Saxony-Anhalt state election, 2011

• Left: 29
• SPD: 26
• CDU: 41
• Green: 9

In the state elections in Saxony -Anhalt in 2011 on March 20, 2011, the sixth parliament of Saxony-Anhalt was chosen. It took place and the local elections in Hesse a week before the state elections in Rhineland -Palatinate and Baden- Württemberg.

Election result

After the final result, the vote is split as follows between the parties:

Choice analysis

The state election resulted in no major changes in the three major parties CDU, SPD and Die Linke. The result was influenced by the fact that the majority of the electorate had Surveys desired a continuation of the CDU - SPD coalition after it had been a change of government, each state election. The CDU lost 3.7 percentage points, but remained at 32.5 percent, considerably strongest force. The proportion of votes of the Left and the SPD remained virtually unchanged at 23.7 and 21.5 percent. Since the left so that was again stronger than the SPD, after the coalition statement by the SPD a red- red coalition is excluded under a prime minister of the left.

The FDP had clearly lost and separates with a result of 3.8 per cent ( -2.9 ) from the parliament from Magdeburg. The Greens increased their share of the vote, however, doubled to 7.1 percent, and managed for the first time since 1994 the collection in the state legislature. Pollsters see the good performance of the Greens, especially in connection with the issue of energy policy, which had recovered after the nuclear accidents in Japan in importance. Similarly, the losses of the two bourgeois parties, which amount to 6.6 percent, particularly attributed to the change in the nuclear policy of the Federal Government is held by many voters for implausible.

The far-right NPD, which had focused their resources on the campaign in Saxony- Anhalt, reached from the prior 4.6 percent, falling short of a place in the state legislature. However, considering that the also far-right DVU, which would merge with the NPD, in the last election by 3.0% of the vote reached and no longer took up, the voices gain is only 1.6 percentage points. All parties who failed at the five - percent hurdle making, composed of 15.2 percent of the vote. Among these, nor the Free Voters came next to the NPD and the FDP (2.8 percent), the Animal Protection Party ( 1.6 percent), and the Pirate Party ( 1.4 percent ) over the important party financing one-percent hurdle.

The turnout rose sharply to 51.2 percent after the rate was only 44.4 percent in the previous state election. 2006 was thus in Saxony-Anhalt reached the historically low participation of all German state elections, at the 2011 election is the second lowest total result.

Starting position

• PDS: 26
• SPD: 24
• CDU: 40
• FDP: 7

After the state elections in Saxony -Anhalt in 2006 the then ruling coalition of CDU and FDP by a run of the CDU under Minister President Wolfgang Böhmer CDU / SPD coalition was replaced. The acting Prime Minister since 2002 Bohemian already announced early on not to stand for a further term of disposal. A CDU state party convention nominated in March 2010 unanimously approved the current economic Reiner Haseloff, Minister for top candidates for the state election. However Bohemian remained until the election in office.

For the SPD, the former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Jens Jahn Buller stood as the top candidate. The Left as the second strongest force in parliament went with Wulf jelly into the race and hoped to face the first left Prime Minister. In addition to these three parties, the FDP was also represented in Parliament, which had to bang on the survey results to their re-entry. The '90 since 1998 no longer represented in the parliament party Greens achieved at the 2009 European election and the 2009 federal election in Saxony -Anhalt more than five percent share of the vote, hoping for the re-entry into the state parliament. By election day, it was not certain whether the extreme-right NPD was able to move in the state legislature.

Parties

The following parties participated in the election:

( 1) 0.5 % for the Federation of Citizens' Initiatives and CDU Saxony-Anhalt ( 2) 0.1 % for the combined list German Communist Party / Communist Party of Germany ( 3) 0.8 % for the combined list Graue Panther / Ecological- Democratic Party / Welfare Party

Parties, which were previously not represented in Parliament or a deputy elected in Saxony -Anhalt in the Bundestag, had until January 31, 2011, at least 1,000 signatures collected in support of their nominations to be definitively permitted to vote. The nomination of the Alliance for Civil Rights - AFC was not allowed to vote. The DKP and The Republicans had their participation in the election displayed, but then not submitted a national nomination.

Electioneering

A special feature of the election campaign presented the unusual situation that the current Prime Minister decided not to run and decreed as none of the top candidates for a particular office bonus. CDU, SPD and Left presented during the election campaign out her the top candidate. The election campaign was circumscribed by the media as " Cuddly election campaign ". CDU and SPD stressed each their cooperation in the CDU / SPD coalition. Wolfgang Böhmer ( CDU) even stepped on a SPD - event in the Mansfeld region in conjunction with the SPD's top candidate Buller Jahn. In the discussion about possible coalitions, the SPD did not rule a coalition government with the left hand while out, however, rejected a left - prime minister. Since the SPD initially was significantly behind in the polls the Left Party and this was to the position of prime minister, another coalition CDU / SPD was initially unlikely. Even more so, as alliances such as the CDU / FDP and SPD / Green did not appear possible because of polls. In the course of the election campaign, however, the poll numbers of the Left Party, decreased, while the rose of the SPD until shortly before the election, both parties were about even. This also changed the coalition options because an SPD / Left Alliance now seemed possible. The Greens have hinted their willingness to take a red-red- green alliance. The election campaign is now also won between CDU and SPD little sharpness.

Land issues were still little overall pointed in the election campaign. The audience received the education policy. SPD, Left and Green wanted a reform towards a longer collaborative learning. CDU and FDP were in favor of a retention by the previous education system. The Greens themed beyond climate change and the promotion of alternative energies, and thus hoped for positive effects on the labor market. Dispute between the parties was the implementation of infrastructure projects such as the construction of the hall passage and the expansion of the Elbe. The CDU emphasized their activities in the government and turned out their experience and thus founded campaigned for a continuation of governance. Controversy between the SPD, Left Party and the Greens on the one hand and the CDU and FDP on the other hand was the question of the introduction of minimum wages. Was also discussed the right-wing, this especially in view of the better has become in the course of the election campaign poll numbers of the NPD, which lay just before the election at 5 %. Which is considered a right-wing extremist NPD tried to give a middle-class image in the campaign and undertook an intensive placarding. Shortly before the election took the prosecution against the NPD top candidates Matthias Heyder on investigations. He was accused, if in internal e- mails and forums posts under the pseudonym Junker Jörg on the Internet for instructions on bomb-making and the " desecration " to have called by members of the Left Party women. The allegations were based on reports of an employee of the editorial tagesschau.de who had evaluated him leaked data from the NPD. For irritations within the SPD caused an initiative of the Dessau direct candidate of the SPD and the Greens, calling for a vote splitting first vote SPD and Green second vote.

Was superimposed the election of national and international events. In the early phase of the election campaign, the events around Stuttgart 21 had an effect, which initially helped the Greens in particular to high poll numbers. The FDP came at the turn of the discussion about demands for a resignation of their party leader Guido Westerwelle under pressure. Until the election, it achieved in surveys then only values ​​less than or up to 5 %. For the Left Party, the triggered by the national chairman Gesine Lötzsch debate about communism as a political goal proved to be difficult. The Saxony-Anhalt State Association distanced itself from the goal of communism, in which individual left politicians welcomed the discussion as positive. Stark was also observed the plagiarism scandal at the German Defence Minister Karl- Theodor zu Guttenberg. The led by the CDU / FDP government introduction of the new fuel E10 led to discussions. Slightly more than a week before the election, a major earthquake followed by a devastating tsunami, which led to a series of nuclear accidents at the Japanese nuclear power plant Fukushima Daiichi occurred in Japan. Thus, the German nuclear energy policy and has also been the subject of parliamentary election campaign in Saxony- Anhalt. On the day before the election of the International military intervention in Libya, was such that in the political debate also discussed the question of the German position on this and the authorization of the use of military force began.

In the election campaign funds the classic banner prevailed. Striking was a large area used by the Greens Advertising on hoardings, the dramatically designed the column as a tree, were attached to the election posters of the Greens. The parties also devoted to the election on the internet greater attention, and set up social networking and micro-blogging service such as Facebook and Twitter.

Parallel to the state elections were held municipal elections in several communities. In Magdeburg, a referendum took place on the question of rebuilding the Ulrichskirche.

Surveys

Parties

Several polling organizations resulted in the run-up to the state election by representative voting intention surveys.

Prime minister

It was also asked the question, who would choose the Saxony- Guide to the prime minister, if they could choose it directly.

Election procedures

Each voter has two votes. With the first voice of the person is chosen, which is to represent the respective constituency in Magdeburg Parliament ( directly elected ). The second vote determines the composition of the parliament on party lines. It is a 5 % clause. Only parties that achieve at least 5% of the second votes, can move in the state legislature.

Is elected in 45 constituencies. In addition at least the same number of deputies of the State party lists. However, this number may be larger due to overhang seats.