The New Red-Green Senate of Hamburg Takes Office
Newly-elected Hamburg senate officially sworn in - Hamburg's freshly sworn-in Senate starts its term in government.
Welcome to a fresh take on the happenings in Hamburg! Nine weeks post the state election, the city's new red-green state government, led by Mayor Peter Tschentscher, officially brings the reins. The parliament confirmed Tschentscher as the head honcho with a majority vote, seating the senators concurrently. Since 2018, Tschentscher has been at the helm of Hamburg with a red-green coalition.
A Lone Opposition Voice
In the secret ballot, 71 parliamentarians voiced their support for Tschentscher, with 47 voting against and a solitary abstention. Despite holding 70 out of the 121 parliamentary seats combined, the SPD and Greens required at least one vote from the opposition to secure Tschentscher's position.
Senators, including Deputy Mayor Katharina Fegebank (Greens), secured the nod with 68 affirmative votes, while 49 cast dissenting votes and a single abstention was tallied. This opens up the possibility that two members from the governing coalition might have decided to switch sides on this matter.
The Senate Breakdown
The SPD has control of seven senatorial posts, while the Greens manage four. The Senate has a woman-majority, with seven out of the twelve positions occupied by females.
Changes on the Horizon
While only Maryam Blumenthal from the Greens is joining the Senate in the Senate, she won't take charge of the environmental portfolio as before but instead lead the science authority assumed by Fegebank. Fegebank, on the other hand, will move to the environmental authority, naming climate policy as her top priority there.
The remaining incumbent Senators have retained their positions, including Melanie Leonhard as Minister of Economics, Karen Pein (Urban Development), Melanie Schlotzhauer (Social Affairs), Ksenija Bekeris (Education), Andreas Dressel (Finance), Andy Grote (Interior), Carsten Brosda (Culture), Anna Gallina (Justice), and Anjes Tjarks (Transport).
Some administrative areas have witnessed shifts. The districts will now fall under the finance authority, and the labor market area has moved from social authority to economic authority. Conversely, the area of seniors now falls under the responsibility of the social authority, with the authority officially renamed as the Authority for Health, Social Affairs, and Integration.
A quartet of new state secretaries have been added to the team: Stefanie von Berg will tackle environment, climate, and agriculture in the environmental authority starting in June. Katharina von Fintel and Michaela Peponis will join the school authority as the authority's heads for School and Vocational Training and Family and Youth, respectively. Funda Güür is responsible for handling social affairs and integration in the social authority. A dozen state secretaries from the old Senate will continue to hold their positions.
After the 2022 Election
In the Hamburg parliamentary election on March 2nd, both parties suffered setbacks, yet the SPD stayed the strongest force. The Greens faced a third place finish behind a stronger CDU. Since 2015, the SPD and Greens have been governing Hamburg together first under Olaf Scholz and now under Tschentscher.
Dennis Thering (CDU), the opposition leader, who had harbored aspirations of a share in government, extended congratulations to Tschentscher. "For the citizens of Hamburg, it is now crucial to work together decisively to make our city a little better every day." This collaboration demands swift and decisive decisions for Hamburg's future and investments in tomorrow's prosperity, asserted Thering.
Congratulatory messages also poured in from the SPD, Greens, the chamber of crafts, the Protestant church, and Hesse's Minister President Boris Rhein (CDU). Rhein described Tschentscher as a pragmatic and prudent politician, underscoring their mutual respect and cooperative spirit in past collaborations in the Minister Presidents' Conference and the Bundesrat.
- The newly elected red-green senate, led by Mayor Peter Tschentscher, will be enacting community and employment policies as they take office in Hamburg.
- In a secret ballot, 71 parliamentarians confirmed Tschentscher as the head honcho, but a single abstention indicated potential discontent within the alliance.
- The integration authority, previously under the responsibility of the social authority, has been renamed as the Authority for Health, Social Affairs, and Integration.
- After the election, opposition leader Dennis Thering from the CDU extended congratulations to Tschentscher, emphasizing the need for cooperation to make Hamburg a better city and invest in its future prosperity.
