North Rhine-Westphalia state election, 2005
- SPD: 74
- Green: 12
- CDU: 89
- FDP: 12
Initial situation
In the previous state election in 2000, the SPD came to 42.8 per cent ( 102 seats) and the CDU to 37 percent (88 seats). Also represented in Parliament, the FDP were 9.8 percent (24 seats) and the Greens at 7.1 per cent ( 17 seats). SPD and the Greens formed a coalition government afterwards, first under Wolfgang Clement, later Peer Steinbrück.
On 3 February 2004 a new version of the constituency Act was passed. As a result, reduces the number of MPs by 20 to 181 of 201 previously that the constituencies from 151 to 128
An incoming parties and candidates
There were 1343 candidates, including 273 women, in the election. These candidates were distributed among 22 different parties: SPD, CDU, FDP, Greens, REP, PDS, PBC, The Animal Protection Party, BüSo, NPD, ödp, BGD, independent citizens, Independent candidates, GRAY, WASG The PARTY, center, UAP, ÖkoLi, offensive D, LD and AMP. But direct candidates in all 128 constituencies had only the SPD, CDU, FDP, Greens, REP and WASG erected.
Top candidate was the leader of the opposition in the parliament Jürgen Rüttgers for the SPD of the incumbent prime minister, Peer Steinbrück and the CDU.
Electioneering
During the election campaign were with the CDU and the SPD, the two major parties as the main competitors against. It had also formed, two camps: The FDP together with the CDU, on the other hand, the Greens with the SPD.
The election campaign was fixated on the two top candidates. The televised speech wore two duels of the counterparties.
The governing coalition of SPD and Greens were in early 2005, in polls ahead of the opposition. In the spring, the result was reversed, so that now the CDU and FDP were forward. This advantage could hold until the election of the opposition. In contrast to the party preferences Peer Steinbrück was in surveys with respect to a direct election of candidates Jürgen Rüttgers.
The aim of the CDU and FDP was to jointly settle the red-green government coalition (and thus at the same time to end the 39 -year-long participation in the government of the SPD ), while SPD and the Greens wanted to continue it. In view of the upcoming parliamentary elections, the conservative- bourgeois camp saw a kind of signaling effect before all things; the SPD continued due to the unfavorable polls more on the person, Peer Steinbrück.
The main issues of the campaign were the coal - mining subsidies, wind energy, high unemployment and education issues.
The NRW SPD had distributed promotional materials with Peer Steinbrück's likeness and signature in this election, was to be read on those that the SPD continues to favor a toll- free studies, while the CDU wanted to introduce tuition fees. At the same time studying for long-term students in NRW was chargeable, which ran over the normal period and a half times or were in a second degree.
Official final result
- Eligible voters: 13,230,366
- Voters: 8,333,363
- Turnout: 62.99 %
- Valid Votes: 8,244,014
Accordingly, the CDU receives three overhang seats, the SPD will get three compensatory seats.
Consequences
North Rhine -Westphalia
A few days after the election, the CDU and FDP began negotiations to form a coalition. Negotiations have been conducted on CDU page Rüttgers on FDP side of Wolf and the state chairman Pinkwart. After a comparatively short time the draft coalition agreement was presented to the public on 17 June 2005. On June 18, an FDP party convention approved the contract unanimously, a CDU regional party with only one vote against and one abstention; The contract was signed on June 20.
Already on 8 June, the new state parliament of North Rhine- Westphalia had been constituted and elected Regina van Dinther to its President. On June 22, Jürgen Rüttgers was in parliament with 99 of 187 votes ( abstentions: 1, No: 87; CDU and FDP put together 101 MPs) elected and sworn in as prime minister. Since 24 June officiated the Cabinet Rüttgers; on July 6, the new ministers were officially sworn in Parliament.
Federal policy
The election night
The election night on May 22, 2005, marked in a special way by the federal policy. As a consequence of the election defeat in NRW first announced half an hour after the polls closed SPD leader Franz Müntefering and a short time later, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, to seek a new election of the Bundestag for the fall. The transfer of power in North Rhine -Westphalia occurred in media coverage completely in the background, which was very unusual for an election this meaning.
The days after the election
Chancellor Gerhard Schröder announced on election night, to put the question of confidence in the Bundestag. Since these as anticipated a negative response and the Bundestag was dissolved by the Federal President, the elections to the 16th German Bundestag a year earlier than planned was held on 18 September 2005. On May 25, 2005, the SPD Board met with Harald Schartau back as state chairman at the top. Immediately after the election Schartau had ruled out a withdrawal for themselves.
After this announcement, accelerated the political processes regarding the candidates and programs at the parties. The CDU attracted the notice of Chancellor candidates on 30 May 2005. The FDP coalition made a statement in favor of the CDU, while SPD and the Greens mitt rushed, without such to go into the election campaign. The left of the SPD positioned itself Oskar Lafontaine, who brought a left-wing alliance between the WASG and PDS into the game and also reached.