After state elections
Hesse: CDU wants to start exploratory talks on Tuesday
Boris Rhein wants to start exploratory talks as quickly as possible. photo
© Andreas Arnold/dpa
Hesse’s election winner Boris Rhein wastes no time: the day after the state election, he announced the first talks about a new coalition in the coming days – and not just with the previous partner.
The Hessian Prime Minister and state election winner Boris Rhein (CDU) wants to start exploratory talks about a future government alliance as early as this Tuesday. “We want to start the talks tomorrow afternoon. They will continue on Wednesday,” said Rhein on Monday evening in Hofheim.
However, this schedule must first be discussed with the interlocutors. “But we would be very happy if we could start talking to the partners this week,” said Rhein. He pointed out that he would be busy as chairman of the Prime Minister’s Conference on Thursday and Friday.
First, his party will hold exploratory talks with the previous green coalition partner, said the CDU politician. “I think it’s only natural that when you’ve worked together for so long, that’s where you come together first.” He would then invite the SPD and also seek talks with the FDP. “First of all, we will negotiate on the issues and at the moment it is very important to us that when we enter into corresponding discussions, as much of the CDU as possible must come out at the end this time.”
The CDU was clearly the strongest force in Sunday’s election in Hesse. The AfD became the second strongest force. On Monday evening it initially remained unclear whether the Greens would also be ready for exploratory talks on Tuesday. At the CDU state committee in Hofheim, Rhein was formally instructed to begin exploratory talks.
Hesse-SPD commissions Faeser to carry out possible investigations
Meanwhile, the state executive of the Hessian SPD commissioned Nancy Faeser to lead possible exploratory talks with the CDU. In addition to the state chairwoman, the negotiating team includes her three deputies as well as SPD general secretary Christoph Degen and the chairman of the SPD state parliamentary group, Günter Rudolph. The party announced this on Monday evening after a meeting in Frankfurt.
The state executive board has therefore formally decided to hold exploratory talks with the Hessian CDU if it issues a corresponding invitation. Faeser, who is also the Federal Minister of the Interior, has agreed to continue to “lead these discussions for us as state chairwoman, together with the parliamentary group leader” and supplemented by the state presidium, said Degen.
The SPD is fundamentally prepared to enter into exploratory talks with the CDU. “But the ball is in the CDU’s court and we have to wait for someone to contact us,” said Degen.