Hesse state election, 2009
Encyclopedia
Early state elections for the Landtag of Hesse
were held in Hesse
on 18 January 2009. The reason for the early elections was the inability of the parties to form a government after the inconclusive 2008 Hessian election
.
party delegates in the Landtag. The CDU/FDP did not have a majority, nor did the SPD/Greens. Both the Linke party and the Greens pushed hard for a "red-green-red" (SPD-Greens-Linke) coalition, but the SPD initially refused this. The only other option was a grand coalition
along the model in the Bundestag after the 2005 election, but this was also very unpopular.
SPD leader Andrea Ypsilanti
finally gave in and attempted to negotiate with the Linke party to form a red-green-red coalition, reneging on a promise she had made earlier in the year to never negotiate with the far-left. This action caused an internal revolt among Hesse's SPD Landtag members, resulting in Ypsilanti being cast out as leader and new elections being called.
This election became in effect a referendum on the SPD; although the CDU remained unpopular, the SPD was now much less popular after recent events.
Roland Koch
, the CDU party leader in Hesse and minister-president of Hesse before the 2008 elections, also acted as interim minister-president until 31 August 2010. And so even though the CDU had suffered a stinging electoral defeat in 2008, Roland Koch had not been unseated due to the inability of the SPD to form a new government.
The candidates for the office of minister-president in 2009 were the incumbent Roland Koch
of the CDU
; the new Hesse SPD party leader, Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel
; Tarek Al-Wazir
for the Greens; Jörg-Uwe Hahn for the FDP; and Willi van Ooyen
for the Linke.
Popular anger at the SPD over the political crisis and deadlock, and anger among some of its centrist supporters that the SPD leadership would negotiate with the far-left, led to a collapse in the SPD's support; it received its lowest vote share in Hessian history. The SPD won less than 25% of the total seats in 2009, down from 38% in 2008. The former-SPD voters split evenly between the FDP and the Greens. The Greens received their highest vote share ever as a result of this.
The 2008-2009 Hesse Landtag saga is seen as a black eye and an embarrassment for the political left in Germany. Despite the CDU's weakest support in decades, the left bungled its opportunity to unseat the CDU, which now remained in power. A CDU-FDP government was formed after the election.
Landtag of Hesse
The Landtag of Hesse is the state Parliament of the German State of Hesse. It convenes in Wiesbaden and currently consists of 118 members of five Parties. Currently there is coalition between the CDU and the FDP....
were held in Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
on 18 January 2009. The reason for the early elections was the inability of the parties to form a government after the inconclusive 2008 Hessian election
Hesse state election, 2008
The state election to elect members of the Landtag of Hesse was held in the German state of Hesse on 27 January 2008.-Background and issues:...
.
Issues and background
Hesse had been in the midst of political deadlock since January 2008, as a new government was still not formed by the Fall of 2008. The reason that ideologically-allied parties could not form a government was the existence of a bloc of far-left LinkeLinke
Linke is a German surname deriving from the German word meaning "left". It can refer to:* Armin Linke, Italian artist* Carsten Linke, German football player* Ed Linke, American baseball player* Erika C...
party delegates in the Landtag. The CDU/FDP did not have a majority, nor did the SPD/Greens. Both the Linke party and the Greens pushed hard for a "red-green-red" (SPD-Greens-Linke) coalition, but the SPD initially refused this. The only other option was a grand coalition
Grand coalition
A grand coalition is an arrangement in a multi-party parliamentary system in which the two largest political parties of opposing political ideologies unite in a coalition government...
along the model in the Bundestag after the 2005 election, but this was also very unpopular.
SPD leader Andrea Ypsilanti
Andrea Ypsilanti
Andrea Ypsilanti is a German politician.-Political career:Ypsilanti is a member of the Hessian Landtag and was chairperson of the Social Democratic Party of Hesse from March 2003 to January 2009.In the Hesse state elections of 2008, held on 27 January 2008, she was the SPD's candidate for the...
finally gave in and attempted to negotiate with the Linke party to form a red-green-red coalition, reneging on a promise she had made earlier in the year to never negotiate with the far-left. This action caused an internal revolt among Hesse's SPD Landtag members, resulting in Ypsilanti being cast out as leader and new elections being called.
This election became in effect a referendum on the SPD; although the CDU remained unpopular, the SPD was now much less popular after recent events.
Roland Koch
Roland Koch
Roland Koch is a German jurist and former conservative politician. He was Minister-President of Hesse from April 7, 1999, immediately becoming President of the Bundesrat, completing the term begun by his predecessor as Minister President, Hans Eichel, until his resignation on August 31, 2010...
, the CDU party leader in Hesse and minister-president of Hesse before the 2008 elections, also acted as interim minister-president until 31 August 2010. And so even though the CDU had suffered a stinging electoral defeat in 2008, Roland Koch had not been unseated due to the inability of the SPD to form a new government.
The candidates for the office of minister-president in 2009 were the incumbent Roland Koch
Roland Koch
Roland Koch is a German jurist and former conservative politician. He was Minister-President of Hesse from April 7, 1999, immediately becoming President of the Bundesrat, completing the term begun by his predecessor as Minister President, Hans Eichel, until his resignation on August 31, 2010...
of the CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
; the new Hesse SPD party leader, Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel
Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel
Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel is a German politician of the SPD.He is currently the leader of the opposition SPD party bloc in the Hessian state parliament...
; Tarek Al-Wazir
Tarek Al-Wazir
Tarek Mohammed Al-Wazir, طارق الوزير, is a politician in the German Green Party. He is a member of the Landtag of Hesse and co-chairman of the Hessian Green Party.- Personal life :...
for the Greens; Jörg-Uwe Hahn for the FDP; and Willi van Ooyen
Willi van Ooyen
Willi van Ooyen is a German politician of socialist Linke Party, and current leader of the Linke party's bloc in the Hessian Landtag. He is a self-described "Marxist".-Life:...
for the Linke.
Outcome
The 2008-2009 Hesse Landtag saga is seen as a black eye and an embarrassment for the political left in Germany. Despite the CDU's weakest support in decades, the left bungled its opportunity to unseat the CDU, which now remained in power. A CDU-FDP government was formed after the election.