CDU and SPD seal new governing coalition
Around ten weeks after the Hessian state elections, the future black-red government alliance is in the bag. The CDU and SPD chose a special place to sign the agreement. The key areas of the agreement include education, families, migration and the economy.
The new black-red government alliance in Hesse has been signed and sealed. Minister President and CDU state chairman Boris Rhein and SPD state leader and Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser signed the coalition agreement in Wiesbaden. It is a coalition for all Hessians, Rhein emphasized.
"We want to strengthen the majority and the social center, but of course we also want to protect minorities," he said. Faeser added that people were living "in very special times" in the face of numerous crises. Stability and social security are therefore important. "And that is what this coalition agreement expresses," said the SPD state leader. "We are addressing the issues that people are interested in." These include good education and workers' rights.
The negotiations had been very intensive, constructive and, above all, confidential, said Rhein. Faeser expressed her thanks for negotiations "at eye level" despite the poor SPD result. Faeser, who was the SPD's top candidate, wants to remain Federal Minister of the Interior and not move to Hesse. The new state parliament will convene for its constituent session on January 18.
The CDU and SPD had invited guests to the signing of the coalition agreement in the new building of the Reinhard Ernst Museum, which has not yet opened. "You couldn't have chosen a better location," said Faeser. It stands for something new, modern and transparent. "Everyone who comes in here senses that something new is taking place," said Rhein. This also speaks for the coalition.
Last weekend, the CDU and SPD adopted the government program for the years 2024 to 2029 at their respective party conferences. The 184-page agreement bears the motto "One for all". While the Christian Democrats voted in favor by more than 99%, the SPD vote was preceded by a controversial discussion. In the end, just under 82% of SPD delegates voted in favor of the paper. This is the first Christian-social coalition in Hesse under the leadership of the CDU.
"Want to create new cohesion"
In the state elections on October 8, the Social Democrats received 15.1 percent of the vote, while the CDU received more than twice as many with 34.6 percent. The parties had initially met for five weeks for exploratory talks and then spent around four weeks discussing the coalition agreement. The new state parliament in Wiesbaden will be constituted on January 18. In the past ten years or so, Hesse has been governed by a black-green coalition.
A new chapter is opening for Hesse's Social Democrats and Christian Democrats, said Rhein. "We want to create a new cohesion". According to the head of government, the priorities of the agreement include education, families, the rule of law, migration and integration as well as the economy, agriculture and healthcare. In times of multiple crises, people have a right to expect parties to address their problems and present solutions, emphasized the Prime Minister. "This treaty provides a good basis for this."
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The CDU and SPD, following their successful coalition negotiations, will form a new government in Hesse, marking the first Christian-social coalition in the state under CDU leadership. In the signed coalition agreement, areas such as education, families, migration, and the economy are highlighted as key focuses.
Despite the SPD's lower vote share in the Hessian state elections, the CDU and SPD were able to create a new cohesion, with priorities including education, families, the rule of law, migration, integration, economy, agriculture, and healthcare, aiming to address the challenges faced by the residents of Hesse.
Source: www.ntv.de
