a legal symbol of the monarch. Because of that, the Parliament of the United Kingdom is much more formal - definitely in protocole, if not in practical architectural solutions. In the Westminster Palace, there is a special door for the queen (or the king). After arriving on a chariot from the Buckingham palace, the monarch enters the Parliament through these doors, on the day of the The State Opening of Parliament (formal start of the parliamentary year). In Germany procedure also exists, but it is really nothing like UK. However, in Germany also architecture shows some of the constitutional principles. The Bundestag and its nearby offices are connected with the underground tunnel. Despite the fact that the offices of the German Chancellor (Das Bundeskanzleramt) are also in the area, due to the constitutional division of powers, there is no underground connection between legislative and executive offices. 

The number of MPs is rather similar. There are 709 of them in Germany, and 650 in the United Kingdom. The man hall of Bundestag is large, bright and modern room. House of Commons is much smaller. If British MPs squeeze properly, I was told today, only 320 can fit there in the same time. In Germany every fraktion (parliamentary party) have a piece of chairs for themselves, and after every election, according to the results, the seating is rearranged. So members of the same party sit together. Interestingly, in Germany parties are also arranged by their political views. From the perspective of the speakers position, Die Linke is on the far left, and Alternative für Deutschland is on the far right. In UK, the governing party and the main opposition party sit directly across each other. I think that the intimate atmosphere of the House of Commons is one of the main reasons why debates are often heated. I guess it is much easier to get fiery conversations in small spaces than in large auditoriums. In UK members of the Shadow Government can almost touch the PM and members of his cabinet, and vice versa. 

The Main Plenary Hall of the Bundestag © Miloš Vojinović 

House of Common © Open Government Licence

I had the chance to visit plenary session of Bundestag, and I did not have the same opportunity in London. In Berlin some MPs wear hoodies and jeans - even though I never witnessed session in London, I am pretty sure that is quite unthinkable. Both countries are democratic, and both of them are attempting to show that fact through some aspects of the parliament. In Britain, ever since early 19th century all parliamentary debates are published in Hansard, and the newest art decoration is devoted to the introduction of suffrage for female voters. Germans decided to show political character of their country, or to add additional elements to its rebranding, through Bundestag's architecture as well. During the reconstruction of the Bundestag in 1990s, the new glass dome was built. The idea was that it should symbolise the transparency of the new Germany. Inside of the building the glass is almost everywhere. The goal was to make almost every part of the building as transparent as possible. Nothing similar exists in Westminster Palace. Which is not unexpected if we have in mind that it was built in times when transparency wasn’t really word of the day. 

The history is present in both locations. In Bundestag, the Second World War, the Nazi period (1933-1945) in general, is the key theme. One of the reasons why German parliament got back to Reichstag Gebaude was the fact that Hitler never used the building. In internal corridors of the Bundestag, you can still see the writings on the wall left by Soviet soldiers. They have written with pieces of the burned wood. In 1990s they have painted over these signs with transparent lacquer, so that they can remain there forever. However, not all of the signs were preserved like this. German authorities have chosen to preserve the neutral ones, like “Ivan was here” and “from Ural to Berlin”. Many of the signs included slogans like “Death to Germans”. These were not preserved. 

Writings on the walls of the Bundestag © Miloš Vojinović

In Westminster Palace the Second World War is present everywhere. When you enter the Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the palace, you can see the huge stained glass dedicated to the MPs, their sons, and people associated with the Parliament, that have died in the course of the war. The sand from the Normandy’s beaches (Omaha, Juno, Sword, Gold, Jutah) is in a box in the House of Lords. 

However, the Second World War is not the only event that is omni-present in the building. There is a whole series of paintings and objects dedicated to the turbulent 17th century, which ended with the Bill of Rights of 1689. This was the birth of the constitutional monarchy, and thus it especially important for the Parliament. The second event that is highly visible are the Napoleonic Wars. Directly opposite to each other, in Royal Gallery, are the works of Irish painter Daniel Maclise. Thirteen meters wide The Meeting of Wellington and Blücher and The Death of Nelson are really powerful. You can see the The Meeting of Wellington and Blücher in the background of the next photo. 

The Queen is walking through the Royal Gallery, after the The State Opening of Parliament © Open Government Licence 

The last thing I have noticed is this. In London you have to pay for the tour. You can even rent some rooms in the palace for your private events. For example, if you want to rent Churchil’s room in the House of Commons you need to pay 4,500 pounds per day. Although I am not sure, but I believe that something like this is unthinkable in Germany. The tour is free there as well.