On Tuesday November 26, during negotiations to form a coalition government with the heads of the coalition parties as well as parliamentary group leaders it was decided that during the next Council of Ministers meeting on December 11 a draft law imposing a 30% female representation quota would be adopted. The quota will apply to female positions on the supervisory boards of the largest German businesses quoted on the stock exchange that have employee representatives on their supervisory boards. 3,500 smaller companies will have to set their own quotas. Should a company not respect the quota, seats on the board will remain vacant. German media reports this move as an ‘historic’ decision.
‘An historic cultural shift in the German corporate sector’. On the eve of coalition talks between the coalition parties, Wolfgang Kauder (the parliamentary leader) had again publicly rebuked Manuela Schwesig (Families Minister), who has for the past ten months fought tirelessly for a female quota at management level in German companies, for whinging and whining. Nevertheless the ‘whinger’ came through.
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