Citizenship election: Merz sees the right to CDU government participation in Hamburg

Despite a possible majority to continue red-green after the citizens’ choice in Hamburg, Union Chancellor Friedrich Merz sees the CDU entitled to a government participation in the town hall. The CDU had “achieved a great election result,” he said after a meeting with top candidate Dennis Thering in Berlin. Hamburg’s mayor Peter Tschentscher, on the other hand, continued the question of the future coalition partner on the day after the election.

“We are glad that we now have two coalition options, both with the Greens and the CDU,” said Tschenscher after consultations from the SPD Presidium in Berlin. Malatinetically, majorities are possible with both parties. Therefore one will talk to the CDU. “We don’t just look at it from the corner of the eye,” said Tschentscher.

In the evening, the SPD state board decided to offer both parties to offer exploratory talks. “According to the SPD’s request, these should be managed as soon as possible,” said a spokesman. Specific dates would now be agreed.

Red-green continues to priority for Tschenscher

As in the election campaign, it also applies to the election: “Our first priority is the continuation of the red-green coalition in Hamburg, because we have a great deal of approval among the population of the content and the way of our work.” Tschentscher had already clarified this before the state board meeting. He also “didn’t like much” what the Union did in the weeks before the Bundestag election in migration policy.

Merz pointed out that the CDU almost doubled its result in Hamburg in comparison to the election five years ago – at that time it also achieved its historically worst result. “We are pleased that the CDU has again proven that it can be a big city,” said Merz, whose Union had won the Bundestag election only a week earlier. “Of course, this also increases the claim to have talks about government participation with the incumbent government in Hamburg.”

The federal chairman of the Greens, Felix Banaszak, received top candidate Katharina Fegebank in the Berlin party headquarters on Monday and said that red-green could be continued. “On the one hand, because the people in Hamburg chose a clear majority for red-green for the third time in a row,” said the second mayor. On the other hand, the Hamburgers wanted “that this success model continues to rule our city.”

Five parties in the citizenship

As before, five parties are represented in the new citizens. According to the provisional result, 33.5 percent of the vote (2020: 39.2 percent), the CDU 19.8 percent (2020: 11.2) and 18.5 percent (2020: 24.2) The left increased from 9.1 to 11.2 percent, the AfD from 5.3 to 7.5 percent. The FDP failed with 2.3 percent as in 2020 (4.97 percent) at the five percent hurdle-this time even clearer. Accordingly, her top candidate Katarina Blume spoke of a shocking result.

“There is nothing to talk about,” said Blume in Berlin. It was not possible to “free us from this pull of the federal political events in such a way that we were able to implement the goal, namely a re -entry of the Free Democrats into the Hamburg citizenship,” said Blume. Party leader Sonja Jacobsen emphasized: “In the federal government and in our city, the FDP is now before a reorganization.”

With 1.8 percent, the BSW also clearly missed the move into a first West German state parliament. The Volt European Charger passed both and came to 3.2 percent.

Regular count only on the day after the election

Hamburg’s right to vote is considered relatively complex. Each voter was allowed to hand in up to ten votes-five each on the state list ballot and the constituency list selection list. This system made the counting more difficult. After the preliminary result from the election day, which a simplified count was based, it was counted again on Monday. The election result should finally be determined after examination by the state election committee on March 19.

Around 1.3 million Hamburgers were entitled to vote

A total of around 1.3 million Hamburgers aged 16 and over were entitled to vote. The state parliament regularly has 121 seats, but the number can increase due to overhang and equalization mandates as well as successful individual applicants. According to the state election manager, the turnout was 67.7 percent – after 63.0 percent five years ago.

DGB calls for investments in infrastructure and general interest

The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) focused on the labor market policy of the Hamburg Senate. “It needs a tariff loyalty law that deserves its name, a transformation council in which we can set the course for the social-ecological transformation together and massive investments in our infrastructure and general interest,” said Hamburg DGB boss Tanja Chawla. She was pleased with the comparatively weak performance of the AfD. This was also the merit of the many thousands of Hamburgers who took to the streets during demonstrations for democracy and cohesion.