Dual Taiwanese German nationals vote in German election for 1st time

Berlin/Taipei, Feb. 23 (CNA) Taiwanese nationals with German citizenship will cast their ballots in Germany's federal election on Sunday, following a change in the country's Nationality Law last year that allows more foreign nationals to acquire German citizenship without having to renounce their original citizenship.

More than 200,000 citizenship applications -- around 2-3 times higher than in previous years -- were received by the government since Germany's nationality law was passed in June 2024, including from a number of Taiwanese.

Liu Hsin-yi (劉欣怡), who has lived in Germany for 16 years, told CNA she finally became a German citizen in January, thanks to the liberalization of the nationality law.

"I didn't want to abandon being Taiwanese [before the rule changes]," she explained.

Willen, a Taiwanese citizen who has lived in Germany for seven years, told CNA he applied for German citizenship mainly to "increase convenience" in his life.

"When entering Germany [as a German citizen], you don't need to interact with any real people," he said. "The entire process is automated, making entry at the border much smoother."

To apply for German citizenship, a process which takes about three to six months, applicants must meet residency and tax requirements -- and pass a citizenship exam, which includes 33 multiple-choice questions on German history, politics and society.

Liu said she found the citizenship exam helpful for understanding German politics, such as the fact that political parties must achieve an electoral threshold of 5 percent in order to enter the Bundestag, Germany's federal parliament.

For many dual nationals, the question of "who to vote for?" is a complex one in Germany, where 29 political parties are competing in the 2025 election.

Lin Pei-yi (林佩儀), who has lived in Germany for 10 years, told CNA she used ChatGPT to learn about the political parties and their respective policies.

"Berlin is an international city, and many Taiwanese who have obtained dual citizenship may not necessarily speak German well," she said. "AI tools can reduce language barriers."

Liu, in contrast, said she frequently discussed politics in her social circle and had decided which party to support long before the election.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, immigration policy is a key issue for Taiwanese citizens living in Germany.

The Alternative for Germany (AfD), a party which Liu described as "relatively unfriendly to immigrants," has become more popular in recent years.

Although immigrants are "relatively welcome in international cities like Berlin," Liu told CNA, her friends who live in eastern parts of Germany said they experienced a "strong xenophobic atmosphere."

She said that she would vote for The Left, a party she believes will better protect the rights of immigrants.

Lin, on the other hand, said she supports the Free Democratic Party (FDP) due to its "friendly immigration policy" but "careful" approach to refugees.

Meanwhile, Willen told CNA he would vote strategically to "reduce the opportunity for far-right parties" such as the AfD from winning seats in the Bundestag.