How parliamentary groups organize work in Germany’s Bundestag
The federal electoral authority explains the group structure and its membership threshold.
Members of Germany's Bundestag organize much of their work through parliamentary groups. A group normally consists of at least five percent of members who belong to the same party or to parties with compatible aims that do not compete in any state.
Groups help organize parliamentary business and give members a way to coordinate positions. The threshold concerns a group's status inside the chamber. It is a separate rule from the ones used to allocate seats at an election.