Saarland state election, 1999

• SPD: 25
• CDU: 26

The state elections in Saarland in 1999 was the 12th state elections in Saarland, took place on September 5, simultaneously with the state elections in Brandenburg place and led to a change of power in the Saarland. The date alone ruling SPD lost five percentage points and thus their absolute majority, the CDU posted gains of nearly seven percentage points, reaching an absolute majority and could henceforth provide a one-party government. The Greens failed to re-entry into the state parliament.

Initial situation

Since the state election in 1985, the SPD had an absolute majority, which could expand in the regional elections in 1990 and 1994 despite the loss of votes to defend. She introduced a one-party government under Prime Minister Oskar Lafontaine (Cabinet Lafontaine III). On November 9, 1998, this was replaced by Reinhard Klimmt the Federal Ministry of Finance after his resignation and change, which formed the Cabinet Klimmt. The FDP / DPS in 1994 missed a place in the state legislature significantly with a result of 2.1 percent. The Greens were first collected in 1994 with a result of 5.5 percent in the Saarland parliament.

Campaign / Surveys

The Greens announced that in the event of a recovery if the state parliament to seek a coalition with the SPD and concluded an alliance with the CDU from.

After the change of government in 1998 ruled in Bonn a red-green coalition under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. The CDU achieved in the next federal election, a series of successes, while the SPD suffered losses. Before the election in Saarland already the state elections in Hesse had led to a change of government towards a black-yellow coalition.

The surveys show a mixed picture: In April 1999, the SPD was still in the polls at 51 percent, well ahead of the CDU. In July and August, the CDU was then ahead of the SPD, while the last survey, the SPD again saw one percentage point ahead of the CDU on 31 August 1999. If the Greens in some polls even a re-entry predicted in the state legislature, the FDP was in all polls well below five percent.

Result

The choice had the following result:

The previously oppositional CDU recorded voices gains of nearly seven percentage points, a result of 45.5 %, which with 26 of 51 seats reached a narrow absolute majority in parliament.

The date alone ruling SPD had losses of five percentage points, reaching 44.4 percent suffered and 25 seats.

All other parties failed significantly to the collection in the state legislature, so the first time since 1970 again resulted in a two-party parliament consisting of the CDU and SPD.

The first time in 1994 with 5.5 per cent and three deputies retracted into the state parliament Greens lost more than two percentage points, reaching only 3.2 percent and failed thus significantly on re-entry into the state parliament, retained their relative position as the third largest party and were the strongest not represented in Parliament parties.

The FDP / DPS, which had in 1994 with 2.1 percent achieved their worst result so far in the Saarland at all and was thus chosen from the Diet could easily increase their share of the vote to 2.6 percent, but still clearly missed the re-entry into the Diet and remained fourth- largest party behind the Greens.

The Republicans, who had in 1990 with a score of 3.4 per cent achieved a moderate success and its share of the vote in 1994 with 1.4 percent more than halved, lost again slightly and came to 1.3 percent.

The first nominee PDS earned profits of 0.8%.

Consequences

On election night, shortly or after 19:30 clock, admitted Prime Minister Klimmt a the electoral defeat of his party.

The Green Party state chairman of Christian Molitor remained after the election in his sympathy with a red-green coalition, saying Klimmt would be " the better prime minister" compared to Müller.

The CDU reached for the first time since 1970, again an absolute majority in the Landtag of Saarland and was after 14 years of opposition thus a one-party government under Peter Müller as Prime Minister (Cabinet Müller I) form, which was elected on 29 September 1999 and the Cabinet Klimmt as SPD - alone government replaced in office after less than a year.