won four constituency seats in its power base of the former East Berlin, qualifying it for proportional representation even though the party won 4.4 percent of the vote, just short of the 5% electoral threshold required for full parliamentary status. Under a longstanding electoral law intended to benefit regional parties, any party that wins at least three constituency seats is entitled to its share of proportionally-elected seats, regardless of vote share. This was the first time in the history of the Federal Republic that the FDP was not the third-largest party in the chamber. References Sources The Federal Returning Officer Psephos Federal elections in Germany 1994 elections in Germany Helmut Kohl October 1994 events in Europe