State election in Schleswig-Holstein 2009
The election to the 17th Schleswig-Holstein state parliament took place simultaneously with the 2009 federal election on September 27, 2009 . It was an early election , which was brought about after the breakup of the grand coalition of CDU and SPD in July 2009 by a vote of confidence by Prime Minister Peter Harry Carstensen (CDU).
initial situation
In the state elections on February 20, 2005 , the red-green state government under Heide Simonis lost its majority due to the losses of the SPD. Neither the SPD and the Greens nor the CDU and FDP were able to form a coalition based on their own majority. The Südschleswigsche Voters' Association (SSW) achieved 3.6% of the vote and took two seats in the state parliament. The SPD and the Greens started coalition negotiations with the aim of forming a government supported by the SSW in parliament. The required majority of 35 mandates was achieved exactly, so that at the constituent session of the state parliament on March 17, 2005, all votes from the SPD, Greens and SSW were required to elect Simonis.
Heide Simonis did not achieve a majority in all four ballots because at least one MP from the ranks of the SPD, Greens and SSW abstained from voting. The meeting ended and CDU and SPD started negotiations with the aim of forming a grand coalition led by Peter Harry Carstensen (CDU). On April 27, 2005, Carstensen was elected as the new Prime Minister by the Schleswig-Holstein state parliament with the votes of the CDU and SPD. Education Minister Ute Erdsiek-Rave (SPD) became Deputy Prime Minister .
After Interior Minister Ralf Stegner took over the state chairmanship of the SPD Schleswig-Holstein on March 24, 2007, the climate in the grand coalition deteriorated. In May, Stegner attacked joint austerity decisions by the cabinet and called for the wage cuts already implemented in the public sector to be softened . The coalition crisis was ultimately ended by Stegner giving in. In September 2007, Stegner intensified his criticism, whereupon the CDU accused him of a course of confrontation and demanded that he leave the cabinet. Stegner bowed to the pressure by resigning as Minister of the Interior with effect from January 15, 2008 and instead taking over the chairmanship of his party in the state parliament.
In September 2008, Stegner was elected by the North SPD as the top candidate for the 2010 state elections - the pillars of the Carstensen and Stegner coalition would therefore compete against each other. In April 2009 there was a debate in the coalition about early elections, in which the coalition partners again reproached each other. Prime Minister Carstensen came under pressure in his own ranks, especially for his crisis management at HSH Nordbank , which had to be supported with billions in guarantees from the states of Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg . The debate ebbed and the coalition agreed on a regular date for the new election, May 9, 2010.
Due to the economic and financial crisis and the distress of HSH Nordbank, there were renewed disputes within the coalition in June 2009 when the cabinet was discussing an extensive austerity package. The CDU called for tougher cuts than the SPD and also called for the implementation of a debt brake in the state constitution. On June 21, both parties reached an agreement and thus averted a break in the coalition for the time being. She was faced with the next endurance test in mid-July: Carstensen stated that controversial bonus payments for the CEO of HSH Nordbank had the approval of the SPD. The SPD denied this.
On July 15, due to the renewed incidents, the CDU parliamentary group decided to end the coalition with the SPD and to request the dissolution of the state parliament. The Social Democrats rejected this plan in the state parliament on July 20, which missed the necessary two-thirds majority. Thereupon Prime Minister Carstensen dismissed the SPD ministers in the state government at the end of July 21 and put the question of confidence in the state parliament . A vote on it took place on July 23rd. Carstensen lost it with a large majority, thus clearing the way for new elections, which were scheduled for September 27th, i.e. at the same time as the general election .
Top candidates of the state parliament parties
For the CDU , Prime Minister Carstensen ran again as the top candidate , the SPD was led by its parliamentary group leader in the state parliament and state chairman Ralf Stegner . The FDP's top candidate was Wolfgang Kubicki . The Greens entered the election campaign with Monika Heinold and Robert Habeck as a double lead. The SSW's top candidate was Anke Spoorendonk .
Polls
The following table shows the last opinion polls before the state elections compared to the actual election results.
| Institute | date | CDU | SPD | FDP | GREEN | THE LEFT | SSW | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official end result | 09/27/2009 | 31.5% | 25.4% | 14.9% | 12.4% | 6.0% | 4.3% | 5.5% |
| Forsa | 09/19/2009 | 31% | 26% | 16% | 11% | 6% | 5% | 5% |
| Research group elections | 09/18/2009 | 32% | 27% | 14% | 12% | 7% | 4% | 4% |
| Infratest dimap | 09/16/2009 | 33% | 24% | 14% | 13% | 6% | 5% | 4% |
| Infratest dimap | 09/11/2009 | 33% | 24% | 15% | 12% | 8th % | 4% | 4% |
| Infratest dimap | 09/04/2009 | 33% | 24% | 16% | 14% | 7% | 3% | 3% |
| Institute for Market Research | 07/24/2009 | 32% | 23% | 17% | 15% | 5% | 4% | 4% |
| Infratest dimap | 07/18/2009 | 36% | 24% | 15% | 14% | 5% | 3% | 3% |
| Psephos | 07/18/2009 | 39% | 25% | 14% | 11% | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| Forsa | 07/17/2009 | 38% | 27% | 14% | 8th % | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Official end result
The table contains the changes due to the new determination of the official final result of January 28, 2010 by the Schleswig-Holstein State Parliament. All parties eligible for election are listed.
| Political party | Second votes in 2009 (absolute) |
Second vote in 2009 |
Second vote in 2005 |
Difference ( points) |
Seats 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDU | 505.612 | 31.5% | 40.2% | -8.7 | 34 |
| SPD | 407,643 | 25.4% | 38.7% | -13.3 | 25th |
| FDP | 239,338 | 14.9% | 6.6% | +8.3 | 14th |
| GREEN | 199,367 | 12.4% | 6.2% | +6.2 | 12 |
| left | 95,764 | 6.0% | 0.8% | +5.2 | 6th |
| SSW | 69,701 | 4.3% | 3.6% | +0.7 | 4th |
| PIRATES | 28,837 | 1.8% | - | +1.8 | - |
| FW-SH | 16,362 | 1.0% | - | +1.0 | - |
| NPD | 14,991 | 0.9% | 1.9% | −1.0 | - |
| FAMILY | 12,310 | 0.8% | 0.8% | +0.0 | - |
| PENSIONER | 10.165 | 0.6% | - | +0.6 | - |
| RRP | 2,467 | 0.2% | - | +0.2 | - |
| IPD | 849 | 0.1% | - | +0.1 | - |
| voter turnout | 1,603,406 | 73.6% | 66.5% | +7.1 | 95 |
The turnout in the state elections in 2005 and 2009 can only be compared to a limited extent, since national elections taking place at the same time (as in 2009) are regularly associated with a higher turnout.
Problems due to the state electoral code
In Schleswig-Holstein there is a personalized proportional representation . Of the 69 seats, 40 are assigned as direct mandates . In addition, there were 11 overhang seats , all for the CDU, and 14 or 20 compensation seats , depending on the interpretation of a formulation in the election law . Another seat was added in both interpretations so that the state parliament has an odd number of seats. As was expected before the state elections in 2009, the interpretation of the electoral law on the majority in the state parliament was decisive.
On October 16, 2009, the state election committee decided on the official final result for the interpretation preferred by the state return officer with 14 compensation mandates. The regional returning officer and the representatives of the CDU and FDP (3 votes) voted in favor, the other members voted against (2 votes) or abstained (2 votes). This led to 95 seats in the state parliament and a majority of the CDU and FDP: 49 out of 95 seats were united by the CDU and FDP, although the percentage of votes of these two parties together was smaller than that of the SPD, Greens, Left and SSW combined. The alternative decision with 20 compensation mandates would have meant that they would not have a seat for the majority in the state parliament.
Against the result - in the case of eligible voters after the rejection of an objection by the state parliament - it was possible to go before the state constitutional court. The Greens and the SSW sued the state constitutional court against the distribution of mandates, the left joined the lawsuit after the meeting of the new state parliament. This was heard on June 28, 2010 at the State Constitutional Court of Schleswig-Holstein. The verdict was announced on August 30, 2010: The electoral law was unconstitutional and had to be amended by May 31, 2011, and the next state election was held by September 30, 2012 at the latest. The previous distribution of seats in the Landtag elected in 2009 remained in place. On June 7, 2011, the state government set new elections for May 6, 2012. The electoral law had already been changed on March 25, 2011, so that the following state election could take place in accordance with the constitution.
Coalition formation
The distribution of seats with 95 seats, officially determined by the state election committee on October 16, 2009, made the following coalitions possible:
- The formation of a black-yellow coalition with an initial 49-seat majority , which was finally implemented at the end of October. Coalition negotiations began on October 8th, a week and a half after the state elections. They were concluded by October 17 - the same day the coalition agreement was signed, which was approved by the CDU and FDP party congresses on October 24. The re-election of Carstensen as Prime Minister and the appointment of the new state ministers took place on October 27, the day of the constituent session of the new state parliament.
- A continuation of the grand coalition of CDU and SPD would also have been possible with 79 seats, but was not sought due to the rift between Peter Harry Carstensen (CDU) and Ralf Stegner (SPD). Before and after the outcome of the election, Carstensen supported the black-yellow coalition because more could be achieved with it.
- Other possible alliances with an arithmetical majority - such as a traffic light coalition or an alliance of the CDU, Greens and SSW - played no role due to the fact that the CDU and FDP had decided on a joint coalition.
The distribution of seats with 101 seats, in which all overhang mandates of the CDU would have been balanced and which was therefore cited as an alternative in the constitutional complaint against the determination of the election result, would have meant that the black-yellow coalition of CDU and FDP would no longer have a majority ( together only 50 seats).
Recount in the district of Husum 3
In a recounting of the ballot papers of the Husum 3 electoral district requested by Die Linke in January 2010, it was found that Die Linke had 41 second votes in the state elections in this district and not just 9, as was recorded on election evening. Because of this result, the FDP lost its 15th state parliament mandate to the Left Party, with the result that the ruling CDU / FDP coalition only had a majority of one vote. The FDP MP Christina Musculus-Stahnke , who had to cede her seat to Björn Thoroe from the Left Party, was affected by the loss of mandate .
See also
- List of members of the Schleswig-Holstein State Parliament (17th electoral term)
- Cabinet Carstensen II
literature
- Research Group Elections e. V. (Ed.): Election in Schleswig-Holstein: an analysis of the state election of September 27, 2009, Mannheim 2009.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Eligible voters, voters and distribution of votes in% (PDF). Statistical Office for Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.
- ^ Spiegel Online from July 23, 2009.
- ↑ Spiegel Online from July 15, 2009.
- ↑ SSW press release of August 15, 2009. ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Election polls on the state elections in Schleswig-Holstein
- ↑ http://www.election.de/cgi-bin/showpoll.pl?name=ltw_sh
- ↑ State Election Act, Section 3, Paragraph 5, Clause 4.
- ↑ Wahlrecht.de: Controversial compensation mandates can decide the Schleswig-Holstein election.
- ^ Spiegel Online from September 27, 2009.
- ^ A b Wahlrecht.de: Schleswig-Holstein: Legal dispute over black and yellow majority threatens.
- ↑ Eric Linhart and Harald Schoen (2010): Overhang and compensation mandates in Schleswig-Holstein: Unclear electoral law and reform proposals, in: Journal for Parliamentary Questions 41 (2): pp. 290–303.
- ↑ Preliminary official final result with calculation of the compensation mandates ( memento of the original from January 31, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF) at statistik-sh.de.
- ↑ Stern: State election in Schleswig-Holstein: majority stands for black and yellow.
- ↑ a b Tagesspiegel.de: Article from October 16, 2009.
- ↑ State elections under scrutiny. ( Memento of the original from July 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Press release by the State Constitutional Court of Schleswig-Holstein, June 21, 2010.
- ↑ Parliament must quickly change unconstitutional state electoral law. ( Memento of the original from September 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Press release by the State Constitutional Court of Schleswig-Holstein, August 30, 2010.
- ↑ Schleswig-Holstein: Landtag in Kiel adopts new electoral law, Stern.de, March 25, 2011.
- ↑ Ad-hoc-news: Black and yellow can win back the Federal Council on Sunday - a full majority for legislative proposals or headwinds for the grand coalition.
- ↑ Kieler Nachrichten of September 20, 2009: On an election campaign tour with Peter Harry Carstensen, September 20, 2009, accessed on March 6, 2017.
- ↑ ltsh.de - Press release of the Left (PDF; 67 kB).
- ↑ Focus.de: Only a thin black and yellow majority in Kiel.
- ↑ Spiegel.de: Government majority melts to just one vote, Spiegel Online, January 22, 2010.
