The CDU and SPD have approved the new black-red coalition agreement for Hesse at party conferences. For one of the two future government partners, this was only possible with a stomachache.
The path is clear for the future black-red government coalition in Hesse. The CDU and SPD voted for the coalition agreement at their respective party conferences. The vote was preceded by a long and controversial debate among the Social Democrats. At an extraordinary SPD party conference in Groß-Umstadt near Darmstadt there were finally 253 yes and 56 no votes with 8 abstentions. The government program for the years 2024 to 2029 was therefore accepted with 81.9 percent.
Previously, a parallel small CDU party conference in Frankfurt with 133 delegates had passed the paper after a very short debate and with a large majority. There were 132 yes votes and one no vote and no abstentions. This corresponds to an agreement of more than 99 percent. The coalition agreement is scheduled to be signed in Wiesbaden on Monday (December 18th).
Prime Minister: Promises from the CDU election program kept
“This is a contract that brings things together,” said Hesse’s Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU). The promises from the CDU election program would be kept. It is a policy that strengthens the majority and still protects the minorities. In view of the many current crises, many people are disappointed and afraid. They have the feeling that democracy does not fulfill a central promise, namely, a policy for the majority of people in the country. Rhein called for citizens to regain their trust in politics and democracy.
An important point in the coalition agreement is the issue of migration, said Rhein. “Here, too, we have a clear edge. There are clear statements from the Union. But – and this is the difference to others – without foaming at the mouth and especially without pandering to radical forces,” he emphasized. The CDU is acting because irregular migration must be significantly limited.
Rhein explained that in the future only immigrants with prospects of staying should be distributed among the municipalities. Concrete integration obligations would be anchored in the integration law – such as a clear commitment to the fight against anti-Semitism and Israel’s right to exist.
Faeser speaks of a “community of responsibility”
SPD state leader Nancy Faeser described the black-red coalition as a “community of responsibility.” The desired government alliance is not a “love marriage,” said the Federal Interior Minister in Groß-Umstadt. For example, the coalition agreement contains goals in refugee policy that are “extremely painful.” But not joining the state government would mean that the SPD would be able to do less for migrants. At the same time, there is also a lot of social democratic influence in the 184-page paper, for example in social, housing and labor market policy.
At the SPD party conference, there was a lot of criticism of the contract, for example because of narrow guardrails for migration or because of the planned ban on special gender symbols in schools and universities. The regional leader of the Young Socialists, Lukas Schneider, also reiterated his rejection of the coalition agreement. Numerous other speakers also complained that there was not enough social democratic DNA in the government program.
After a quarter of a century on the opposition bench, the Hessian SPD is joining the black-red coalition as a junior partner. In the state election on October 8th, with 15.1 percent, it received less than half of the CDU’s votes (34.6 percent). The new state parliament in Wiesbaden will be constituted on January 18th.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
