Hesse state election, 2003

  • Green: 12
  • SPD: 33
  • FDP: 9
  • CDU: 56

The elections to the 16th Hessian Parliament took place on 2 February 2003. The election result was significantly influenced by federal policy. As a result, the CDU achieved its best Hessian state election result ever, reaching there to date only time an absolute majority of parliamentary seats. The SPD, however, posted its worst result, she had to date in state elections in this state.

Initial situation

In the previous state election in 1999, the CDU reached surprisingly high profits and, together with the FDP, a majority of seats. The only slight gains of the SPD were offset by gains of 4.2 % through the CDU. So it came as a result to form a government of a CDU / FDP coalition. Became new prime minister Roland Koch ( CDU).

Opinion polls before the election predicted a confirmation of the CDU - FDP coalition. Were projected losses of the SPD and the CDU slight gains that would remain but probably dependent on the FDP as a coalition partner.

Top candidates

The CDU joined with Prime Minister Koch as the leading candidate. Rival candidate of the SPD under Gerhard Bökel.

The Greens go traditional with a double peak in the election campaign. Evelin Schönhut wedge and Tarek Al- Wazir led to the Greens list. For the FDP Minister Ruth Wagner served as the top candidate.

An incoming parties

The following parties were nationwide to choose from:

  • CDU - Christian Democratic Union of Germany
  • SPD - Social Democratic Party of Germany
  • GREEN - Alliance 90/The Greens
  • FDP - Free Democratic Party
  • REP - REP
  • The Animal Protection Party - Human Environment Animal Welfare
  • THE WOMEN - Feminist Party WOMEN
  • PBC - Party Shaker Bible Christians
  • DKP - German Communist Party
  • ödp - Ecological- Democratic Party
  • BüSo - Civil Rights Movement Solidarity
  • FAG Hesse - FAG airport expansion opponent Hesse
  • PSG - Socialist Equality Party, Section of the Fourth International
  • Schill - party right Staatlicher offensive

In some circles about competed out:

  • Unemployed
  • Pescheck
  • Schülbe, Hans -Jürgen
  • SAV - Socialist Alternative
  • UFFBASSE - Independent Group, Free Citizen - Upright, spontaneous, subculture, Headstrong
  • W. Ruppert- directly - - Wolf -Reiner Ruppert

Electioneering

The election campaign was marked by the following topics: The CDU presented particularly the school policy and security policy in the center of their campaigning. In order to implement the promised in the previous election campaign lessons guarantee the government had created 3,000 new teaching jobs. Even the police and judiciary personnel were significantly strengthened. Exposed was also massively lowered the number of escaped prisoners. The high number of outbreaks in the reign of the Red-Green had been subject during the previous election campaign. The SPD continued the CDU funding scandal, during which Cook first " brutally possible enlightenment" promised but had not told at a press conference on 10 January 2000, despite repeated requests, the backdating of a credit agreement. Therefore, the SPD accused Koch of lying. ( Had contributed to the electoral victory of Gerhard Schröder ) In the final phase of the election campaign, the SPD also conducted the theme Iraq war again into the field.

The election campaign was again overshadowed by federal political influences (see: Election analysis).

Official final result

The state government consisted of a single CDU - led government of Prime Minister Roland Koch since the election.

Choice analysis

The results of the elections were an unprecedented disaster for the SPD. With 10.3% loss ( 5.4% gain for the Union), the SPD was the clear choice losers. The fact that the losses in the concurrent elections in Lower Saxony harder precipitated with 14.5%, as a sign that was largely viewed that the federal policy have decided the election. The research group elections determined that there had never been given such a high displacement between the major parties. 44% of respondents said that federal political reasons for them were either critical. The policies of the SPD -Green government was assessed by -1 on the scale from 5 to -5.

But the country's policies contributed their part to the election result. While the CDU / FDP government has been assessed in Hesse with 1.0, the SPD opposition came to -0.1.

Consequences

Hesse

Although the CDU had won a slim majority of seats in parliament, offered Roland Koch, the FDP to a continuation of the previous coalition. Since the FDP rejected this offer, a one-party government of the CDU was formed (Cabinet Koch II). Roland Koch was elected prime minister again on 5 April 2003.

Nevertheless, the new government sought to continue to include the FDP in the practical work. Thus the government district president of Darmstadt, Gerold Dieke (FDP ) left in the office and agreed a Christian-Liberal coalition in planning Ballungsraum Frankfurt / Rhine- Main.

About Hesse addition

The election result was widely interpreted as a lesson for the federal government Schröder. According to surveys from infrastruc test were 62% of respondents believe that the federal government had earned a lesson, because they have broken election promises.

As a direct result of the election results in Hesse and Lower Saxony, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder decided in his government declaration of 14 March 2003 to announce its labor market reforms under the title of Agenda 2010.

Occupational structure of the members of the Hesse Landtag

Among the 110 members of the 16th Hessian Parliament following professions were represented:

Landtag of Hesse Hesse state election, 1999 Tarek Al-Wazir Human Environment Animal Protection Party of Bible-abiding Christians Lower Saxony state election, 2003 Darmstadt (region)
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