CDU and SPD Seal Hesse Coalition Deals, Barely
Say so long to opposition: After a heated debate and the CDU's green light, the SPD supports the coalition agreement, passing it with a slim margin.
The long-awaited black-red coalition agreement in Hesse is now official. With a narrow 81.9% acceptance rate, the CDU's junior coalition partner, the SPD, approved the government program during an extraordinary party conference in Groß-Umstadt.
The CDU voted in favor of the agreement earlier, with just one delegate casting a dissenting vote in Frankfurt. The signing ceremony is scheduled to take place on Monday.
The agreement garnered mixed reactions at the SPD conference. Critics pointed out the narrow guard rails for migration and the planned ban on special gender symbols in schools and universities. Some, like the SPD's regional youth leader, Lukas Schneider, even maintained their rejection of the coalition.
Nancy Faeser, SPD's state leader and Germany's Federal Interior Minister, described the coalition as a "responsibility community" rather than a "love match." Despite some challenging topics in the coalition agreement, such as the formulated refugee policy goals, Faeser believes refusing to join the government would mean limited efforts to support migrants.
Hessian SPD marks its return to power after 25 years on the opposition bench, earning only 15.1% of the votes during the October 8 elections – less than half that of the CDU (34.6%). The new state parliament will be convened on January 18, enabling the CDU-SPD coalition to begin governing.
Additional Insights
At the federal level, discussions have sparked about potential coalition options for the CDU/CSU and SPD in the 2025 election.
The CDU's alliance with the far-right party AfD has sparked significant backlash due to their shared stance on migration policies.
Historically, the SPD has been the party of the working classes and trade unions, with strong voter bases in Germany's industrial regions.
Criticism of the SPD's coalition partners has triggered internal party dissatisfaction, leading to feelings of deception and disappointment.
In a surprising twist of events, the SPD, headed by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, gave its stamp of approval to the coalition agreement between the CDU and SPD in Hesse. After an extraordinary party conference in Groß-Umstadt, the black-red coalition agreement was passed, marking the SPD's return to power after a lengthy 25 years on the opposition bench.
