State government: With hugs and patience: Lies now rules Lower Saxony

The SPD politician Olaf Lies is the new Prime Minister of Lower Saxony. The majority of the state parliament in Hanover voted for the 58-year-old, who wants to continue the red-green coalition of its predecessor Stephan Weil.

In the secret choice, Lies received 80 yes votes in the first ballot. The required majority was 74 votes. SPD and Greens together 81 of the 146 MPs in the state parliament. A Green Member of the Green was lacking in the vote.

With air kisses and mini wines

The Friesländer, who holds mini wines and donkeys at home, has a reputation in Hanover as a hug and skillful speaker. In his nomination by the SPD, he distributed air kisses to the comrades. With gestures like this, Lies stands out from the popular but rather reserved lawyer Weil. He is more human scavenger than bureaucrat.

Politically, the two are closely connected: for twelve years, it was consistent with the state governments led by Weil. From 2013 to 2017 he was Minister of Economics, from 2017 to 2022 Minister of the Environment and since then again Minister of Economics. During the coalition negotiations in the federal government, he headed the SPD working group in the area of ​​climate and energy a few weeks ago.

Lies will also take over the SPD state chair from Weil next weekend. As Prime Minister, he will also return to the Volkswagen supervisory board, subject to a cabinet decision. The state of Lower Saxony holds 20 percent of the voting rights in the VW group.

CDU accuses the SPD tactical maneuver

The move into the state chancellery is a success in the second attempt. From 2010 to 2012 he was already SPD state chief. Even then he wanted to become prime minister. In a member survey on the top candidate in the 2013 election, however, he had to give up just the man who has now cleared him the way – Stephan Weil.

He justified his retreat at the beginning of April with personal motives: at the age of 66 the age was noticeable, he said, and he also suffered from sleep disorders. The CDU, on the other hand, accuses the SPD of a mere party tactical maneuver to enable a office bonus before the next state election in 2027.

Because now admitted that his personal considerations coincided well with political considerations after he had already announced in 2022 not to compete again in the next election.

A ministry leaves off

For Lower Saxony’s state policy, Weil’s retreat is a turning point after twelve years – but a hard change of course is hardly to be expected. He wanted to continue the red-green coalition, and beyond the next state election, the new head of government stated from the outset.

However, there are some changes in the cabinet: the new Minister of Economics will be Grant Hendrik Tonne, previously SPD parliamentary group leader and from 2017 to 2022 Minister of Culture. In addition, the European Ministry has completed its previous form and takes it to the State Chancellery with a new boss.

Lower Saxony strongly represented in the SPD

The end of the era is also a cut for the SPD, because Lower Saxony provides one of its strongest national associations. With party leader Lars Klingbeil, Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius and faction leader Matthias Miersch, three leading Social Democrats come from the federal state.