Hesse state election, 2008

• Left: 6
• SPD: 42
• Green: 9
• FDP: 11
• CDU: 42

The elections to the 17th Hessian Parliament were held on January 27, 2008 simultaneously with the state elections in Lower Saxony. After failed negotiations to form a government, Parliament was dissolved on 19 November 2008 by request of all parties by the agreement of all 110 members of the Landtag. The consequent need to re-election was held on 18 January 2009.

• 3.1 state election 2003
• 3.2 surveys
• 3.3 Projections

• 5.1 Voting Machines

• 7.1 candidate lists
• 7.2 programs

Official final result

Entitled to vote for state elections were 4,370,463 people. The turnout was 64.3 percent, the number of voters at 2,811,073. In the state legislature five parties were elected, all other parties failed due to the five-percent hurdle.

As the largest party, the CDU was 36.8 % in the elections out, closely followed by the SPD 36.7 %, however, both parties were given the same number of each 42 seats in the parliament of Hesse. The result meant a loss of votes in the double-digit range for the CDU. The SPD succeeded with their top candidate Andrea Ypsilanti, to compensate for the historic low of 2003. First time it was the Left Party, in this election in Hesse as well as at the same day carried out state elections in Lower Saxony in 2008 to move into the state parliament of a West German state area.

The elected members are listed in the list of members of the Hesse Landtag (17th Term).

Failed to form a government

Coalition negotiations

Shortly after the state election indicated that the formation of a majority coalition capable would be problematic. Because of 110 votes are needed for a majority in the parliament at least 56, form a majority for the CDU or SPD either only with the votes of each of two small groups or in a grand coalition was possible. For all conceivable situations, however, had their coalition intentions expressed in the election campaign violate at least one of the parties.

In the coalition agreement, the following so-called Cabinet Ypsilanti was negotiated:

Environmental and ecological issues were left to the Greens, the set provided in the campaign for a propagated energy revolution, Hermann Scheer as Minister of Economics. Jürgen Walter as intra-party opponent Ypsilanti failed to win the Cabinet formation. On November 3, the day before the scheduled election Ypsilanti's prime minister, announced alongside Dagmar Metzger, who had already refused to agree longer publicly, with Jürgen Walter, Carmen Everts and Silke Tesch three other members of the SPD faction Ypsilanti support on. Ypsilanti therefore stepped to the election the next day no longer present, the formation of the red-green minority government had failed.

Managing state government

The inaugural meeting of the Hessian Landtag for the 17th legislative session was held on April 5, 2008. Because no one asked for the post of prime minister for election in 2003 formed the CDU state government remained under the leadership of Prime Minister Roland Koch - although formally resigned - business leader in office. Article 113 of the Hessian constitution provides that an incumbent state government official business leads ahead until a workable new government is formed. Even after the premature end of the 17th legislative period, the government remained until the inaugural session of the 18th Hessian State Parliament on 5 February 2009, when Koch was elected by a majority of the CDU and FDP again as prime minister, business leader in office.

Initial situation

4.37 million Hessian citizens were eligible to vote, 35,000 more than in the regional elections of 2003. Nearly a third of the electorate was 60 years or older. The proportion of women was 51.7 %. The 18 to 24 year old young voters had a share of 9%. 106,000 Hesse were allowed for the first time to vote.

State election 2003

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

In the state elections in 2003, the CDU had reached the absolute majority of seats. The state government had consisted of a CDU - party government led by Prime Minister Roland Koch.

Turnout: 64.6 %

Surveys

The opinion polls predicted a loss of the absolute majority of the CDU. Whether CDU and FDP together would get a majority, was uncertain. The key cutting off the party should be The Left, which was seen in the polls between 4% and 6%.

Extrapolations

The election night initially began hopefully in the ARD for the SPD and Greens, as they were predicted more than two seats together for the CDU and FDP. The Left Party was at that time to 4.7 percent and only seemed little chance of reaching to have. ZDF saw already at this time no majority for red-green, confirming more and more in the course of election night. The other extrapolations of both transmitters were so scarce that only the last grossing almost the same time was able to depict the relationship of forces between the CDU and the SPD with the preliminary official results. For a long time, the Left Party was measured at 5.0 percent, so that their collection was questionable.

Candidates, election programs and coalition statements

Central themes of the campaign were juvenile, minimum wages, education policy, energy policy and the planned airport expansion Rhein- Main. 17 parties have been authorized by the State Election Commission on 30 November 2007:

Verification

Against the validity of the election were directed several objections. The Verification court rejected these objections and declared the election valid. The alleged allegations, Kassel OB Bertram Hilgen had with his campaign commitment violated his duty of neutrality, was considered by the Scrutiny of Elections court as little as entitled as the accusation, film and photo bans in the polling station had violated the principle of the public nature of elections. As an option error, however, the transfer of voting machines was considered before the end of the election at 18:00. This error would, however, had no effect on the distribution of seats in the parliament.

Voting machines

For the first time translated the eight cities and towns, a so-called electronic voting machines for approximately 100,000 eligible voters. These will replace the voting with a ballot paper. Immediately after the election of the Chaos Computer Club reported to various irregularities. So in part, the voting machines used are not stored as required, but had been placed with election officials, were at times completely without supervision or did not work. Election observers were obstructed. The CCC spokesman Dirk Engling said: " The storage of voting machines overnight at home with local politicians is the nightmare scenario for an inner culprit manipulation, also according to the logic of the Hessian Ministry of the Interior. So have something even we can not imagine. " The Hessian state election officer Hann Appel sees no need for a repeat of votes. An urgent application against the use of voting machines rejected the Hessian State Supreme Court from before the election.