Landtag of Hesse
Encyclopedia
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
(Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
) of the German State of Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
. It convenes in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
and currently consists of 118 members of five Parties. Currently there is coalition between the 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...
and the 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...
.
The Landtag is the Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
of the state of Hesse. As a Legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
it is responsible for passing laws at the state level and enact the budget. Its most important function is to elect and control the government of Hesse. The Minister-President
Minister-President
A minister-president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments, in which a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government prevails, who presides over the council of ministers...
is Volker Bouffier
Volker Bouffier
Volker Bouffier is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union. Since August 31, 2010, he is the Minister-president of the German state of Hesse. Additionally, he has been the chairman of Hesse's CDU since July 2010. From 1999 to 2010, he was minister of interior and sports in the state...
.
The constitution of the state of Hesse describes the role of the Landtag in §§ 75 to 99.
Beratender Landesausschuss
After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the state of Hesse was restored by the US military administration under the name of Greater Hesse
Greater Hesse
Greater Hesse was the provisional name given for a section of German territory created by the US military administration in at the end of World War II...
. In 1945, the US military administration implemented the "Beratender Landesausschuss", literally an advisory council. The members of this pre-parliament were appointed and not elected.
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| CDU | 12 |
| SPD | 12 |
| LDP | 12 |
| KPD Communist Party of Germany The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956... |
12 |
| total | 48 |
Constitutional convention
On June 30, 1946 a Constitutional convention of HesseConstitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
("Verfassungsgebenden Landesversammlung") was elected.
This election was won by the SPD, even if the SPD failed to capture a majority of seats. On November 22, 1945 the constitution for Greater Hesse (Staatsgrundgesetz des Staates Groß-Hessen) was introduced.
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| SPD | 41 |
| CDU | 36 |
| KPD Communist Party of Germany The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956... |
7 |
| LDP | 6 |
| total | 90 |
1st Legislative period (1946 through 1950)
The first regular election on December 1, 1946 was also won by the SPD.A grand coalition
Grand coalition
A grand coalition is an arrangement in a multi-party parliamentary system in which the two largest political parties of opposing political ideologies unite in a coalition government...
of SPD and CDU decided on electing Christian Stock
Christian Stock
Christian Stock was a German Social Democrat politician and the first Prime Minister—Ministerpräsident—of the provisional state of Greater Hesse , which had been constituted in the aftermath of World War II...
(SPD) as first free elected Minister-President of Hesse after World War II.
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| SPD | 38 |
| CDU | 28 |
| LDP | 14 |
| KPD Communist Party of Germany The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956... |
10 |
| total | 90 |
2nd Legislative period (1950 through 1954)
The second election on November 19, 1950 inaugurated the 37-year period of the so-called "red Hesse". The SPD achieved majority and the CDU, the former partner in the grand coalition, lost close to 60 % of their seats. Until 1987, all governments of Hesse have been headed by SPD politicians.On December 14, 1950 the former Minister of Justice, Georg August Zinn
Georg August Zinn
Georg August Zinn was German lawyer and a politician of the . He was Minister-President of Hesse and a member of the Bundestag . He was born and died in Frankfurt am Main....
(SPD) was elected as Minister-President of Hesse. Zinn was re-elected 4 times and was Minister-President until October 3, 1969.
| Party | Seats 1950 | Seats 1954 |
|---|---|---|
| SPD | 47 | | 48 |
| FDP | 13 | | 13 |
| CDU | 12 | | 12 |
| GB/BHE All-German Bloc/League of Expellees and Deprived of Rights The All-German Bloc/League of Expellees and Deprived of Rights was a right-wing political party in West Germany, which acted as an advocacy group of the Germans fled and expelled in and after World War II.-History:... |
8 | | 7 |
| total | 80 | | 80 |
3rd Legislative period (1954 through 1958)
Even if the SPD lost the absolute majority in the third election on November 28, 1953, it managed to agree on a coalition with the "All-German Bloc/League of Expellees and Deprived of Rights" a party representing the victims of the Expulsion of Germans after World War IIExpulsion of Germans after World War II
The later stages of World War II, and the period after the end of that war, saw the forced migration of millions of German nationals and ethnic Germans from various European states and territories, mostly into the areas which would become post-war Germany and post-war Austria...
.
| Party | Seats 1954 | Seats 1958 |
|---|---|---|
| SPD | 44 | | 44 |
| CDU | 24 | | 24 |
| FDP | 21 | | 20 |
| GB/BHE All-German Bloc/League of Expellees and Deprived of Rights The All-German Bloc/League of Expellees and Deprived of Rights was a right-wing political party in West Germany, which acted as an advocacy group of the Germans fled and expelled in and after World War II.-History:... |
7 | | 7 |
| Non-Inscrits Non-Inscrits Non-Inscrits are Members of the European Parliament who do not sit in one of the recognized political groups.... |
0 | | 1 |
| total | 96 | | 96 |
4th Legislative period (1958 through 1962)
The fourth election of November 23, 1958 perpetuated the previous coalition.| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| SPD | 48 |
| CDU | 32 |
| FDP | 9 |
| GB/BHE All-German Bloc/League of Expellees and Deprived of Rights The All-German Bloc/League of Expellees and Deprived of Rights was a right-wing political party in West Germany, which acted as an advocacy group of the Germans fled and expelled in and after World War II.-History:... |
7 |
| total | 96 |
5th Legislative period (1962 through 1966)
Even if the SPD obtained absolute majority on November 11, 1962, Zinn decided to continue the coalition with the GDP ("Gesamtdeutsche Partei", the new name of GB/BHE).| Party | Seats 1962 | Seats 1966 |
|---|---|---|
| SPD | 51 | | 51 |
| CDU | 26 | | 26 |
| FDP | 11 | | 12 |
| GDP | 6 | | 5 |
| total | 94 | | 94 |
6th Legislative period (1966 through 1970)
On November 6, 1966, the SPD elected a majority of MPs once more. Zinn was appointed one last time as Minister-President. On October 3, 1969, 68-year-old Zinn resigned and Albert OsswaldAlbert Osswald
Albert Osswald was a German politician . He served as minister-president of the federal state of Hesse from 1969 to 1976.- Biography :...
(SPD) was elected as his successor.
| Party | Begin | End |
|---|---|---|
| SPD | 52 | | 52 |
| CDU | 26 | | 26 |
| FDP | 10 | | 10 |
| NPD National Democratic Party of Germany The National Democratic Party of Germany – The People's Union , is a far right German nationalist party. It was founded in 1964 a successor to the German Reich Party . Party statements self-identify as Germany's "only significant patriotic force"... |
8 | | 7 |
| Non-Inscrits Non-Inscrits Non-Inscrits are Members of the European Parliament who do not sit in one of the recognized political groups.... |
0 | | 1 |
| total | 96 | | 96 |
7th Legislative period (1970 through 1974)
Headed by Alfred DreggerAlfred Dregger
Alfred Dregger was a German politician and a leader of the Christian Democratic Union .Dregger was born in Münster. After graduating from a school in Werl, he entered the German Wehrmacht in 1939...
the CDU was able to make an impressive jump in the election of November 8, 1970. The SPD lost its majority but agreed on a Social-liberal coalition
Social-liberal coalition
Social-liberal coalition in Germany refers to a governmental coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Free Democratic Party .The term stems from social democracy of the SPD and the liberalism of the FDP...
with the FDP and Albert Osswald was reelected.
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| SPD | 53 |
| CDU | 46 |
| FDP | 11 |
| total | 110 |
8th Legislative period (1974 through 1978)
Alfred Dregger and his CDU were even more successful in the election on October 27, 1974. For the first time in the history of Hesse, the CDU overtook the SPD. But the coalition was confirmed and Osswald stayed as Minister-President.Two years later Osswald resigned because of the Helaba
Helaba
Helaba short for Hessische Landesbank Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen is a commercial bank with core regions in Hesse and Thuringia, Germany...
-scandal. Holger Börner
Holger Börner
Holger Börner was a German politician of the SPD.He was Minister-President of Hesse from 1976 until 1987. In this position, he served as President of the Bundesrat in 1986/87, but only served until the Landtag elections of 24 April 1987.In 1984, he and his SPD lost the majority in the Hesse Landtag...
(SPD) was elected as Minister-President in his place.
| Party | Seats 1974 | Seats 1978 |
|---|---|---|
| CDU | 53 | | 53 |
| SPD | 49 | | 49 |
| FDP | 8 | | 7 |
| Non-Inscrits Non-Inscrits Non-Inscrits are Members of the European Parliament who do not sit in one of the recognized political groups.... |
0 | | 1 |
| total | 110 |
9th Legislative period (1978 through 1982)
Expecting a majority, the results were disappointing for the CDU. In the period of RAFRed Army Faction
The radicalized were, like many in the New Left, influenced by:* Sociological developments, pressure within the educational system in and outside Europe and the U.S...
terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
, the CDU stagnated and the SPD-FDP coalition was confirmed in the elections on October 8, 1978. On May 11, 1981, deputy Minister-President Heinz-Herbert Karry was assassinated by terrorists in his flat in Frankfurt am Main. This legislative period is also marked by the demonstrations against the extension of the Frankfurt Airport
Frankfurt Airport
Frankfurt Airport may refer to:Airports of Frankfurt, Germany:*Frankfurt Airport , the largest airport in Germany*Frankfurt Egelsbach Airport, a general aviation airport*Frankfurt-Hahn Airport , a converted U.S...
. Himself hard-pressed by activists in his car, Börner, previously a learned roofer, at the time said that 40 years ago, he would have answered such attacks directed at his person - meaning the anti-airport-activists (the later Greens) - with "roof battens". Börner thus entered Hesse history as the "Man with a roof batten".
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| CDU | 53 |
| SPD | 50 |
| FDP | 7 |
| total | 110 |
10th Legislative period (1982 through 1983)
After the break of the Social-liberal coalitionSocial-liberal coalition
Social-liberal coalition in Germany refers to a governmental coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Free Democratic Party .The term stems from social democracy of the SPD and the liberalism of the FDP...
in Germany, the FDP was not able to reach more than 5% and got no seats in the Landtag. At the same time, themselves reaching the 5% threshold, the Greens (Die Grünen) made their entrance in a German parliament for the first time, but not long thereafter, they announced their fundamental opposition to parliamentary democracy. For its part, the SPD was not willing to accept a grand coalition headed by the CDU. As a result, a Snap election
Snap election
A snap election is an election called earlier than expected. Generally it refers to an election in a parliamentary system called when not required , usually to capitalize on a unique electoral opportunity or to decide a pressing issue...
took place a year later.
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| CDU | 52 |
| SPD | 49 |
| Greens | 9 |
| total | 110 |
11th Legislative period (1983 through 1987)
The extraordinary election on August 25, 1983 got no new result. The FDP returned to the Landtag but the CDU and the FDP, as well as the SPD, obtained no majority.| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| SPD | 51 |
| CDU | 44 |
| FDP | 8 |
| Die Grünen | 7 |
| total | 110 |
Holger Börner was reelected as Minister-President and in 1985 a first Red-green alliance
Red-green alliance
In politics, a red-green alliance is an alliance of "red" social-democratic or democratic socialist parties with "green" environmentalist parties. The alliance is often based on common left political views, especially a shared distrust of corporate or capitalist institutions...
in Germany was formed. Joschka Fischer
Joschka Fischer
Joseph Martin "Joschka" Fischer is a German politician of the Alliance '90/The Greens. He served as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany in the cabinet of Gerhard Schröder from 1998 to 2005...
was nominated minister for environment and energy. The Green party at this time was divided in "fundamental" and "democratic" factions. These two groups were not able to agree on a common politic. The "red-green-chaos" was the common description for these years. The coalition ended in February 1987.
12th Legislative period (1987 bis 1991)
The 1987 election was a milestone. As a rule, the party ruling Germany lost votes in the state elections. CDU and FDP had lost all elections on state level since Helmut KohlHelmut Kohl
Helmut Josef Michael Kohl is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union from 1973 to 1998...
had been elected as chancellor. But the red-green-chaos lead to surprising results: on April 5, 1987, the CDU and the FDP won the elections and Walter Wallmann
Walter Wallmann
Walter Wallmann is a German politician who has served as Lord Mayor of Frankfurt .Between 1986 and 1987 he was the first Federal Minister for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety...
became the first CDU Minister-President of Hesse.
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| CDU | 47 |
| SPD | 44 |
| Die Grünen | 10 |
| FDP | 9 |
| total | 110 |
13th Legislative period (1991 through 1995)
The vote on January 20, 1991 was as close as the last one, but this time the SPD and the Greens obtained slightly more seats. Hand Eichel (SPD) became the new Minister-President, supported by a red/green-alliance.| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| SPD | 46 |
| CDU | 46 |
| Die Grünen | 10 |
| FDP | 8 |
| total | 110 |
14th Legislative period (1995 through 1999)
In the elections on February 19, 1995 the red/green-alliance was confirmed.| Party | Seats 1995 | Seats 1999 |
|---|---|---|
| CDU | 45 | | 45 |
| SPD | 44 | | 44 |
| Die Grünen | 13 | | 13 |
| FDP | 8 | | 7 |
| Non-Inscrits Non-Inscrits Non-Inscrits are Members of the European Parliament who do not sit in one of the recognized political groups.... |
0 | | 1 |
| total | 110 | | 110 |
15th Legislative period (1999 through 2003)
On February 7, 1999, the CDU won the elections with a 4.2 % margin. One of the main reasons given for this result is an unpopular red/green legislative project aimed at granting citizenship to aliensAlien (law)
In law, an alien is a person in a country who is not a citizen of that country.-Categorization:Types of "alien" persons are:*An alien who is legally permitted to remain in a country which is foreign to him or her. On specified terms, this kind of alien may be called a legal alien of that country...
. This would have granted suffrage
Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
to millions of aliens (mainly Turks). According to surveys
Statistical survey
Survey methodology is the field that studies surveys, that is, the sample of individuals from a population with a view towards making statistical inferences about the population using the sample. Polls about public opinion, such as political beliefs, are reported in the news media in democracies....
, 80% of these aliens would have voted for left-leaning parties. In order to put a stop to this project, the CDU organized a campaign and collected more than 5 million signatures.
Roland Koch
Roland Koch
Roland Koch is a German jurist and former conservative politician. He was Minister-President of Hesse from April 7, 1999, immediately becoming President of the Bundesrat, completing the term begun by his predecessor as Minister President, Hans Eichel, until his resignation on August 31, 2010...
(CDU) was appointed Minister-President of a CDU-FDP coalition.
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| CDU | 50 |
| SPD | 46 |
| Bündnis 90/Die Grünen | 8 |
| FDP | 6 |
| total | 110 |
16th Legislative period (2003 through 2008)
The election of February 2, 2003 was a disaster for the SPD. The CDU managed to get a majority even without the FDP. All but two constituencies were won - even in the north of Hesse, where the SPD had won each single election in the 20th century.| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| CDU | 56 |
| SPD | 33 |
| Bündnis 90/Die Grünen | 12 |
| FDP | 9 |
| total | 110 |
17th Legislative period (2008 through 2009)
Like in 1982, the results of the election allowed no stable coalition to take the reinRein
Reins are items of horse tack, used to direct a horse or other animal used for riding or driving. Reins can be made of leather, nylon, metal, or other materials, and attach to a bridle via either its bit or its noseband.-Use for riding:...
s of government. Andrea Ypsilanti
Andrea Ypsilanti
Andrea Ypsilanti is a German politician.-Political career:Ypsilanti is a member of the Hessian Landtag and was chairperson of the Social Democratic Party of Hesse from March 2003 to January 2009.In the Hesse state elections of 2008, held on 27 January 2008, she was the SPD's candidate for the...
, leader of the SPD, had promised several times during the electoral campaign not to work together with the new leftist party Die Linke
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....
(The Left). A few weeks after election day, she was tempted to go for a SPD–Green coalition supported by The Left but under opposition from MP Dagmar Metzger
Dagmar Metzger
Dagmar Metzger is a German lawyer and politician, and a former member of the Parliament of Hesse for the Social Democratic Party of Germany ....
(SPD) decided not to renege on her promise not to pursue such a venue. As of today, Roland Koch is still Minister-President but without majority in the parliament. After a second unsuccessful attempt by Ypsilanti to take power, all parties agreed to dissolve the Landtag and call for early elections on January 18, 2009.
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| CDU | 42 |
| SPD | 42 |
| FDP | 11 |
| Bündnis 90/Die Grünen | 9 |
| Die Linke | 6 |
| total | 110 |
18th Legislative period (2009 through 2014)
The early elections on January 18, 2009 lead to a stable majority of CDU and FDP. Andrea YpsilantiAndrea Ypsilanti
Andrea Ypsilanti is a German politician.-Political career:Ypsilanti is a member of the Hessian Landtag and was chairperson of the Social Democratic Party of Hesse from March 2003 to January 2009.In the Hesse state elections of 2008, held on 27 January 2008, she was the SPD's candidate for the...
had resigned to candidate for Ministerpresident. New leader of the SPD was Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel
Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel
Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel is a German politician of the SPD.He is currently the leader of the opposition SPD party bloc in the Hessian state parliament...
, a unknown backbencher
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
and loyal supporter of Ypsilanti. Now SPD declared their will to work with Die Linke
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....
together for a left wing majority. On January 18, 2009 the SPD lost a third of their seats.
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| CDU | 46 |
| SPD | 29 |
| FDP | 20 |
| Bündnis 90/Die Grünen | 17 |
| Die Linke | 6 |
| total | 118 |