Berlin Five years ago, Daniel Günther had a plan: If he were to lose the state elections in Schleswig-Holstein – and that’s what it looked like in February 2017 when he was sitting in Berlin’s Einstein coffee house in the morning and talking about his future – then at the age of 43 he would be dead years young enough to dare a new attempt in 2022 in the direction of the Kiel Fjord and the State Chancellery.
The 48-year-old, who was born in Eckernförde, is one of the well-connected politicians in his party. After studying political science, he was drawn to professional politics, first as managing director of his district association and later in the state party.
At the time, the state CDU was going through a number of affairs involving top CDU personnel. Günther never met it, on the contrary. When the top candidate Ingbert Liebing resigned in 2016, Günther took over the office of state chairman and top candidate. He only had five months until election day.
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Five months followed five years
This time he had five years in office. He will win from his own strength, while another youngster of the federal party, Tobias Hans, lost as Prime Minister in Saarland from his own weakness. One reason may be that Günther managed the corona crisis with sensitivity like no other.
Although he took part in the rounds of prime ministers, he also presented his own plans and insisted on incidence-based rules. He presented himself as a liberal – also because he had the FDP at his side. And it shone all the more because a zero-Covid strategy was the focus in neighboring Hamburg.
Günther had already attracted attention with his liberal positions during the election campaign. The practicing Catholic promoted same-sex marriage and homosexual adoption. In view of the difficult majority situation in the eastern German states, he later called for cooperation with the left if necessary. It earned him the nickname “red Daniel”, at least in Bavaria. He rejects the political style of the CSU.
In government, Günther stood for the motto: To each his own. CDU, FDP and Greens were able to score points in their subject areas, Günther even promoted a CO2 tax early on in the interests of the Greens. The FDP could not benefit. It is currently behind the result of 2017. But the CDU and Greens have increased significantly. Even one or the other affair in the country over the last five years could not harm the CDU state father – to the chagrin of the SPD.
Schleswig-Holstein benefits from the end of Russian oil and gas
In the final sprint to the election Günther was absent for a few days – Corona. He had to cancel appointments, but he had actually already won the election. “The election campaign has gained momentum of its own, it’s going well without him,” said two weeks before the election with satisfaction in the North CDU.
Even the many debates in Berlin played no role, since Schleswig-Holstein is more likely to benefit from the crisis if liquid gas terminals are now being built, offshore energy is urgently needed and the air force and shipyards will be given new tasks and fresh money.
The debate about Friedrich Merz and his trip to Kyiv is not important either. Günther even defended his federal chairman on Tuesday. It was “a real sign”.
Since the SPD cannot succeed with their largely unknown top candidate, the only question that remains is: Will Günther govern with the Greens – or with the FDP? In any case, given the strength of the CDU, there will no longer be a Jamaica alliance, the first at state level in Germany.
It’s definitely enough for black and green. Meanwhile, the Greens fear that a black-yellow alliance could also be possible. Günther’s friend, Robert Habeck, has long since disappeared to Berlin, but he gets along well with FDP Economics Minister Bernd Buchholz.
The Liberals have already made it clear: They are only available for Jamaica if Günther really needs both partners in order to be able to govern. In any case, the traffic light dreams that some people had in Kiel after the federal elections have burst in the polls.
More: Why the NRW election is becoming an endurance test for Friedrich Merz