Schleswig-Holstein state election, 2009

• Left: 6
• SPD: 25
• Green: 12
• SSW: 4
• CDU: 34
• FDP: 14

The election to the 17th Schleswig- Holstein parliament was organized at the 2009 federal election on 27 September 2009. She was an early election, which was caused by the rupture of the grand coalition of CDU and SPD in July 2009 by a lost of confidence from Prime Minister Peter Harry Carstensen ( CDU).

Initial situation

In the regional elections of 20 February 2005, the red-green state government under Heide Simonis was due to the losses of the SPD lost its majority. Neither the SPD nor the CDU and FDP and the Greens were able to form a coalition, based on their majority. The South Schleswig Voters' Association (SSW ) achieved 3.6 % of the vote and went with two seats in the parliament. SPD and the Greens took coalition negotiations with the aim to form a supported by the SSW in parliament government. The required majority of 35 seats was reached exactly, so at the inaugural session of the Diet on March 17, 2005, all votes of the SPD, Greens and SSW were required to select Simonis.

Heide Simonis reached the majority in all four ballots not, because at least one Member of Parliament contained from the ranks of the SPD, Greens and SSW of the voice. The session was terminated and the CDU and the SPD have been holding talks with the aim of forming a grand coalition under the leadership of Peter Harry Carstensen ( CDU). On 27 April 2005 Carstensen was elected by the Landtag of Schleswig -Holstein with the votes of the CDU and the SPD as the new Prime Minister. Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Education Ute ERDSIEK Rave (SPD).

After Interior Minister Ralf Stegner had taken over the country's chairmanship of the SPD Schleswig -Holstein on 24 March 2007, the climate deteriorated in the grand coalition. In May Stegner attacked joint savings decisions of the Cabinet and called for a softening of already implemented salary cuts in the public service. The coalition crisis was ultimately terminated by relented Stegner. In September 2007, intensified his criticism Stegner, whereupon the CDU accused him of a confrontation and demanded his resignation from the Cabinet. Stegner bowed to pressure by stepping down as interior minister with effect from 15 January 2008 and instead, the parliamentary leader of his party took over in parliament.

In September 2008, Stegner of the North- SPD was elected the top candidates for the state election 2010 - the pillars of the coalition Carstensen and Stegner would thus compete against each other. In April 2009, it came in the coalition to a debate on early elections, in which the coalition partners made ​​mutual accusations again. Prime Minister Carstensen fell into the ranks under pressure, especially for his crisis management at HSH Nordbank, which had to be supported with billions guarantees from the states of Schleswig -Holstein and Hamburg. The debate ebbed and the coalition agreed on a regular date for the election, May 9, 2010.

Due to the economic and financial crisis and the difficulties of HSH Nordbank came in June 2009 to renewed conflict within the coalition, as the cabinet deliberated on a wide austerity. The CDU called for tougher cuts when the SPD and beyond the implementation of a debt brake in the state constitution. On June 21, both parties agreed and so used a fraction of the Coalition for the time being from. Before the next loading sample, it was already mid-July that: Carstensen stated that controversial bonus payments for the CEO of HSH Nordbank had met with the approval of the SPD. The SPD denied this.

On July 15, the CDU parliamentary group decided due to the renewed incidents to end the coalition with the SPD and to request the dissolution of Parliament. The Social Democrats rejected that plan in Parliament on 20 July closed declining, with the required two -thirds majority was missed. Thereupon dismissed Prime Minister Carstensen at the end of July 21, the SPD minister in the state government and presented in Parliament a vote of confidence. A vote on it took place on July 23. Carstensen she lost by a large majority and clearing the way for new elections, which were scheduled for 27 September, to be held concurrently with the federal election so.

Top candidates of the parliamentary parties

For the CDU Minister President Carstensen joined again as the leading candidate, the SPD was led by their leader in the parliament and state chairman Ralf Stegner. Top candidate of the FDP was Wolfgang Kubicki. The Greens coated with Monika Heinold and Robert Habeck as a double peak in the election campaign. Top candidate of the SSW was Anke Spoorendonk.

Election polls

The following table shows the last opinion polls before the state election in comparison to the actual election results.

Official final result

The table lists the changes made by the revision of the official final result on 28 January 2010 by the Schleswig- Holstein Landtag are included. All parties approved for election are listed.

The choice of investments the state elections in 2005 and 2009 can only be conditionally compare because concurrent nationwide elections ( as in 2009 ) associated regularly with a higher turnout.

Problems due to the country's electoral rules

In Schleswig -Holstein, a personalized proportional representation. Of the 69 seats will be awarded as 40 direct mandates. There were also 11 overhang seats, all for the CDU, and depending on the design of a formulation in the election law 14 or 20 compensatory seats in this election. Another seat was added in two interpretations, so that the Parliament has an odd number of seats. As expected before the state election in 2009, the interpretation of the electoral law on the majority in parliament was crucial.

The National Election Committee decided on 16 October 2009, the official result for the preferred interpretation of the provincial election supervisor with 14 compensatory mandates. The Land Returning Officer and the representatives of the CDU and FDP ( 3 votes) voted in favor, against the other members voted (2 votes) or abstained (2 votes). This resulted in 95 seats in the parliament and a majority of the CDU and FDP: 49 out of 95 seats combined CDU and FDP, although the percentage of voting shares of these two parties were together less than the combined SPD, Greens, Left and SSW. The alternative decision with 20 compensatory mandates would have meant that they would have lacked for a majority in the state parliament seat.

The path in front of the country's Constitutional Court possible - against the result was - in the electorate after rejecting an appeal by the state legislature. The Greens and the SSW complained before the country's Constitutional Court against the distribution of seats, the Left joined after the meeting of the new parliament of the action. This was discussed at the State Constitutional Court of Schleswig -Holstein on 28 June 2010. On 30 August 2010, the verdict was announced: The electoral law was unconstitutional and needed to be changed to 31 May 2011, and held the next state election no later than 30 September 2012. However, the current distribution of seats in the parliament elected in 2009 remained. On 7 June 2011 the State Government set fixed election for May 6, 2012. The electoral law was amended in March 25, 2011, so that the following state election could be held constitutional.

Coalition formation

The distribution of seats with 95 seats, officially established by the National Electoral Committee on 16 October 2009, enabled the following coalitions:

• The formation of a black-yellow coalition with a majority of 49 seats initially, which was eventually implemented at the end of October. One and a half weeks after the state election coalition negotiations began on October 8. They were completed by October 17 - the same day the coalition agreement was signed, which was endorsed by the party days of the CDU and FDP on October 24. The re-election of Carstensen prime minister and the appointment of the new state ministers took place on 27 October, the day of the inaugural session of the new parliament.
• A continuation of the grand coalition of CDU and SPD would have been also possible with 79 seats, but was partly because of the discord between Peter Harry Carstensen (CDU) and Ralf Stegner (SPD ) is not sought. Carstensen advocated before and after the outcome of the election, the black-yellow coalition, because let more with her.
• Other possible alliances with a notional majority - about a traffic light coalition or a coalition of CDU, Greens and SSW - played due to the establishment of the CDU and FDP on a joint coalition not matter.

The distribution of seats at 101 seats, in which all overhang mandates of the CDU would be compensated and which was therefore given in the constitutional challenge to the determination of the election result as an alternative, would have meant that the black-yellow coalition of CDU and FDP no longer a majority would have had ( together only 50 seats).

Recount in the constituency Husum 3

In one requested by the Left Party recount of the ballots of the election district Husum 3 in January 2010, it was found that in the regional elections in this district 41 second votes were accounted for by the Left and not only 9, as it had been posted on election night. Based on this result, the FDP lost their 15th seat in Parliament at the Left Party, which the ruling CDU / FDP coalition only had the majority of one vote. Affected by the disqualification was the FDP representative Christina musculus Stahnke, who had to give their seat to Björn Thoroe of the Left Party.