The CDU Prime Minister of Schleswig-Holstein can choose his coalition partner after winning the election.
(Photo: dpa)
keel A good two weeks after the state elections in Schleswig-Holstein, the CDU offered the Greens talks about forming a joint state government. “We didn’t take the decision lightly,” said state chairman and prime minister Daniel Günther on Monday evening after a meeting of the extended state board in Kiel. They want to continue to ensure dynamism in the country, “achieve ambitious climate protection goals”.
Günther announced that he would invite the Greens to sound out as early as Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. Coalition negotiations could then begin on Wednesday.
However, the Green base would first have to agree to black-green coalition negotiations at a small party conference. This is expected to be held on Tuesday evening.
On Thursday evening, talks between the Union, Greens and FDP about a new edition of the Jamaica coalition, which has been in power since 2017, failed. Despite the overwhelming victory of his CDU in the state elections, Günther wanted to continue the three-way alliance. He justified his actions with the popularity of the alliance in the north. Within the Union, however, many had actually hoped for black and yellow.
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The CDU came out surprisingly clearly as the strongest force in the state elections on May 8 with 43.4 percent. Günther’s party missed the absolute majority in the state parliament by just one mandate. Black-Green would have a two-thirds majority in the state parliament, which is even enough for constitutional changes. The Greens had also increased significantly in the election with 18.3 percent.
Internal security could become a contentious issue
One of the experiences of the joint government years in Kiel is that the CDU and the Greens are now much closer in terms of content in many areas than in the past. It is not yet clear where discussions could become difficult. At least in the area of internal security, however, there is likely to be an increased need for negotiations. The Greens recently highlighted climate change and social justice as important issues.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, too, the signs are pointing to black and green after the state election there, the CDU and Greens are coming together there this Tuesday for their first exploratory round. As early as next Sunday, the bodies of the two state parties want to decide on the start of coalition negotiations in the most populous state.
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