What to expect from the new conservative coalition in Hesse? After the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) secured a decisive victory in the Hesse elections on October 8, the center-right party has been working on developing a program for a new coalition with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD).
With 34.6 % of the votes, the conservatives doubled the support of their junior coalition partner, who secured third place with 15.1 %. The far-right AfD party took second place with 18.4 % of the votes, but the so-called political "firewall" means that none of the major parties is willing to work with it in a coalition.
What to expect from the new conservative coalition in Hesse
Nevertheless, the coalition agreement, whose signing was completed on Thursday, marks a clear departure from the more socially progressive and climate-conscious days of the former CDU/Greens coalition.
Instead, the new "GroKo" (grand coalition of CDU and SPD) has dubbed its governance style simultaneously "Christian" and "socially oriented." This seemingly entails opening the purse strings for things like education and housing while maintaining a tough stance on crime and illegal migration.
Here are the key plans on the agenda:
Subsidies for land buyers
One of the key promises in the CDU coalition plans was the distribution of the so-called "Hessengeld," which will subsidize the purchase of new homes for first-time property buyers.
According to the plans, future homeowners can reduce property tax by up to €10,000 per adult and €5,000 per child. Given that property tax in Hesse is six percent, for a family of two adults and two children buying a €500,000 house, this could amount to up to €30,000.
The coalition also aims to simplify the process for developers to acquire land and building permits to expedite the construction of more homes.
Mandatory kindergarten attendance
The longstanding debate over comprehensive schools, or "Gesamtschulen" in German, has been ended, meaning that the separate education system will be preserved in Hesse.
Instead, the new coalition plans to make the final year of kindergarten education mandatory. This is primarily done to address the lack of German language skills among first-grade students.
Another change in the school education system will be the legal right to full-day kindergarten, which is slowly being introduced in the state of Hesse.
More police, doctors, and teachers
To turn Hesse into a "strong state," the new Grand Coalition intends to recruit more police officers and expand the use of video surveillance in public places, with artificial intelligence and facial recognition playing a significant role in this effort.
Additionally, the state government will increase hiring targets for doctors and provide more spaces for studying medicine at its universities.
Hiring more teachers is also a key goal as the state grapples with a shortage of teachers in schools, a challenge shared by most German states.
Expansion of highways
Seven out of thirty highway expansion projects proposed by Minister of Transport Volker Wissing (FDP) and rejected by the current state transport minister are expected to be reconsidered by the new CDU/SPD coalition.
This could mean that the controversial expansion of the A5 highway beyond Frankfurt might be approved after all.
Solar panels and aid funds for those affected by climate change
Despite climate protection playing a significant role in this coalition, the agreement mentions plans for the development of solar energy: 100,000 new solar panels will be installed on house roofs. The coalition also aims for the land to become climate-neutral by 2045.
Residents of Hesse will also receive financial assistance if they face difficulties due to the obligation to replace old gas or oil heating systems.
As for wildlife, hunters will gain more rights in the state, including the opportunity to hunt wolves.
Ban on gender-neutral language in schools and universities
One of the most controversial plans of the new government is the proposal to ban the use of gender-neutral language in schools, universities, and on the radio.
Since the German language typically requires speakers to specify gender when referring to professions - usually defaulting to male - people have increasingly been trying to include women in speech using various tactics, such as the "gender star" or Gendersternchen.
Supporters of this tactic argue that it makes speech more inclusive and does not give the impression that, for example, doctors are exclusively male.
However, some tactics, particularly the use of punctuation marks such as the star in written German, remain contentious and are slated for a ban according to coalition plans.
Nevertheless, they are likely to face stiff opposition from journalistic associations in Hesse and may be on shaky legal ground.
Deportation and payment cards for migrants
As the far-right AfD party took second place in the recent elections, combating illegal migration and taking a tough stance on asylum seekers are central issues in the coalition agreement.
The plans include more consistent deportation, an increase in the number of contact points for processing migrants, and expanding the list of "safe countries of origin" to which asylum seekers can be sent.
The coalition also aims to put an end to cash payments for asylum seekers and instead issue payment cards to prevent them from sending money back to their home countries.
Additionally, integration courses and German language courses will become mandatory in the future.
What comes next?
The coalition agreement will be put to a vote by each of the parties, and if approved, ministerial posts will be allocated next year. It is expected that the CDU, as the largest party, will receive eight posts, while the SPD will receive three.
Related topics:
The "Hessengeld," a subsidy for first-time home buyers, is a key promise in the new conservative coalition's plans. This subsidy could reduce property tax by up to €30,000 for a family buying a €500,000 house.
The new conservative coalition also plans to make the final year of kindergarten education mandatory in Hesse to address the lack of German language skills among first-grade students.
