Third Bouffier cabinet explained

Cabinet Name:Third Cabinet of Volker Bouffier
Cabinet Number:22nd
Cabinet Type:Cabinet
Jurisdiction:Hesse
Flag:Coat of arms of Hesse.svg
Flag Border:true
Incumbent:18 January 2019 – 30 May 2022
Date Formed:18 January 2019
Date Dissolved:30 May 2022
Government Head Title:Minister-President
Government Head:Volker Bouffier
Deputy Government Head Title:Deputy Minister-President
Deputy Government Head:Tarek Al-Wazir
Members Number:11
Political Parties:Christian Democratic Union
Alliance 90/The Greens
Legislature Status:Coalition government
Opposition Parties:Social Democratic Party
Alternative for Germany
Free Democratic Party
The Left
Election:2018 Hessian state election
Legislature Term:20th Landtag of Hesse
Predecessor:Second Bouffier cabinet
Successor:First Rhein cabinet

The Third Bouffier cabinet was the state government of Hesse between 2019 and 2022, sworn in on 18 January 2019 after Volker Bouffier was elected as Minister-President of Hesse by the members of the Landtag of Hesse. It was the 22nd Cabinet of Hesse.

It was formed after the 2018 Hessian state election by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Alliance 90/The Greens (GRÜNE). Excluding the Minister-President, the cabinet comprised eleven ministers. Seven were members of the CDU and four were members of the Greens.

After Bouffier's resignation as Minister-President, the third Bouffier cabinet was succeeded by the First Rhein cabinet on 31 May 2022.

Formation

See also: 2018 Hessian state election.

The previous cabinet was a coalition government of the CDU and the Greens led by Minister-President Volker Bouffier of the CDU.

The election took place on 28 October 2018, and resulted in significant losses for the CDU, while the Greens became the second-largest party for the first time by a margin of less than 100 votes. The opposition SPD also suffered major losses, while the AfD entered the Landtag with 13%, the FDP and The Left recorded modest gains.

Though preliminary results indicated that the incumbent government would retain its majority, it was not certain due to the narrow margins and issues with the vote count. Whether the Greens or SPD would claim second place was also unclear. Final results were determined weeks later after recounts. Nonetheless, the CDU quickly stated that they would seek to lead a two-party government with either the Greens or SPD, and held exploratory talks with both. The FDP were also invited to talks, but lead candidate René Rock ruled out joining a coalition with the CDU and Greens since his party would not be mathematically necessary for a majority.[1] [2]

Also discussed was the possibility of a traffic light coalition between the Greens, SPD, and FDP, which would also hold a one-seat majority. Initially, the FDP rejected this on the basis that Tarek Al-Wazir had expressed a lack of interest in becoming Minister-President. However, as reviews of the vote count indicated that the SPD may have won more votes than the Greens and would be able to lay claim to the Minister-Presidency, the FDP agreed to meet with them on 9 November.[3] The day before final results were released on 16 November, the three parties held joint discussions, after which SPD lead candidate Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel voiced his confidence in their ability to come at an agreement.[4] [5] However, after final results showed that the Greens had indeed moved ahead of the SPD, a traffic light coalition was no longer considered possible as the FDP would not support a Green Minister-President. Schäfer-Gümbel subsequently declared the SPD would remain in opposition, leaving a renewed government between the CDU and Greens as the only practical option.[6]

The same day, the CDU voted to extend an offer for coalition negotiations to the Greens, which they accepted.[7] [8] Discussions began on 19 November with the goal of finalising an agreement before Christmas.[9] Negotiations were finalised on the morning of 19 December.[10] The coalition contract, titled New Start in Change through Attitude, Orientation and Cohesion, was approved by 91% of Greens delegates and unanimously by the CDU committee, and was signed on 23 December.[11]

Bouffier was elected as Minister-President by the Landtag on 18 January 2019, winning 69 votes out of 137 cast.[12] [13]

Composition

PortfolioMinisterPartyTook officeLeft officeState secretaries
Minister-PresidentVolker Bouffier
bgcolor=CDU18 January 201930 May 2022
Deputy Minister-President
Minister for Economics, Energy, Transport and Housing
Tarek Al-Wazir
bgcolor=GRÜNE18 January 201930 May 2022
Minister for Interior and SportPeter Beuth
bgcolor=CDU18 January 201930 May 2022
Minister for FinanceThomas Schäfer
bgcolor=CDU18 January 201928 March 2020
Michael Boddenberg
bgcolor=CDU31 March 202030 May 2022
Minister for JusticeEva Kühne-Hörmann
bgcolor=CDU18 January 201930 May 2022
Minister for EducationRalph Alexander Lorz
bgcolor=CDU18 January 201930 May 2022
Minister for Science and ArtAngela Dorn-Rancke
bgcolor=GRÜNE18 January 201930 May 2022
Minister for Social Affairs and IntegrationKai Klose
bgcolor=GRÜNE18 January 201930 May 2022
Minister for Environment, Climate Protection, Agricultural Economics and Consumer ProtectionPriska Hinz
bgcolor=GRÜNE18 January 201930 May 2022
Minister for Federal Affairs and EuropeLucia Puttrich
bgcolor=CDU18 January 201930 May 2022
Minister for Digital Strategy and DevelopmentKristina Sinemus
bgcolor=CDU18 January 201930 May 2022
Head of the State ChancelleryAxel Wintermeyer
bgcolor=CDU18 January 201930 May 2022

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: FDP top candidate excludes Jamaica coalition in Hesse. 29 October 2018. de. Schweriner Volkszeitung.
  2. Web site: Hessian CDU is holding exploratory talks with the Greens, FDP and SPD. 1 November 2018. de. Die Welt.
  3. Web site: SPD and FDP in Hesse want to explore with the Greens. 9 November 2018. de. Tagesspiegel.
  4. Web site: Here Al-Wazir drives up the price for black-green. 16 November 2018. de. Bild.
  5. Web site: No rejection of traffic light in Hesse. 16 November 2018. de. Wiesbadener Kurier.
  6. Web site: The lights go out on the traffic light. 16 November 2018. de. Der Spiegel.
  7. Web site: Volker Bouffier: The CDU Hesse offers Alliance 90/The Greens coalition negotiations. 16 November 2018. de. CDU Hesse.
  8. Web site: State election on 28 October 2018: Alliance 90/The Greens Hesse decide to start coalition negotiations with the CDU Hesse. 17 November 2018. de. Greens Hesse.
  9. Web site: Coalition agreement should be in place by Christmas. 19 November 2018. de. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
  10. Web site: CDU and Greens agree on coalition agreement. 19 December 2018. de. Die Welt.
  11. Web site: Coalition agreement sealed. 24 December 2018. de. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
  12. News: With a wafer-thin majority in the last term. 18 January 2019. de. Die Zeit.
  13. Web site: Constituent session. 18 January 2019. de. Landtag of Hesse.