North Rhine-Westphalia state election, 2010

  • Left: 11
  • SPD: 67
  • Green: 23
  • CDU: 67
  • FDP: 13

The election of the state parliament of North Rhine -Westphalia the 15th legislature was held on May 9, 2010. It led to the separation of the formed after the 2005 parliamentary elections the CDU / FDP government under Prime Minister Jürgen Rüttgers (CDU ) by an SPD-Green minority government under Prime Minister Hannelore Kraft (SPD).

The CDU lost more than 10 percentage points in the vote; it was 34.6 percent, just the largest party ahead of the SPD, which was 2.6 percentage points losses ( see chart) to 34.5 percent. For the CDU, it was the worst result so far at a North Rhine-Westphalia state election; the SPD cut so badly as since 1954 no more. The Greens achieved with 12.1 % of the vote to her today (as of 2012 election ) the best results in North Rhine- Westphalia, they doubled their share almost. The FDP improved slightly to 6.7% of the vote. The left moved with 5.6% for the first time in the state legislature. CDU and SPD won 67 of 181 parliamentary seats each, Alliance 90/The Greens won 23, the FDP 13 and The Left 11 seats.

Thus, there was neither a parliament nor a red-green - yellow black nor a black-green majority. After lengthy exploratory talks between the parties, the SPD and Greens joined on 10 July 2010 coalition agreement to form a minority government, whose Prime Minister of the State Parliament Hannelore Kraft elected on 14 July 2010 at the second ballot. As their 2012 draft budget on 14 March 2012 was no majority in the parliament, the parliament decided its dissolution, which resulted in the election of a new parliament on 13 May 2012.

Initial situation

In the state elections in 2005, the CDU had come to 44.8 percent (89 seats). You could then take over the SPD after 39 years by a coalition government with the FDP, Jürgen Rüttgers the government.

The parliamentary elections in 2009 resulted in a federal government of CDU / CSU and FDP. Also in the Bundesrat were countries with governments of the CDU, CSU and FDP before the state election in North Rhine -Westphalia a majority. With the election in North Rhine -Westphalia this Federal majority could be lost for the government parties.

Participating parties

To be able to compete in the regional elections, had all the parties that are not already represented in the federal or state parliament, collect at least 1,000 signatures and submit to 22 March 2010 at the Land Returning Officer. A total of 25 parties have therefore participated with country lists in the election (listed with the respective top candidates ):

A total of 29 parties or electoral alliances regional lists were submitted to the Land Returning Officer. The party Westfalen renounced despite sufficient signatures of support by its own account on a list candidacy and occurred only in selected constituencies with direct candidates. She pulled her country list before the meeting of Landeswahlauschusses on 30 March 2010 back on the lists of the following parties were rejected: Citizens Party for " All " (BPA ), Liberal Democrats - the Social Liberal Party (LD), Social Center - Party for middle class and social justice. These three groups were still able to compete with direct candidates where district electoral commissions had already approved the applications submitted by them constituency nominations.

The German Party and the Social Justice Party ( SG) could not collect 1,000 signatures had ceased their list candidacy before the admission period and also occurred only with some direct candidates. In addition, participating with one or two constituency candidates at the state election: the German Communist Party ( DKP), the Ecological Left ( ÖkoLinX ) and the Independent Labour Party (UAP ).

Electioneering

State Political Issues

Important issue in the election campaign was the education and training policy. In education system tests such as PISA, the education system of Nordrhein-Westfalen was attested no special performance. The CDU wanted to hold on to the existing three -tier school system. The FDP aimed at merging the main, real and comprehensive schools to a middle school where children should be taught together until the seventh grade. CDU and FDP pointed out that it had succeeded in her reign, reduce absenteeism and increase teaching jobs significantly. The main opposition parties, the SPD, Left and Green sought in various forms of community schools. CDU and FDP wanted to basically hold on to the tuition and at the same time strengthen the scholarship programs in the country. Green, SPD and Left argued for the abolition of tuition fees.

The CDU was confronted several times during the election campaign with allegations about their party financing. The " sponsorship scandal " was triggered by the suspicion that companies could have purchased meetings with the Prime Minister Rüttgers. The federal government established after examination of the allegations laid no violation of the law on political parties. Shortly before the election, the CDU was alleged to have financed concealed in a non-partisan state elections occurring outward communications agency. The Agency initiated a voter initiative called " voters for the change ", which in turn soliciting money in order to finance supposedly non-partisan newspaper advertisements in which voters for the election Rüttgers ' speaking out. These and other negative headlines were for the CDU " we -in- nrw " published by the blog. The blog was here evidently supplied with information from the control loop, the NRW - CDU. The authors of the blog posts mostly remained anonymous. The CDU therefore speculated that she was subjected to a concerted campaign of defamation.

Federal Political Issues

In addition to the national policy issues and federal policy issues and trends played a major role in the election campaign. The election in North Rhine -Westphalia could lead to a loss of the majority of the CDU / FDP coalitions in the Federal Council, so that the federal government could not implement as planned some planned projects. Due to the size of North Rhine -Westphalia, but the country also has a large informal influence on federal policy. Often the choice because of their importance was also referred to as "small federal election ." Political commentators had pointed out that voters could use the state election to express their dissatisfaction with the since about half a year incumbent federal government. The determined by the Demoskopie satisfaction with the federal government reached new lows before the election in North Rhine -Westphalia. In the Sunday question very low values ​​were measured at the last general election result determined especially for the FDP. The following federal issues were a particular focus in North Rhine-Westphalia election campaign or had special meaning:

  • Particularly Greens and the SPD pointed out that the controversial examined by CDU and FDP extension of the nuclear cycle could be effectively blocked by a change of majority in the Bundesrat. The action and human chain of crumbs after Brunsbuttel showed just before the state election, that the issue of nuclear power was still capable of mobilizing large numbers of people.
  • Just before the election, the Greek financial crisis came to a head. The planned aid in the billions for Greece and the handling of the federal government with the crisis was extremely unpopular in parts of the German population.
  • The tax and budget plans of the federal government should be given concrete until after the state election. The federal government justified this by saying first to want to wait for the tax estimate was not available until three days before the election. Numerous journalists and opposition parties speculated, however, that these plans should be announced targeted only after the state election, in order not to lose voters. Many political observers assumed that due to the difficult budget situation as a result of the financial crisis a profound tax reform as of the FDP favors would not be possible, but on the contrary it could be implemented in view of the upcoming debt ceiling to large spending cuts. The credibility of the federal government had to suffer because of this information policy.
  • Especially the Left campaigned with several explicit federal policy issues for votes. Your criticism of the social legislation of the Federal Government, the critical attitude to the oligopoly of large energy companies, the consequences of the financial crisis and the criticism of the Afghanistan mission of the Bundeswehr were strong theme of the party. The top candidates of the major parties Rüttgers and force warned during the election campaign on changes to the social security legislation and distanced themselves in parts of the controversial Hartz IV legislation. The theme of " jobs " was considered in addition to the education and training policy as one of the most important issues in the election campaign, although the labor market policy falls mostly within the jurisdiction of the federal policy. SPD, Greens and Left want to work towards the introduction of a minimum wage, the CDU and FDP refuse.

Coalition statements

With the increasing establishment of the Left Party in the old federal states shows that five-party parliaments in future increasingly be the norm and the shrunken in their faction strength of major political parties more than ever on coalitions with one or more parties could rely. The trend could form a government more difficult, and thus lead to coalition variants that have been rarely taken into account by the shrinking of the political parties and the increasing blurring of the traditional camp. Coalition statements and fixings have therefore received a special meaning before the election.

The CDU wanted to continue the coalition government with the FDP. Top candidate Rüttgers stressed to want no alliance with the Greens, but concluded this and all other coalition options not expressly made ​​.

The FDP wanted to continue the coalition with the CDU. According to state convention decision, the party stands for coalitions with the SPD or Greens not available due to their willingness in principle to hold talks with the left.

The SPD did without a resolution adopted at a congress or any other party committee coalition statement. But stated aim of the top candidate Hannelore Kraft was the formation of a red-green coalition. The formation of a coalition with the Left joined the SPD not final. Hannelore Kraft stressed, however, that neither the Left " government- coalition still able" and they did not want to form a coalition with the left. The model of tolerance of a SPD / Green coalition with the Left rule out force.

The national party council of the Greens spoke out against a " Jamaica " coalition with the CDU and FDP and against the toleration of a red- green alliance with the Left Party. All other constellations talked openly the countryside.

The Country Representative of the Left, Wolfgang Zimmermann, the willingness of the Left announced to participate in a coalition with the SPD and the Greens. An election Hannelore Kraft's prime minister was also told without preconditions as imaginable.

Based on the survey results and the coalition statements before the election, therefore the following coalitions appeared before the election fairly realistic:

  • A continuation of the CDU / FDP coalition
  • A new edition of the SPD / Greens coalition; a toleration of this coalition by the left is excluded.
  • A grand coalition of CDU and SPD
  • A coalition of CDU and Greens
  • A coalition of the SPD, Greens and Left.

Surveys

The opinion polls predicted a neck-and -neck race of the two political camps red-green and black and yellow just before the election. At CDU, SPD and FDP, there was no consistent trend in the multi-year comparison. Until a few months before the election, the CDU and FDP were the opposition of the SPD, however, in part, below 30%. The Left Party, whose predecessor parties WASG and PDS had competed separately in the last election and had failed each of the five-percent hurdle electoral gains and scarce catchment were forecast in the state legislature. The votes for the Greens recorded already from before. Of the other parties, the Pirate Party was according to a study published on 30 April 2010 survey conducted by the research group elections at three percent. For the right parties NPD, Pro NRW or the Republicans, no values ​​were reported.

The website election.de made ​​several constituency forecasts. After the last constituency forecast of 8 May 2010, the CDU and the SPD 59 69 constituencies would decide for themselves. In 2005, the CDU had won in 89 constituencies. The SPD would thus to gain 30 directly elected seats. The other parties did not receive any direct mandates according to this forecast.

The popularity of the incumbent Rüttgers as the leading candidate dropped in the polls ahead of the elections, but he was right to the end with most surveys in a direct comparison on a par with the SPD rival power or even in front of her.

See also: state election in North Rhine -Westphalia 2010/Umfragen and forecasts

Election result

The final official result of the state election in 2010 was found by the State Election Commission on May 21, 2010.

  • Eligible voters: 13,267,052
  • Voters: 7,870,412
  • Turnout: 59.32 %
  • Valid first votes: 7741955
  • Valid second votes: 7760546

The turnout was 59.3 percent, making it the after the state elections in 2000 second lowest in a state election in North Rhine -Westphalia. The future parliament has 181 seats. The directly elected seats in the 128 constituencies were exclusively of the SPD's candidate (61 directly elected seats ) and the CDU won (67 direct mandates ). There were no overhang seats, compensatory seats were therefore not necessary. The Diet had order the smallest possible after the election law number of members. A smaller parliament, it has never been undertaken in North Rhine -Westphalia. The CDU reached calculated as a percentage of the valid votes their worst election result so far of all state elections in North Rhine -Westphalia. The SPD reached only in 1947 and 1950, a smaller share of the vote. For the first time since the state election in 1950 moved to the left, a party in the Landtag, the profile of which is located to the left of the SPD. With the appearance of the left five groups were represented in the parliament again for the first time since the 1950 election. The CDU reached exactly which it is entitled by the second votes number of seats with 67 direct mandates. The national list of the CDU was thus for the distribution of seats without meaning. Prominent CDU state politicians who have no direct mandate won in their constituencies, such as Landtag President Regina van Dinther, the ex- state ministers Oliver Wittke and the country's Minister Roswitha Müller- Piepenkötter and Barbara Summer were therefore no longer represented in the 15th Parliament. For the SPD attracted six MPs over the national list in the state legislature. For all other elected into the parliament parties, the first votes were meaningless. Your elected officials moved all over the country lists of parties in parliament. For the members of the 15th Landtag see the "List of Members of the Landtag of North Rhine -Westphalia (15th Term) ".

As the continuation of the black-yellow government has not been possible, the majority lost the CDU / FDP governments after the formation of the new state government in the Bundesrat.

Coalition negotiations

Neither a remake of the black-yellow coalition (80 seats) or a red-green constellation ( 90 seats ) reached the required majority of 91 seats in the parliament. Only a grand coalition (134 seats), a traffic light or Jamaica coalition ( 103 seats each ) and a red-green- red coalition (101 seats) would have had a working majority in the parliament. More mathematically possible coalitions were not in the discussion. From the SPD a red- green-red coalition, a coalition of traffic lights or a grand coalition were thought possible, with the initial focus was on the formation of the two possible three coalitions.

The Prime Minister Jürgen Rüttgers sought a grand coalition or a Jamaica coalition. In the case of a grand coalition both power and Rüttgers complaint, the Office of the Prime Minister for themselves. Power on the basis that the equality of votes in the parliament and the high losses of the CDU ( approximately 1,000,000 votes less in comparison to the 2005 election ). Rüttgers stressed, however, that the CDU about 6,000 votes more than the SPD were omitted.

The Left Party accepted the invitation to hold talks with the SPD and the Greens. Then after a few contradictory statements explain the FDP ultimately, no longer wanting to speak with the SPD and Greens; However, the offer of negotiations latter to the FDP remained.

The first exploratory discussion of the SPD and the Greens on one side and the NRW left on the other side failed on May 20, 2010. As there was no further offer of talks with the FDP, initially also failed efforts to form a coalition " Red / Green Plus". Hannelore Kraft stated that they would offer the CDU Prime Minister Jürgen Rüttgers talks on the formation of a grand coalition. After three rounds of exploratory negotiations between SPD and CDU on 2 June 2010 were closed without any result. On 8 June 2010, exploratory talks between the SPD, Greens and FDP were taken after the FDP had given their rejection of talks with Greens and SPD again; However, this also failed. Renewed negotiations with the CDU to absorb a large coalition or an SPD-Green minority government closed Hannelore Kraft of the SPD, first, so that the SPD in opposition and in accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution for the state of North Rhine -Westphalia, Jürgen Rüttgers business leader in the Official remained. The Diet was constituted on 9 June 2010. MEPs elected in view of the uncertain political situation initially not a new parliament presidium, so that the Bureau of the previous parliament initially continued the corresponding tasks. On 13 July 2010 the deputies elected in the parliament Eckhard Uhlenberg (CDU ) to the Landtag president.

On 17 June 2010, the SPD and Greens decided to form a minority government after the then Deputy Prime Minister Andreas Pinkwart (FDP) had pointed out that the coalition agreement between the FDP and CDU was processed and business foundation for the continuation of the state government now mainly the state constitution be. Hannelore Kraft interpreted this as a fraction of the ruling coalition. On June 22, took the SPD and Greens coalition negotiations on the preparation of the minority government. Both included a toleration agreement with the Left Party further and announced that they would rely on changing parliamentary support for the enforcement of legislation. The coalition agreement was decided on July 10 at party. On 14 July 2010, Hannelore Kraft was elected by a simple majority for Prime Minister in the second round (see also Cabinet force I).

Reactions at the federal level

Besides the usual assessments of the election by political commentators and representatives of the federal parties especially the reaction of the German Chancellor was considered significant. Angela Merkel admitted that the policy of the Berlin government and the ruling parties had been cause for the significant loss of votes for the North Rhine- Westphalian CDU. Your announcement to suspend provisionally tax cuts until 2013 and, instead, to give the Tax Simplification and the fiscal consolidation priority to bring political commentators in direct relationship with the end of the campaign, to be interpreted as a lesson for the Berlin government election, and with the new majority in the Bundesrat. The planned tax cuts had been addressed in the state election campaign especially after the unfavorable tax estimate over again; by the opposition parties they were criticized in the violent and represented given the tense state finances as untrustworthy.

Choice analysis

The first analyzes made after the election of voting showed that voters had made their decision mainly due to country policy issues. For 41 percent of voters in the policy covenant had been decisive, however, held 55 percent of the policy in North Rhine -Westphalia more important. Only 15 percent of surveyed voters said to have issued with their choice decision the black-yellow government a lesson. As a relevant topic was mentioned by 78 percent of the respondents of the research group elections especially the future school system. Other important issues in the voting decision were according to these figures, the Greece / Euro crisis (relevant for 56 percent of respondents) and the donations affairs of the CDU in the country ( 38 percent). According to the data of infra dimap particularly economic development, education policy, social justice and the government finance were important issues; the issue of unemployment declined against the previous election in importance. While the CDU had been attributed in the election of 2005 significantly more expertise in labor market policy, the SPD and CDU were 2010 in this regard, in the opinion of the voters, according to research group elections almost equal. Significantly higher levels of competence achieved the SPD but when in all studies as a very relevant topic perceived education and training policy.

Rüttgers showed a weak prime minister 's popularity ratings, the image behind the values ​​of its SPD predecessor were well in the last three state elections. While also Hannelore Kraft did not reach the reputation of former Prime Minister, however, was more honorable than Rüttgers. Force was considered less polarizing, as a sympathetic and closer to its citizens. Rüttgers was certified expertise and energy, but had a striking credibility deficit. Overall, fewer voters Jürgen Rüttgers wanted as prime minister, a majority preferred Hannelore Kraft in office. However, the majority played the programs and solutions proposed by the parties to the voters the decisive role in the selection decision. The top candidates of the parties was crucial for only about one in six voters.

Electoral system

The member of parliament are elected by universal, equal, direct, secret and free choice. Are entitled to vote German who are at least 18 years old on election day, and at least since the 16th day before the election have their principal place of residence or habitual residence in the country. The North Rhine- Westphalian Parliament is elected by a system of personalized proportional representation with closed lists, similar to the federal election law.

The Diet has at least 181 deputies, of which 128 directly elected in constituencies. In the regional elections of 2010, the first time voters had two votes., The first of a deputy is elected in each constituency. Elected is the candidate with the most votes. The seats in the parliament are distributed proportionally according to the Sainte- Laguë method to the parties according to their number of second votes in the country, with those parties shall be ignored if received less than 5% of the valid votes in the country. From the thus calculated number of seats a party, the number of directly elected seats won by that party will be deducted. The remaining seats are filled through the country list in the order laid down therein, whereby applicants are not considered, which were directly elected in the constituency.

As the share of direct accounts with good seventy percent of the regular size of the Landtag is relatively high ( the Bundestag is only 50 %), it often happens that one party gets through direct mandates more seats than it is entitled to according to the second votes seats ( overhang mandates). In this case, the other to be considered in the allocation of seats parties obtain compensatory seats to produce a proportional distribution of seats.

Wahl-O -Mat

The Wahl-O -Mat of the Federal Agency for Civic Education for the state election was published on April 17, 2010. It was used until the election of approximately 640,000 times.

Media interest

A variety of foreign media representatives had signed up to report on this choice. In addition to the German broadcasters ARD, ZDF, WDR, n-tv and N24 also reported transmitter teams from China, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland. Journalists reported, for example, British, South African and Swedish newspapers.

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