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Your petition might get a reading in the Parliament and you're allowed to speak. However, this is not a guaranteed outcome, the Bundestag or rather the committee in charge of petitions may deny you the public reading with a 2/3 majority.

However, on the state level there is a "Volksentscheid" where the people can directly vote or enforce a vote on an issue. The quorum and the topics that are eligible for a Volksentscheid depend on the states legislation. Berlin for example allows a vote on general topics of interest while other states only allow votes on proposed laws.



Have there been any particularly notable uses or outcomes of this process?


The most notable outcome was probably the petition against internet blocks in germany [1] which was signed by more than 130 000 persons and was a crucial milestone in gathering public attention which ultimately brought the law to a fall.

[1] you know, against child porn. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zugangserschwerungsgesetz for a short summary.




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