Hamburg state election, 2008

• Left: 8
• GAL: 12
• SPD: 45
• CDU: 56

The election for the 19th Hamburg Parliament was held on 24 February 2008.

• 3.1 turnout and counting
• 3.2 age factor
• 3.3 Losses in the GAL

• 4.1 Parliamentary committees of inquiry ( PUA)

• 5.1 Basic conditions
• 5.2 Black -Green negotiations
• 5.3 Negotiations for a grand coalition

• 6.1 1 Senate ( von Beust )
• 6.2 second Senate ( Ahlhaus )

Final result

According to the official results on 5 March 2008 established the national list vote is split as follows:

Initial situation

At the last state election in 2004, the CDU won an absolute majority of seats. The state government consisted of a CDU - party government under the leadership of Mayor Ole von Beust.

The official result of the election on February 29, 2004 was as follows:

The turnout in 2004 was 68.7 %.

Voters in 2008 in Hamburg

At the Hamburg Parliament election 2008 1.236.671 people were eligible to vote. This was 21,736 more than in 2004. For the District Assembly elections of 2008, around 65,000 living in Hamburg people from the other 26 Member States of the European Union were also entitled to vote.

Changes in the electoral law

After three election law changes between the June 13, 2004 and July 4, 2007, the seats were on 24 February 2008, the first distributed among the citizens of a new electoral law. In the elections to the country list the electorate as before had a voice. In the constituency, but they were now five voices available that they could distribute to multiple Candidates ( Vote-splitting ) or ridging ( cumulating ).

Under the new electoral law were occupied from the national lists and assign 71 of the results in the newly formed 17 constituencies of the 121 citizenship mandates 50. Since the Hamburger constituencies vary in size, moved out of these 17 constituencies, each between three and five direct candidates ( = constituency candidates) in the Hamburg citizenry.

Surveys

The table contains the results of surveys carried out before the elections from different vendors.

Since the surveys of classical opinion research institutes only refer to the state lists, were also created by election.de on 2 and 16 February 2008 for Hamburg forecasts regarding the constituency seats in the 17 constituencies.

Choice analysis

Turnout and counting

The turnout in 2008 was 63.5 % ( 63.5 % state list constituency list 63.4 %) (although in over 21,000 additional voters ) Thus, it was not only lower than in the 2004 election at the 68.7 % of eligible voters took part, but it was also the so far lowest turnout in a state election ( previously in 1991 with 66.1 %). The proportion of the votes through postal votes increased from 12.4 % (2004) to 15.2 % of the electorate, or 188 209 votes cast (based on the state lists in favor).

At the same time, the proportion of invalid votes fell in the national list vote from 1.3% to 1% ( 7,712 invalid votes ). The new constituency lists, however (invalid constituency ballot 4.1% in the District Assembly election ) the percentage of invalid votes was higher with 3.4%.

Since the original target using a digital election pens for choice with their new voting system did not take place in the short term, the votes were tallied by hand, as usual, and among other things, the number of poll workers increased from 11,000 to about 15,500. In the manual count should first after the polls closed, the regional and district list ballots are counted (each with one vote ) and in the following days the constituency ballot for citizenship and District Assembly. Nevertheless, it was variously to difficulties in counting, so only a partial result could be determined on election night. The preliminary official results could be announced by the National Election Office until Wednesday evening, February 27th.

Age factor

Already on election night had SPD's top candidate Michael Naumann noted that the election results strongly depended on the age of the voters. According to the official evaluation of the Statistical Office of Hamburg and Schleswig -Holstein, the CDU came out only in the over 60 year old voters over 36 percent. The original target CDU - FDP coalition reached there alone an independent majority of 57.3 %. However, since on average involved many retirees in the election, the outcome of the state election by the votes of the age group of 60 years was chosen.

The vote share of red-green contrast fluctuated voters in the age groups 18-59 years, between 49.6 % (35 - to 44 -year-old ) and 55.6 % (18 - to 24 -year-old, 50.0 % at 25 - to 34 - and 45 - to 59 -year-olds ), so that red-green could achieve an independent majority votes in three of the existing five age groups, as well as darunterlag in the fourth only 0.4 %.

The already before the election by the media heavily themed option Black-Green reached arrived at by adding the voting in two of the five age groups ( 35-44 years: 51.7 %, from 60: 56.9%) a majority.

SPD and the Left Party reached together with the 45 - to 59 -year-olds a vote share of 49.2 %.

Losses in the GAL

Where the GAL had lost votes compared to 2004, they still went primarily to the SPD and more to the left. This was on the left wing of the party of the Greens associated with the decision not completely reject a coalition with the CDU, which left GAL voters have scared; Der Spiegel wrote about this after the election that 76 per cent of Greens voters saw as the left, a larger share than for voters of the Left Party was. Nevertheless, the GAL in the first four months of 2008 saw more than one- outlets.

Citizenship of the 19th legislature

See also: Hamburg Parliament, List of citizenship President, list of MdHB

The first meeting of the new citizenship took place on March 12, 2008. Chaired by the oldest member Elke Thomas was again Berndt Röder (CDU ) as President and as Barbara Duden (SPD), elected First Vice President of the Hamburg Parliament. On 24 February 2010 the deputy Lutz Mohaupt (independent / CDU fraction) was to succeed the retiring President Röder citizenship.

The citizenry comprises 121 deputies. Since July 2010, a deputy heard (originally SPD group ) at no more parliamentary group. The individual members ( in part also changes that were not taken or dormant mandates, retired deputies, etc.) are in the list of members of the Hamburg Parliament ( 19th Term).

Parliamentary committees of inquiry ( PUA)

The recording instrument of citizenship against the Senate, the establishment of a parliamentary committee of inquiry was made for use in the 19th legislature. Together with the State of Schleswig -Holstein, the Investigative Committee HSH Nordbank ( 39 PUA since 1946) was used to investigate the circumstances of the crisis of the common Landesbank. He was succeeded in 2010 appointed Parliamentary Inquiry " Elbe Philharmonic Hall " to the inconsistencies in the context of the construction project.

Government formation

Basic conditions

The date alone ruling CDU lost its absolute majority. The FDP was once again failed at the five-percent hurdle. Although the gains of the SPD exceeded the losses of the GAL and both together received more seats than the CDU, they could not form a government. Since the election of the first mayor's approval of more than 50 percent of the deputies is necessary, that majority for the SPD and the GAL could have been reached only with the votes of the Left Party. The latter had been announced before the election and afterwards confirmed to want to choose red-green without active participation in a coalition government as a minority government into office, provided that the SPD would accept and implement the basic requirements of the emergency program of the Left. However, this theoretical possibility was eliminated due to the categorical refusal Naumann to seek tolerate from the left.

Black and green negotiations

The CDU had declared himself as the strongest party to the election winner and took for himself the order to form a government claim. Conversations with GAL and SPD were announced. Medial has been repeatedly emphasized in advance of the election, the possibility of the first black -green coalition on a national scale as Mayor von Beust had announced such a confront openly. The Green Party National Chairman Roth stressed that the coalition decision is for the national association and that they would not refuse talks with the CDU. The General Assembly of the GAL had spoken strongly for an exploratory discussion with the CDU, after GAL- State leader Anja Hajduk had said at the meeting vote to reject non-binding exploratory talks with the CDU could the GAL be interpreted as weakness. On 6 March, the leaders of the CDU and GAL spoke out in applications to their respective party committees for the inclusion of coalition negotiations. The country's general meeting of the GAL agreed the evening of March 6, partly fierce debate for the inclusion of coalition negotiations with the CDU.

The deputy leader of the Greens in the Bundestag Christian Ströbele spoke after the GAL decision for coalition negotiations with the CDU of "significant abdominal pain ", as the Greens / GAL could not be reduced to a purely environmental Party and therefore far more substantive differences between GAL and CDU would find, as would be bridged by means of tactical compromises the power station moorland castle or in the school policy; without wanting to Hamburg GAL make rules, but he looked just like Trittin far greater substantive similarities between GAL and the Left Party, while a coalition with the CDU constitutes a departure from the " fundamental character " of the Greens.

On 17 April 2008, the CDU and the Greens agreed in principle on a coalition agreement. There is nothing more that still needed to be clarified in a large group, said the GAL internal expert Antje Möller. After completion of the coalition negotiations, Ole von Beust was chosen by the Hamburg Parliament again to the Lord Mayor on May 7, 2008. With 69 of 121 votes ( 52 votes against and no abstentions ), he was so at least one vote from the ranks of the opposition. The members appointed by him, members of the black - green Senate were jointly by the citizenry (see: Senate von Beust III) confirms, however, received only 67 votes ( 68 seats of the CDU and GAL).

Negotiations on a grand coalition

Also possible after the election result was a grand coalition; accordingly were held exploratory talks between the CDU and the SPD.

Senate Education

See also: Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, First and Second Mayor

1 Senate ( von Beust )

On 7 May 2008, the citizenship Ole von Beust, First Mayor and re-elected to the President of the Senate. While still in 2001 and 2004 did not receive all possible votes of the governing parties of Beust him now, 69 of the 121 deputies her voice. Since the CDU had 56 GAL about 12 seats, probably descended one from the opposition camp. The Ole von Beust appointed to the Senate senators (Senate von Beust III ) received less than expected in the joint confirmation by the citizenry with 67 votes and 54 votes against. After the resignation of Finance Senator Michael Freytag elected with all votes of the CDU / GAL seats in the Senate on 31 March 2010 Carsten Frigge took over the finance department.

On 18 July 2010, a referendum was held on school reform in Hamburg, which went out in favor of the citizens' initiative and spoke out against the bill by the Senate and all parties citizenship. Before the end of voting Mayor Ole von Beust his, as well as the resignation of Senator Karin von Welck (independent, President of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Media ) and the State Council Volkmar Beautiful with effect from August 25 announced. He explained that he no longer wanted to compete after a long political activity in 2012 and he had not held a previous resignation in the face to dissolving problems and crises for justifiable. The former interior minister Christoph Ahlhaus was proposed by him as his successor. On July 23, also offered Senator Axel Gedaschko that he no longer wanted to be a new appointment to the Senate are available, as he had previously informed the Mayor weeks that he strive for a new professional challenge.

2 Senate ( Ahlhaus )

Was elected First Mayor 25 August 2010 Christoph Ahlhaus by 70 votes ( 2 from the opposition). Since constitutionally the term of office of the old Senate ended with the resignation of Ole von Beust, who was appointed by Ahlhaus Senate was (Senate Ahlhaus ) in the same session of the citizenry with the previous Senate members and the new Praesides the Interior, Economic and Cultural Office in secret confirmed choice. Here, however, voted at least four deputies of the CDU and GAL against the government.

On 24 November 2010 Finance Senator Carsten Frigge during the presentation of his budget plan for 2011 ( one of the greatest austerity budgets of the city) in the citizenry his resignation and remained provisional for a few days in office. For election of a senator, there was, however, no longer, as on 28 November 2010, the GAL told that it ends the coalition with the CDU and aspiring elections.

On 29 November, the mayor dismissed on the three senators from the GAL, including the Deputy Mayor Christa Goetsch. The following day the rest of the Senate decided ( minority government ) a new distribution of portfolios among the remaining members of the Senate.

Constituencies and mandates

Top candidates and independent candidates

• Top candidate of the SPD was Michael Naumann.
• Leader of GAL was Christa Goetsch.
• Top candidate of the FDP was Hinnerk jib.
• Top candidate of the Left was Dora Heyenn.

• The Alliance for Health, Peace and Social Justice joined only by a single person. Both on the national list as well as in the constituency Rother Tree Harvestehude -Eimsbuettel East to Gesine Freytag applied.
• Top candidate of the Party of Labour, law, animal welfare, promotion of elite and grassroots initiative was the entertainer and author Heinz Strunk (née Mathias Half Pape ).
• Top candidate of the German People's Union was Matthias Faust. Despite a financially demanding election campaign, it generated only 0.8 %; although this is the best result of a not represented in the Bundestag party in this election represents.
• Top candidate of The Grey - Grey Panther was Maud Ranger Guthau. The horror had against the former election in which they received 1.1%, plug in significant losses and reached 0.3%. It was the last election participation of the party.
• Top candidate of mid rights hometown of Hamburg was the former Hamburg Senator of Justice Roger Kusch. With Bodo Adolphi Theodor Friedrich Reinhold Adolphi and JW Schaube are among the candidates also three former deputies of the citizenry to 2007 existing party rights Interstate Offensive (also known as Schill party known). Despite the popularity of the founder, Roger Kusch and the corresponding media attention that has been given to the party since its founding in 2006, the election result was below their expectations, which is why they broke up a half months later.
• Leader of Ecological- Democratic Party was Verena Haeggberg. The party grew by about 300 votes, and thus end the ongoing downward trend since 2006 in state elections against the election of 2004.
• Top candidate of the Pirate Party of Germany was Bernhard Schillo.
• Top candidate of the pogo party was Vincent Burmeister.
• Top candidate of the German Center Party was Dirk cam man, who until 2004 was Hamburg's Senator of 2003. In addition to cam man stood as candidates with Norbert Fruehauf, Peter- Alexander von der Marwitz and Peter Lorkowski three other former officials or deputies to 2007 existing party rights Interstate offensive ( Schill party ).

The constituency association and the party rainbow DM Pro 2004 1.1, or 3.1 % of the vote achieved in the last election, in 2007, broke up and were thus not in parliamentary election.

• Ingo Böttcher in the constituency Billstedt- William Castle -Finkenwerder
• Lothar Hilmer in the constituency Wandsbek
• Harry Schaub in the constituency Bramfeld - Farmsen -Berne
• Marouf Shadab in the constituency Billstedt- William Castle -Finkenwerder
• Torsten Wrage in the constituency Barmbek- Uhlenhorst - Dulsberg