Nachrücken

Nachrücken is a German verb meaning to move up to fill a vacancy or to succeed to a seat or office. The corresponding noun, Nachrückung, denotes the act or process of replacement. The term is commonly used in political and organizational contexts where a vacancy is filled without a new election.

In parliamentary practice, Nachrücken describes the mechanism by which a seat becomes occupied again after a member resigns, dies, or is otherwise unable to continue. In party-list proportional representation systems, the replacement is typically the next eligible person on the party’s electoral list from the most recent election. This person is known as a Nachrücker. The approach preserves the intended balance of party representation in the legislature, though the exact rules can vary by country and by legislative body. Some systems also make use of by-elections for vacancies, rather than list-based Nachrücken.

Beyond national parliaments, the concept applies to regional legislatures, and more broadly to organizations, boards, and committees. In these contexts, a vacancy can be filled by a successor who was next in line on an internal list or who is appointed to step in temporarily or permanently, depending on the governing rules of the body.

In summary, Nachrücken describes the orderly replacement of a former member or officeholder by a successor from an agreed line of succession, most commonly in political bodies organized around party lists.