State election in North Rhine-Westphalia in 1954
The third state election in North Rhine-Westphalia took place on June 27, 1954.
The election campaign was dominated by the potential for sole rule by the CDU . The SPD advertised with the slogan: "The CDU governs, and now?" . The coalition partner of the CDU, the center , feared for the government participation and also for its own existence. The center advertised with the slogan: “One-party rule? No! ”In constituency 62 (Essen-Borbeck-Karnap), the CDU waived its own applicant in order to enable the center to enter the state parliament in the event of failure at the 5 percent hurdle . The SPD was able to win the constituency, but due to a newly introduced provision in the electoral law, a party could also move into the state parliament, although it did not get the required five percent of the vote, but achieved at least a third of the votes in one constituency or one constituency won. The center received 14,640 out of a total of 43,842 valid votes - 26 votes more than required. This provision was abolished again for the state elections in 1958.
The Federation of Expellees and Disenfranchised (BHE) first ran in elections in North Rhine-Westphalia in 1954; it failed just like the KPD at the five percent hurdle .
Eligible voters: 9,730,072
Voters: 7,068,392
Turnout: 72.64%
Valid votes: 6,923,069
| Political party | agree completely |
Share in% |
Electoral kreisbe- tors |
Direct MAN date |
Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDU | 2,855,988 | 41.25 | 149 | 85 | 90 |
| SPD | 2,387,718 | 34.49 | 150 | 65 | 76 |
| FDP | 793.736 | 11.47 | 150 | 25th | |
| BHE | 320,676 | 4.63 | 147 | ||
| center | 278,863 | 4.03 | 133 | 9 | |
| KPD | 264.083 | 3.81 | 150 | ||
| BdD | 19,515 | 0.28 | 64 | ||
| DP | 1,898 | 0.03 | 2 | ||
| Individual applicants | 592 | 0.01 | 2 | ||
| Total | 6,923,069 | 947 | 150 | 200 |
The goal of continuing the coalition between the CDU and the center failed due to two missing seats. The CDU formed a coalition with the FDP and the center. The Arnold II cabinet began on July 27th. Even without a center, the CDU and FDP would have had a clear majority.
After Konrad Adenauer's attempt to introduce voting rights at the federal level , the FDP terminated the coalition with the CDU in protest. On February 20, 1956, Karl Arnold was overthrown by a constructive vote of no confidence and Fritz Steinhoff (SPD) was elected Prime Minister with 102 to 96 votes with one abstention. On February 28, 1956, the Steinhoff cabinet (4 ministers each from the SPD and FDP, one from the center) was sworn in.
Six MPs from the center joined the CDU in 1958 shortly before the end of the legislative period.
Distribution of seats at the end of the electoral term: CDU 96, SPD 76, FDP 25, Zentrum 3
See also
- Arnold III cabinet
- Steinhoff cabinet
- List of state electoral districts in North Rhine-Westphalia 1954
- List of members of the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia (3rd electoral period)
