Five weeks after the state elections, the Hessian CDU decided to negotiate with the SPD about the formation of the future state government. This means that the black-green coalition is on the verge of collapse.
After its victory in the state elections on October 8th, the Hessian CDU decided to hold negotiations with the SPD about the formation of the future state government. This was decided unanimously by the party and the state parliamentary group, said Prime Minister Boris Rhein at a press conference in Wiesbaden.
This means that the black-green coalition that has existed for ten years is on the verge of collapse. The CDU and the Greens had governed together in Hesse comparatively quietly. Conflicts were mostly fought behind closed doors and not on an open stage. At the press conference, Rhein also spoke of “a friendly relationship” and “ten good years”. “We made this decision anything but easy,” the CDU politician continued.
Boris Rhein and Ines Claus during the press conference to form a government in Hesse.
Discussions should start soon
The SPD could now assume government responsibility again after 25 years of continuous opposition. However, the state party still has to agree to start coalition talks. To this end, the state executive board has called a meeting of the party council for this evening in Kassel. Consent is considered certain. The exploratory talks were led by SPD state leader and Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. It is expected that she will remain in the federal government even in the event of a black-red coalition and not move to the state government.
The coalition talks in Hesse are scheduled to begin on Tuesday. The plan is to have the negotiations concluded before Christmas if possible. The next legislative period begins on January 18th next year. Then the new state parliament is constituted and elects the Prime Minister.
Premiere for black and red
It would be the first time that the two parties would form a Union-led state government. There was once an SPD/CDU coalition in Wiesbaden from 1946 to 1950 in the reverse order of precedence and with an SPD prime minister at the head.
Black-red would have a large majority with a total of 74 out of 133 state parliament seats. With 52 seats, the CDU would be much stronger than the SPD.