Boris Rhein
Hesse’s Prime Minister is the new CDU state chairman
At a party conference of the Hessian CDU, Boris Rhein was elected the new state party leader of his party. Photo: Andreas Arnold/dpa
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With the very good result of almost 98 percent, Rhein is elected the new CDU party leader in Hesse. The CDU is thus demonstrating unity at their party conference – also with a view to the 2023 state elections.
Hesse’s Prime Minister Boris Rhein is the new CDU state chairman. At the party conference of the Hesse-CDU in Rotenburg an der Fulda on Saturday, 97.96 percent of the almost 340 delegates voted for the 50-year-old. Rhein will be the successor to the long-serving head of government and state chairman Volker Bouffier, who is retiring from top politics.
Rhein has been the new Prime Minister of Hesse since the beginning of June. With the reorganization at the top, the CDU Hessen also wants to strengthen itself for the state elections in autumn 2023.
Rhein got the delegates in Rotenburg an der Fulda in the mood for the upcoming election campaign. The Hessen-CDU wants to use the potential of the members more, he said. It won’t be a comfortable time. Rhein reiterated: “We want to win this state election.”
Rhine: Heart and soul in Hesse
The prime minister and newly elected state chairman announced that he would be traveling a lot in the country. It’s not enough just to be in Hesse with your heart, he said – probably as a dig at the Federal Interior Minister and Hessian SPD Chairwoman Nancy Faeser. Rhein emphasized that he was in Hesse body and soul and also with both feet.
Faeser said at an SPD party conference: “And even if I’m in Berlin, in Brussels or the whole republic a lot in my office as Federal Minister of the Interior, nothing has changed: my heart is in Hesse.”
Rhein reiterated his announcement that he wanted to make Hessen more resilient to crises. With a view to the flood disaster in the Ahr Valley and the Russian attack on Ukraine, he mentioned the planned expansion of siren systems and shelters in the country.