Hamburg state election, 2011
Encyclopedia
On February 20, 2011, a state election was held in Hamburg
, Germany
, for the 20th legislative period of the Hamburg Parliament
after World War II. The election is a result of the collapse of the coalition government
led by the Christian Democratic Union
(CDU) and the Green Alternative List
(GAL). The Hamburg Parliament was officially dissolved on December 15, 2010. The Social Democratic Party
(SPD) won an absolute majority after winning 62 seats. Absolute majorities are considered rare in Germany. The Free Democratic Party
(FDP) re-entered parliament after failing to win any seats in the previous election.
and the Green Alternative List
has been strained since the former Mayor Ole von Beust
announced he was stepping down in July. Von Beust was a popular mayor and was seen as the guarantor
for the coalition government. The CDU/Green party coalition was the first coalition government between the two parties in Germany. Christoph Ahlhaus was chosen as the mayor. Since Ahlhaus became mayor, there were many conflicts which were intensifying. Ahlhaus had been critical of the GAL on several occasions.
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left colspan="2" valign=top| Parties
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="1"| Votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="1"| %
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="1"| +/-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="1"| Seats
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="1"| +/-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="1"| %
|- align=right
||
| align=left| Social Democratic Party
| 1,667,804
| 48.4%
| +14.3
| 62
| +17
|
|- align=right
||
|align=left| Christian Democratic Union
| 753,805
| 21.9%
| -20.7
| 28
| -28
|
|- align=right
||
|align=left| Green-Alternative List
| 384,502
| 11.2%
| +1.6
| 14
| +2
|
|- align=right
||
|align=left| Free Democratic Party
| 229,125
| 6.7%
| +1.9
| 9
| +9
|
|- align=right
||
|align=left| The Left
|220,428
| 6.4%
| ±0.0
| 8
| ±0
|
|- align=right
||
|align=left| Pirate Party Germany
| 73,126
| 2.1%
| +1.9
|
|
|
|- align=right
|bgcolor="darkgray"|
|align=left| All Others
|
| 3.4%
| +1.1
|
|
|
|- align=right
!
!align=left| Totals
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}
in Hamburg
was caused by voters being dissatisfied with the how Angela Merkel
handled of the euro crisis as well as voter dissatisfaction over local issues in Hamburg.
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, for the 20th legislative period of the Hamburg Parliament
Hamburg Parliament
The Hamburg Parliament is the unicameral legislature of the German state of Hamburg according to the constitution of Hamburg. As of 2011 there were 121 members in the parliament, representing a relatively equal amount of constituencies...
after World War II. The election is a result of the collapse of the coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
led by the Christian Democratic Union
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
(CDU) and the Green Alternative List
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
(GAL). The Hamburg Parliament was officially dissolved on December 15, 2010. The Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(SPD) won an absolute majority after winning 62 seats. Absolute majorities are considered rare in Germany. The Free Democratic Party
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
(FDP) re-entered parliament after failing to win any seats in the previous election.
Collapse
The relationship between the Christian Democratic UnionChristian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
and the Green Alternative List
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
has been strained since the former Mayor Ole von Beust
Ole von Beust
Carl-Friedrich Arp Ole Freiherr von Beust, generally called Ole von Beust, born April 13, 1955, in Hamburg, Germany, was First Mayor of the city-state of Hamburg from 31 October 2001 to 25 August 2010, serving as President of the Bundesrat from 1 November 2007 on for one year...
announced he was stepping down in July. Von Beust was a popular mayor and was seen as the guarantor
Surety
A surety or guarantee, in finance, is a promise by one party to assume responsibility for the debt obligation of a borrower if that borrower defaults...
for the coalition government. The CDU/Green party coalition was the first coalition government between the two parties in Germany. Christoph Ahlhaus was chosen as the mayor. Since Ahlhaus became mayor, there were many conflicts which were intensifying. Ahlhaus had been critical of the GAL on several occasions.
Polls
| Party | Last election |
11-02-2011 | 13-02-2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDU Christian Democratic Union (Germany) The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum... |
42.6% | 23% | 24% | |
| SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
34.1% | 46% | 45% | |
| GAL Alliance '90/The Greens Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir... |
9.6% | 14.5% | 15% | |
| The Left The Left (Germany) The Left , also commonly referred to as the Left Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Germany. The Left is the most left-wing party of the five represented in the Bundestag.... |
6.4% | 6% | 6% | |
| FDP Free Democratic Party (Germany) The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government... |
4.8% | 5% | 5% | |
Election results
|-!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left colspan="2" valign=top| Parties
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="1"| Votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="1"| %
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="1"| +/-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="1"| Seats
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="1"| +/-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="1"| %
|- align=right
||
| align=left| Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
| 1,667,804
| 48.4%
| +14.3
| 62
| +17
|
|- align=right
||
|align=left| Christian Democratic Union
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
| 753,805
| 21.9%
| -20.7
| 28
| -28
|
|- align=right
||
|align=left| Green-Alternative List
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
| 384,502
| 11.2%
| +1.6
| 14
| +2
|
|- align=right
||
|align=left| Free Democratic Party
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
| 229,125
| 6.7%
| +1.9
| 9
| +9
|
|- align=right
||
|align=left| The Left
The Left (Germany)
The Left , also commonly referred to as the Left Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Germany. The Left is the most left-wing party of the five represented in the Bundestag....
|220,428
| 6.4%
| ±0.0
| 8
| ±0
|
|- align=right
||
|align=left| Pirate Party Germany
| 73,126
| 2.1%
| +1.9
|
|
|
|- align=right
|bgcolor="darkgray"|
|align=left| All Others
|
| 3.4%
| +1.1
|
|
|
|- align=right
!
!align=left| Totals
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}
Post-election
The loss for the Christian DemocratsChristian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
was caused by voters being dissatisfied with the how Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
handled of the euro crisis as well as voter dissatisfaction over local issues in Hamburg.