Government of Hamburg

Politics in Hamburg has a special feature that it Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg is both a municipality and a member state of the city-state. Hamburger policy revolves accordingly details of local politics up to the federal political influence of the country by the Federal Council.

• 2.1 before 1945
• 2.2 1945-2011
• 2.3 Current Senate - 20th legislature (2011)
• 2.4 Election Results

• 3.1 Education and Science
• 3.2 Finance and Budget
• 3.3 Urban Development and Environment
• 3.4 Justice
• 3.5 Transport and Infrastructure
• 3.6 Referenda / suffrage
• 3.7 Economy and Harbour
• 3.8 Other Topics
• 3.9 Historical topics
• 3:10 European Policy

Political system of Hamburg

Legal foundations of the political system are the Constitution and the Constitution of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg has as a member state ( Land) of the Federal Republic of Germany statehood. She's Republic, democracy, welfare state and the rule of law. At the same time it is a single community ( community unit ), a separation between state and municipal tasks does not occur.

In the language of the area countries meet:

Legislature

The legislative power (legislative ) exerted by the people's representatives or directly by the people.

The Hamburg Parliament has the functions as the national Parliament in particular

• The legislation,
• The election of the first mayor,
• The control of the Senate.

As a representation of the people, the citizenry is elected for a term of four years on a regular basis in general, direct, free, equal and secret ballot. With the change to Hamburg election law, MPs are directly elected partly since the 2008 election in the 17 constituencies with citizenship of the possibility of accumulation or distribution of multiple voices. That due to a referendum highly personalized proportional representation was then extended again ( 2011 election ). The same applies to the date at the same time conducted elections to the District Assemblies, which take place in 2014 in parallel with the European elections.

After the Hamburg Constitutional legislation also is possible directly by the people. See also Main article Citizenlawmaking (Hamburg).

Executive

The executive power ( executive) lies with the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg as a state government that leads the management and supervision, and the city-state represents outward and represented. The Senate is headed by the Lord Mayor as President of the Senate. Each senator is a regular department head ( Präses ) of a ministry (authority). The Senate may appoint Senatssyndici to support, advise and represent him. These Councils of State ( political appointees ) are also the highest officials of their respective departments (Senate agencies and offices).

And each Senator are added in its authority deputations as special bodies of participation of the people in it from active volunteers ( deputies ) are made.

Judiciary

The judiciary ( judicial) exerted by the Constitutional Court of Hamburg and 17 other courts in the country.

Professional judges of the specialized courts shall be appointed on the proposal of a judicial selection committee by the Senate in accordance with Article 63 of the Constitution.

District level

The districts in Hamburg have for decentralized management tasks each have district offices, headed by the District Manager is. Decisions at the district level by the elected parliaments there, the district assemblies, like. These have, however, the legal position of management committees with limited skills. If local policy decisions of the Senate, contrary to or have citywide significance, the Senate may consider the decision itself ( evocation ).

Representation and policy outside Hamburg

Hamburg is represented within the Federal Republic of Germany with three votes in the Bundesrat and maintains the representation of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg to the Federal Government in Berlin, the authorized representative of the federal government at the head. In the German Bundestag deputies six hamburgers on the direct mandates of the federal constituencies Altona, Bergedorf - Harburg, Eimsbuettel, Hamburg -Mitte, Hamburg-Nord and Wandsbek and other Members represented on the national list.

In the European Union Hamburg is represented in the Committee of the Regions in Brussels and maintains the Hanse Office.

Overview of the legislatures

Before 1945

See article on the history of Hamburg and the history of citizenship. Furthermore, the Hamburg Senate 1861-1919; Hamburg senate 1919-1933; Hamburg Senate in National Socialism.

1945-2011

Hamburg was ruled from 1946 to 1953 and from 1957 to 2001 by the SPD -led senates. In the meantime, there were 1953 to 1957 a bourgeois coalition of CDU, FDP and German party under the CDU politician Kurt Sieveking. After 1993 the Hamburg Constitutional Court declared the state election of 1991 due to undemocratic candidate lists of the CDU Hamburg invalid, was the first time a constituency association ( INSTEAD party THE INDEPENDENT ) with the former CDU rebels Markus Wegner move into City Hall and cooperate to 1997 with the SPD. Then ruled by a coalition of SPD / GAL. Since the elections in October 2001 ruled a coalition of CDU, the party right Staatlicher offensive (PRO ) and the FDP, which was terminated after the breakup of the PRO on 9 December 2003 by the First Mayor Ole von Beust ( CDU). The elections on February 29, 2004 ended with an absolute majority for the CDU. The party rights Interstate offensive that 19.4 % of the vote in the last election, and the ProDM / Schill of ex- interior minister Ronald Schill and Euro - critics Bolko Hoffmann missed as well as the FDP a place in the citizenship. The pre-2001 for 44 years ruling SPD had its worst result with 30.5% in 1945 to accept, while the GAL could significantly increase. The absolute majority of the CDU ended with elections in February 2008, without that there would have been next to a majority for a coalition within the classical camp. Thereupon formed a government coalition between the CDU and GAL, which thus represented the first black-green state government in Germany. Ole von Beust became First Mayor again. A central political project of the coalition that school reform failed in a referendum on 18 July 2010. Yet during the polling period, announced Mayor Ole von Beust resigned August 25, 2010, and was succeeded by the former interior minister Christoph Ahlhaus. The new Senate Ahlhaus already broke on 28 November 2010 with the withdrawal of the GAL from the coalition. Until the election of a new First Mayor on March 7, 2011 after the early elections of 20 February 2011 a remaining CDU senators a minority Senate.

Current Senate - 20th legislature (2011)

On March 7, 2011, elected First Mayor and President of the Senate Olaf Scholz ( SPD). The Deputy Mayor Dorothee Stapelfeldt and the other members of the Senate were appointed on 23 March 2011 and confirmed by the citizenry.

President of the Hamburg Parliament since the March 23, 2011 Carola Veit (SPD). First Vice-President is Frank Schira ( CDU).

Election results

For more detailed results and seat distributions - including the district assemblies - see election results in Hamburg.

Policy issues

The themes of the policy with which citizenship and Senate deal, cover a wide spectrum. They range from foreign policy issues on the federal legislation to municipal affairs, which may be addressed in the District Assemblies. Outside of the constitutional bodies to also devote the political parties of the Hanseatic city, but also other institutions, associations and civic interest groups different topics.

Examples of some political issues with particular reference to Hamburg:

Education and Science

• Restructuring of the Hamburg university landscape (from 2002 ) as the creation of faculties and integration of Hamburg University for Economics and Politics in the University of Hamburg ( 2005).
• Introduction of tuition fees in higher education ( 2004).
• Reforms in the public school system, such as the school reform in Hamburg ( 2009/10 referendum )

Finance and Budget

• Current debt, or the achievement of a balanced state budget.
• Financing costs or increase in major projects, such as Elbe Philharmonic Hall ( since 2004) or metro line 4 ( as of 2007 ).
• A 2010 inserted Parliamentary Inquiry " Elbe Philharmonic Hall " to educate the construction delays and cost increases.
• The financial crisis of Landesbank HSH Nordbank with a resultant 2009 used from Hamburg and Schleswig -Holstein inquiry.
• Exchange of Hamburg 2012 from " donor country " to " recipient country ".

Urban Development and Environment

• Urban Development under the theme Growing City (since 2008 Growing with foresight ).
• Construction of HafenCity and further development of Veddel, William Castle Harburg up under the slogan Leap across the Elbe.
• Gentrification of neighborhoods.
• Mill Loch. Backfilling for Airbus enlargement (2001 - 2003).
• Construction of the power plant Moor Castle (2007)

Justice

• The issue of internal security which led inter alia to the change of government to the CDU and Schill party and the prosecution policy under Roger Kusch see: prison policy # Hamburg (Presentation 1919-1933; 2001-2006)

Transport and Infrastructure

• Construction of a road link between two highways in the harbor ( harbor link road ) and laying of Wilhelm Burger Reichsstrasse
• Abolition of tram ( 1978) and re- introduction of light rail Hamburg.
• Privatization of gas, electricity and district heating ( Hein Gas Hamburger GmbH E.ON Hanse to 2003, Hamburg Electricitäts works - HEW to Vattenfall 2002) and the counter- trend of " municipal ownership in Hamburg".

Referenda / suffrage

• Introduction of popular legislation in Hamburg (1996) and later desire to strengthen it.
• Amendment to the electoral law (2004 and several amendments to 2009 ).

Economy and Harbour

• Port of Hamburg. Expansion and adaptation of the port.
• Deepening of the Elbe, which operated since 1818 deepening of the Elbe for larger vessels.

Other topics

• Privatization of the country operating hospitals to Asklepios Kliniken Hamburg (2007).
• Mobile Home or place their clearance as Bambule ( 2002).
• North State. Since the Second World War, countries discussed merger with neighboring states.

Past topics

• Hamburg dockers' strike 1896/97
• Suffrage Robbery ( 1906)
• Harbor road ( squatting 1984-1990 )

European policy

Hamburg represents its interests in the European Union in various ways through participation in various organs and bodies, such as in the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions and the representation of the states of Hamburg and Schleswig -Holstein to the EU, the so-called Hanse-Office.

The European policy of Hamburg is coordinated by the Senate Chancellery, headed by the First Mayor Olaf Scholz ( SPD). For European Policy competent State is currently Wolfgang Schmidt. As an authorized representative with the Federation, the European Union and Foreign Affairs Schmidt is also for the interests of the Hamburg State Representation in Berlin and the Hanse-Office, representing the states of Hamburg and Schleswig -Holstein to the EU in Brussels, in charge. Director of the Hanse-Office for Hamburg is Dr. Claus Müller.

In August 2010, the reigning at the time of black-green Senate had submitted its European policy priorities.

In the Hamburg Parliament for the European policy cross-cutting themes of the Europe committee responsible, currently chaired by Robert Bläsing (FDP). In the European Parliament Hamburg is served by 3 deputies represented in the current legislature (2009-2014 ): Knut Fleckenstein (SPD ), Birgit Schnieber- Jastram (CDU) and Sabine Wils (The Left ). In the Committee of the Regions Hamburg is currently represented by Barbara Duden (SPD).