The men in the picture look serious. It's about something, that's clear. Here, the CSU negotiates with the voters about who will govern Bavaria in the next few years - and how. Not at the table: women. Not a woman.

Coalition negotiations in #Bavaria. I once marked the women in the negotiation teams red # CSU # Söder # Freelancer pic.twitter.com/vQbOrbT3UM

- Marco Fechner (@Marco_Fechner) October 30, 2018

The photo is currently causing a stir in social media. One user commented sarcastically that women should at least vote in Bavaria. More emancipation could not expect CSU and free voters. Others argue that it's about putting the most capable together - regardless of gender.

The CSU parliamentary group responded in a tweet that would be negotiated in changing occupation - and on other days quite women sitting at the table.

Not only in Bavarian politics women are missing

But those who look around in German politics quickly realize that women are missing not only in the Bavarian coalition negotiations. Even in the newly elected state parliament of the Free State they are clearly in the minority: Just 27 percent of Bavarian MPs are female. In the last legislative period, they still scratched at the 30 percent mark.

The women, they do not just miss, they become less.

And the situation in the Hesse state parliament is not much better either: in the new parliament, which was voted last weekend, the gender ratio is shifting in favor of the men. Although there are even more women in the state parliament than before - 46 instead of 40 - but also the total number of members has increased. In Hesse, therefore, only a third of Parliament is female.

Even at the federal level, the proportion of women in politics is shrinking: Since the last election, the German Bundestag has only 218 female members, scarcely 31 percent. In the last legislative period there were still 230.

"The situation is unacceptable"

"The situation is unacceptable," said Ulle Schauws, women's and cultural policy spokeswoman for the Greens. "If something really should change, all parties are consistently asked to set up women on a quota equal." Especially with AfD and FDP sees Schauws major shortcomings.

Chancellor Angela Merkel recently ordered more women to her party. And that, although the CDU already has a women's quorum. It encourages the party to occupy at least 30 percent of the political office with women.

Currently the CDU does not reach this section.