New lawmakers make German parliament more diverse than ever

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s weekend election has made the country’s lower house of parliament more diverse and inclusive than ever before. More than 500 candidates with immigrant roots ran for the 735-seat Bundestag. While it is not yet clear how many were elected, the number is expected to be higher than in all previous parliaments. The chamber now includes at least three people of African descent, up from one in the previous parliament. And after years of stagnation, the number of female lawmakers has gone up again and includes two transgender women. However, neither women or immigrants are represented in the national legislature to the extent they are present in German society.