In 1996, Westerwelle was first elected a member of the Bundestag, filling in for Heinz Lanfermann, who had resigned from his seat after entering the Ministry of Justice. In the 1998 national elections, he was re-elected to parliament. As his parliamentary group's home affairs spokesman, he was instrumental in swinging the FDP behind a 1999 government bill to make German citizenship available to children born in Germany of non-German parents.
In 1996 Westerwelle was first elected a member of the Bundestag filling in for Heinz Lanfermann who had resigned from his seat after entering the Ministry of Justice In the 1998 national elections he was re-elected to parliament As his parliamentary group's home affairs spokesman he was instrumental in swinging the FDP behind a 1999 government bill to make German citizenship available to children born in Germany of non-German parents