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CDU in Thuringia: How Mike Mohring still wants to become Prime Minister

2019-10-31T17:07:45.139Z


First he wanted to do it with the left, now with FDP, SPD and Greens: Thuringia's CDU leader Mike Mohring, punished in the state election, but still explores all power options. How realistic is his idea of ​​a minority government?



Already on Sunday evening, the Thuringian CDU seemed surprisingly relaxed at their election party. The party had lost 11.7 percentage points, was behind the AfD and the left only third strongest force. But, one consoled oneself, one thing is certain: Bodo Ramelow and his red-red-green government no longer has a majority.

Now the question arises as to how the Christian Democrats in Thuringia handle the result. A first cautious attempt Mohrings, a cooperation with the left to bring into play, failed at his own party - not only to Berlin, but also to his party friends in Thuringia. But the CDU country chief has yet another option, for which he now advertises something offensive: a Zimbabwe minority government, a coalition of CDU, FDP, SPD and Greens.

That was "the strongest block" and "a minority in the middle," said Mohring in the ZDF program "Markus Lanz" on Wednesday evening. The Zimbabwe Alliance would not have an absolute majority in the Thuringian state parliament. But the state constitution stipulates that in the third ballot, the candidate who gets the most votes is elected prime minister. Since a joint candidate of AfD and Left is considered excluded, the Zimbabwe coalition would have enough votes to make Mohring head of government in Thuringia.

State election Thuringia 2019

Preliminary final result

Second vote result

Shares in percent

CDU

21.8

-11.7

The left

31

+2.8

SPD

8.2

-4.2

AFD

23.4

+12.8

green

5.2

-0.5

FDP

5

+2.5

other

5.4

-1.7

allocation of seats

Total: 90

Majority: 46 seats

29

8th

5

5

21

22

The Left (29)

SPD (8)

Green (5)

FDP (5)

CDU (21)

AfD (22)

Source: Provincial Returning Officer

Results in detail

"I would not rule out a Zimbabwe coalition," says the FDP chief of state Thomas L. Kemmerich the SPIEGEL. "It would be new territory for parliamentary parties, and how long such a coalition will last depends on the support of those involved."

In the CDU parliamentary group on Wednesday Mohring got a mood. Circles of the CDU are said to have given critical votes. Nevertheless, one had come to the conclusion, Mohring should explore what is possible. But is the option really realistic?

These are the hurdles for a Zimbabwe Alliance:

  • Before Mohring could be elected in the third ballot, it would need a vote in the state parliament. However, the Thuringian constitution does not provide for a deadline until when a new prime minister must be elected. So Ramelow can continue to govern for the time being. Meanwhile, he announced that he wanted to be promptly legitimized by the Diet. But when that will be the case is open.
  • The previous red-red-green government met on Wednesday and said it wanted to continue working together. Anja Siegesmund, top candidate of the Greens, tells the SPIEGEL: "Thuringia needs stable conditions." We made it clear in an initial conversation on Wednesday that we want to build on the coalition with Die Linke and SPD. " Although one wants to respond to invitations from others, nevertheless: "For a minority government four, I lack the imagination."
  • The content of the CDU and the Greens is different in Thuringia. In Saxony, the parties are wrestling with negotiations of a Kenya coalition. To extend this constellation in Thuringia even to the FDP, and then to form a minority government, some consider particularly daring.
  • Even a Zimbabwe coalition would have no majority in parliament. It would therefore depend on decisive questions on Left or AfD.

There is much to suggest that a Zimbabwe coalition would have a hard time. A CDU member of parliament calls the proposal "absurd". Rather, he was something like Mohring's last attempt to save himself. The Thuringian CDU boss is injured after the election defeat. The CDU Bundestag deputy Tankred Schipanski accused Mohring on Twitter before, he is currently a "bitter show" from, but put out the tweet again. There is also dissatisfaction in parts of the country's own party.

The times in which one simply sends a text message are apparently over in the CDU Thuringia. pic.twitter.com/iHR3zXY8KH

- SPIEGEL ONLINE Politics (@ SPIEGEL_Politik) October 31, 2019

Discussed in the CDU meanwhile, a minority government from CDU and FDP, supported by secret ballot with votes of the AfD. FDP leader Kemmerich says: "We will definitely not give the impression that we are in any way dependent on support from the AfD." The CDU excludes any cooperation with the AfD. Therefore, this option is currently considered unlikely.

And finally there is another problem for Mohring's Zimbabwe attack: It is not yet certain that the FDP is actually moving into the state parliament. According to the preliminary state election result, she is only five votes above the five percent mark. As reported by the "Thüringer Allgemeine Zeitung", a recount in the Weimar constituency committee has already led to a loss of four votes. If even the last remaining vote disappears, the liberals would not come to the state parliament

The official final result is expected for the 7th of November. Should the FDP miss the entry into the state legislature, the majority situation could change as well. What would be certain, however, would be that a Zimbabwe Alliance would finally be impossible.

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2019-10-31

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