The 1999 Hessian state election was held on 7 February 1999 to elect the members of the 15th Landtag of Hesse. The outgoing government was a coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and The Greens led by Minister-President Hans Eichel.
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All 110 seats of the Landtag of Hesse 56 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Turnout | 2,800,371 (66.4%) 0.1% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Results for the single-member constituencies. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The government was unexpectedly defeated, with the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) winning a comfortable plurality and forming a one-seat majority coalition with the Free Democratic Party (FDP). This was despite prior opinion polling indicating the SPD and Greens would be re-elected comfortably and increase their majority. CDU leader Roland Koch was elected Minister-President by the Landtag in early April.
Parties
editThe table below lists parties represented in the previous Landtag of Hesse.
Name | Ideology | Leader(s) | 1995 result | |||
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Votes (%) | Seats | |||||
CDU | Christian Democratic Union of Germany Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands |
Christian democracy | Roland Koch | 39.2% | 45 / 110
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SPD | Social Democratic Party of Germany Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands |
Social democracy | Hans Eichel | 38.0% | 44 / 110
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Grüne | Alliance 90/The Greens Bündnis 90/Die Grünen |
Green politics | Priska Hinz Rupert von Plottnitz |
11.2% | 13 / 110
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FDP | Free Democratic Party Freie Demokratische Partei |
Classical liberalism | Ruth Wagner | 7.4% | 8 / 110
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Opinion polling
editPolling firm | Fieldwork date | Sample size |
CDU | SPD | Grüne | FDP | Others | Lead |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1999 state election | 7 February 1999 | – | 43.4 | 39.4 | 7.2 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 4.0 |
Polis | 30 Jan 1999 | 1,016 | 36 | 41 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 5 |
Forschungsgruppe Wahlen | 25–28 Jan 1999 | 1,025 | 39 | 42 | 8.5 | 5.5 | 5 | 3 |
Infratest dimap | 18–24 Jan 1999 | 1,000 | 37.5 | 42 | 10 | 7 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
Forsa | 20 Jan 1999 | ? | 36 | 40 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
Forsa | 14 Jan 1999 | ? | 37 | 38 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 1 |
Infratest dimap | 4–10 Jan 1999 | 1,000 | 39 | 42 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
Forschungsgruppe Wahlen | 30 Nov–3 Dec 1998 | 1,011 | 37 | 45 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 8 |
Forschungsgruppe Wahlen | 2–5 Nov 1998 | 1,021 | 38 | 43 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
1995 state election | 19 February 1995 | – | 39.2 | 38.0 | 11.2 | 7.4 | 4.3 | 1.2 |
Campaign
editDuring the campaign, the CDU collected signatures opposing the federal government's plan to relax Germany's high standards for dual citizenship, which drew accusations of xenophobia.[1]
Election result
editParty | Constituency | Party list | Total seats |
+/- | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | +/- | Seats | |||||
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) | 1,265,942 | 45.34 | 34 | 1,215,783 | 43.42 | 4.26 | 16 | 50 | 5 | ||
Social Democratic Party (SPD) | 1,158,663 | 41.50 | 21 | 1,102,544 | 39.37 | 1.40 | 25 | 46 | 2 | ||
Alliance 90/The Greens (GRÜNE) | 168,325 | 6.03 | 0 | 201,194 | 7.18 | 4.01 | 8 | 8 | 5 | ||
Free Democratic Party (FDP) | 98,095 | 3.51 | 0 | 142,845 | 5.10 | 2.35 | 6 | 6 | 2 | ||
The Republicans (REP) | 79,273 | 2.84 | 0 | 75,114 | 2.68 | 0.70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Human Environment Animal Protection Party (Tierschutz) | 2,056 | 0.07 | 0 | 12,856 | 0.46 | New | 0 | 0 | New | ||
League of Free Citizens (BFB) | 8,760 | 0.31 | 0 | 10,811 | 0.39 | 0.08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Free Voters (FWG) | 405 | 0.01 | 0 | 10,057 | 0.36 | New | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Feminist Party of Germany (FRAUEN) | 1,745 | 0.06 | 0 | 6,691 | 0.24 | New | 0 | 0 | New | ||
National Democratic Party (NPD) | 2,231 | 0.08 | 0 | 5,933 | 0.21 | 0.07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Party of Bible-abiding Christians (PBC) | 2,164 | 0.08 | 0 | 4,999 | 0.18 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
German Communist Party (DKP) | 1,181 | 0.04 | 0 | 3,881 | 0.14 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Natural Law Party (Naturgesetz) | 1,515 | 0.05 | 0 | 2,499 | 0.09 | 0.07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP) | 138 | 0.00 | 0 | 2,053 | 0.07 | 0.12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Party of Willing Workers and Disadvantaged (PASS) | 95 | 0.00 | 0 | 1,909 | 0.07 | New | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Civil Rights Movement Soliarity (BüSo) | 627 | 0.02 | 0 | 612 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
German Homeland Party (DHP) | 91 | 0.00 | 0 | 591 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Independents | 540 | 0.02 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | |||||
Total | 2,791,846 | 100.00 | 55 | 2,800,372 | 100.00 | 55 | 110 | 0 | |||
Invalid | 53,740 | 1.89 | 45,214 | 1.59 | |||||||
Turnout | 2,845,586 | 66.45 | 2,845,586 | 66.45 | 0.18 | ||||||
Registered voters | 4,282,397 | 4,282,397 |
References
edit- ^ staatsbuergerschaft Rhein Zeitung online, 5 January 1999