Saxony-Anhalt state election, 2006

• PDS: 26
• SPD: 24
• CDU: 40
• FDP: 7

In the state elections in Saxony -Anhalt in 2006 on 26 March 2006, the fifth parliament of Saxony-Anhalt was chosen.

The 2,078,671 eligible voters had a choice of 530 candidates, including 133 women who competed in 17 national lists of parties and Connections list or one of the 45 constituencies.

Starting position

After the state elections in Saxony -Anhalt 2002, a coalition of CDU and FDP had replaced the previous one, tolerated by the PDS minority government of the SPD. Successor to the former Prime Minister Reinhard Hoeppner (SPD ) was Wolfgang Böhmer ( CDU).

In the polls released before the elections, signs of a change in the balance of power in parliament gave Magdeburg. All surveys came to the conclusion that the previous coalition of CDU and FDP would no longer receive majority. After a given MDR commissioned and published on 16 March survey, the CDU would indeed remain at 36%, significantly strongest party. However, the small coalition partner, the FDP would then only 6%. The second strongest party would be at 26%, the SPD, closely followed by the Left Party with 23%. While this represents a coalition of the SPD and the Left Party would be mathematically possible, the SPD had reveal the preference of a grand coalition with the CDU.

Chances of finding a way into the parliament were also awarded the party Alliance 90/The Greens, who lay in surveys at 4 % and was represented by 1998 in Saxony-Anhalt state parliament. A coalition of SPD and Greens were excluded due to the majorities. An alliance with the inclusion of SPD, Left Party and the Greens was not discussed publicly in advance of the election.

Also supported by the NPD DVU were given opportunities to a faction in the parliament. Surveys saw party from 3.5 to 4%. The DVU was already represented in Parliament from 1998 to 2002, then joined but not more due to internal strife.

The other parties and list compounds were given the choice of researchers no chance of success.

An incoming parties and Connections list

14 parties and 3 list compounds competed for election. Specifically, these were:

• Christian Democratic Union of Germany ( CDU)
• Left Party ( Linke.PDS )
• Social Democratic Party of Germany ( SPD)
• Free Democratic Party ( FDP)
• Alliance 90/The Greens (Greens )
• Alliance for Health, Peace and Social Justice ( AGFG )
• Federation of Citizens' Initiatives and CDU Saxony-Anhalt ( BBW )
• German People's Union ( DVU )
• The Republicans (REP )
• Parents party - for family-friendly policies (parents)
• Freedom Party ( FP Germany )
• Future! - The youth party ( future! )
• Marxist- Leninist Party of Germany ( MLPD )
• Pro German middle - Initiative Pro D- Mark ( per DM)
• Alliance DKP / KPD ( Bu - DKP / KPD)
• Alliance offensive for Saxony-Anhalt offensive D - Instead of party - DSU
• Justice - environmental welfare THE GREY - Grey Panthers - ODP - Party People Environment Animal Welfare ( GUT)

In addition, in the constituencies were still at 17 independent candidates. CDU, Left Party, SPD, FDP and the Greens have presented candidates nationwide in the constituencies.

Electioneering

The election campaign was described by observers as rather tired. Notably there were no substantive debates about specific policy areas. The major parties had moved their top candidates in the foreground. The CDU presented the 70 -year-old minister, Wolfgang Böhmer as a reliable country father dar. In a survey of 16 March MDR- expressed 44% of respondents said they want to vote in a direct election of the prime minister, Bohemian. Although the 45 -year-old SPD's top candidate Jens Jahn Buller was able to recover, remained with only 25% but significantly behind Bohemian. The leading candidate of the Left Party Wulf jelly came to only 7%. Leading candidate for the FDP was Karl -Heinz Paqué. The green top candidate was Inés Brock. The smaller parties tried sharpen their own substantive issues. The FDP themed priority of their manuscripts rejected by the federal government, however, planned VAT increase. The Greens put jobs in the renewable energy, education policy and its rejection of genetic engineering in the foreground branch.

The right-wing DVU led her campaign essentially an extensive nationwide poster campaign. In addition to the already established by the DVU in the past poster topics that quite aggressively deal with the issues of foreigners and Homeland Security, was tried the top candidates Ingmar Knop, a lawyer from Dessau to present as serious personality. The DVU tried to improve its image, which had suffered greatly, given the chaotic conditions existing from 1998 to 2002 DVU Group.

The distinction made by the parties strong emphasis of the advertising poster led to repeated criticism from the public to the extensive poster campaign. A mayor of a village in the Altmark was supposedly remove incorrectly hung posters and burn unlawfully. Even in the large cities decreased the municipal planning authorities posters, violated their location against the local regulations.

For excitement in the election campaign ( Bild newspaper: " Frechstes poster of Germany" ) made ​​a poster of the Greens on the satirical alienation of the image campaign of the country We get up earlier. the images of the sleeping top candidates Böhmer, Buller Jahn and jelly with the phrase We sleep earlier. were imaged.

Caused a stir even the first sod Böhmer for the northern extension of the A 14, which was solemnized six days before the election, although no building permit for the entire project exists and funding remains unclear. The at the same time she was having in Magdeburg Federal Minister of Transport stayed away from the event demonstrative.

Election procedures

Each voter has two votes. With the first voice of the person is chosen, which is to represent the respective constituency in Magdeburg Parliament. The second vote determines the composition of the parliament on party lines. It is a 5 % clause. Only parties that achieve at least 5% of the second votes, can move in the state legislature.

Election result

A total of 923 278 eligible voters exercised their right to vote. The turnout was thus only 44.4 % ( -12.2 % to 2002), the lowest so far observed in a state election in the Federal Republic of Germany value.

Of these, a total of 902 254 voters valid party votes were cast. The percentage of invalid votes amounted to 2.3 % ( -0.2%). Of the valid party votes, which were often referred to as the second vote, which accounted for individual country lists after the official results the following values ​​( sorted by number the list ):

At this election this time were not taken parties had reached at the state election in 2002 was 1.8 %.

As predicted by the polls, the CDU was thus the strongest party. Somewhat surprisingly, the SPD was still behind the Left Party. The FDP lost as expected significantly and halved its earnings in 2002. Although the Greens increased significantly, but failed to clear the 5% hurdle. The DVU remained surprisingly weak still behind the Greens. The other parties were expected without increasing importance.

40 of the 45 directly elected seats were allocated to the CDU, who won in 2002 48 constituencies. 3 constituencies went to the Left. (2002: 0). 2 constituencies could win the SPD (2002: 1).

In 115 reduced to 97 seats parliament the previous CDU / FDP coalition was able to reach only 47 seats. The previous government had thus lost their majority. Since the SPD had clearly ruled out a coalition with the Left Party before the election, was left as the only viable form a government, a CDU / SPD government under the leadership of former Prime Minister Böhmer, based on 64 seats. This coalition is in office since April 2006 and was continued even after the state election in 2011 under the leadership of the new Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff ( CDU).