New Prime Minister - Schweitzer ahead of election as head of government in Rhineland-Palatinate
The Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament is electing a new Minister-President today. The current Labor and Social Minister Alexander Schweitzer (both SPD) is expected to succeed the popular Malu Dreyer (both SPD). The 63-year-old has announced her retirement from politics after eleven years as the chief minister. She justified her decision by stating that she no longer has the energy for the role. Dreyer has been suffering from multiple sclerosis for a longer period. She proposed Schweitzer as her successor.
Schweitzer needs 51 votes from the 101 legislators for the Minister-President election. The three coalition factions together hold over 54 votes - three more than necessary. The SPD has 39 seats, the Greens 9, and the FDP 6. The election is considered a foregone conclusion. Schweitzer's wife and his 14 and 15-year-old sons are expected to be present in the parliament in Mainz.
Landtag President Hendrik Hering (SPD) will read Dreyer's resignation letter first, around 13:00 hours. Short speeches from Hering and Dreyer are planned afterward. The strongest government-supporting parliamentary fraction, which is the SPD, will then propose a new Minister-President. After the secret ballot and acceptance of the election, the Landtag President will swear in the new Minister-President. The Palatine will then give a speech. His first government declaration, however, is expected only after the summer break.
In the following, Dorothee Schall (SPD) is expected to be sworn in as the new minister in the State Chancellery. The 46-year-old native of Ludwigshafen from North Rhine-Westphalia takes over Schweitzer's ministry. She is responsible for Social Affairs, Labor, Transformation, and Digitalization. The remaining ministerial cabinet remains unchanged.
With Dreyer's retirement, an era comes to an end in Rhineland-Palatinate. The sympathetic and empathetic politician sat at the cabinet table for eleven years before her move to the State Chancellery, as a Social Minister. Kurt Beck had appointed her as his successor. Dreyer was the first woman in that position in Rhineland-Palatinate and also a pioneer with an Ampel (Traffic Light) coalition.
Schweitzer, like Dreyer, is a Jurist, Social Politician, and Palatine. However, Dreyer now lives in Trier, while Schweitzer still resides in Bad Bergzabern. He had long been considered a candidate for her succession. However, he was not the only one. The announcement of the change three weeks ago came surprisingly quickly after the European and the Municipal elections. The timing is considered optimal for Schweitzer to make himself known in the office until the Landtag election in 2026.
- The SPD, led by Malu Dreyer, currently holds the majority in the Rhineland-Palatinate Parliament, with 39 seats.
- The election of the new Minister-President will take place in Parliament in Mainz, Germany, with Hendrik Hering presiding.
- Alexander Schweitzer, also from the SPD, is expected to become the new Prime Minister, following Malu Dreyer's retirement due to health reasons.
- The FDP, with 6 seats in Parliament, is a key coalition partner in the state government, alongside the SPD and the Greens.
- Alexander Schweitzer's wife and his two sons, aged 14 and 15, are expected to attend the parliamentary proceedings to witness their father's election as the new Prime Minister.
- Hendrik Hering, the current Landtag President, will read Dreyer's resignation letter and preside over the Minister-President election, which Schweitzer is expected to win with the support of his coalition parties.
