As of: 05/23/2022 9:18 p.m
The CDU in Schleswig-Holstein wants to talk to the Greens about a black-green state government. Prime Minister Günther has thus decided against the FDP. The first meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.
A good two weeks after the state elections in Schleswig-Holstein, the CDU is backing an alliance with the Greens. Prime Minister and CDU state leader Daniel Günther announced after a state board meeting in Kiel that the CDU would invite the Greens to two-way exploratory talks. After the election, the CDU initially sought a tripartite alliance with the Greens and FDP, but this option failed last week due to resistance from the Greens.
The decision was not made lightly, said Günther. It was his suggestion to offer the Greens coalition negotiations. The board of directors unanimously approved the proposal that evening. The Union will now invite the Greens to an exploratory talk tomorrow.
Greens no longer want a tripartite alliance
In the state elections around two weeks ago, the CDU narrowly missed out on an absolute majority and could form a comfortable majority in the new Kiel state parliament with the Greens or the FDP. Nevertheless, she initially relied on a tripartite alliance with the Greens and the FDP. In this constellation, the three parties had already governed together in the previous legislative period since 2017.
However, the Greens rejected this plan last week after initial exploratory talks. According to their own statements, they saw no permanently stable basis for a new Jamaican coalition under the changed majority situation.
Decision not without risk for the CDU
After the Jamaica option failed, the CDU announced that it would still be deciding between the Greens and the FDP. Both parties have been courting the CDU again in the past few days and have offered themselves as government partners. FDP country chief Heiner Garg emphasized the “substantive intersections” between Liberals and Christian Democrats. Greens’ top candidate Monika Heinold explained that the Greens wanted to “shape the future” with the CDU.
For Günther, the decision for the Greens is not without risk, as there are clearly larger overlaps in content with the FDP. Weakened by the result of the state elections, this would have to return to the opposition after five years.