The Hesse CDU gave the green light for the planned coalition agreement with the SPD at a party conference. The 133 delegates in Frankfurt voted for the paper with a large majority. There was one dissenting voice.
According to current plans, the coalition agreement is to be signed in Wiesbaden on Monday (December 18th). The SPD also discussed the contract at a party conference on Saturday. The new state parliament is scheduled to be constituted on January 18th.
“This is a contract that brings things together,” said Hesse’s Prime Minister Boris Rhein. The promises from the CDU election program would be kept. It is a policy that strengthens the majority and still protects the minorities.
Given the many current crises, many people are disappointed and scared, said Rhein. They have the feeling that democracy does not fulfill a central promise, namely, a policy for the majority of people in the country. Rhein called for citizens to regain their trust in politics and democracy.
Faeser speaks of a “community of responsibility”
Hesse’s SPD leader Nancy Faeser campaigned for the coalition agreement at the Social Democrats’ party conference in Groß-Umstadt near Darmstadt and spoke of a “community of responsibility”. The Federal Interior Minister said the desired government alliance was not a “love marriage”. “Not everything is good in this coalition agreement,” added Faeser, referring to the draft government program. For example, refugee policy goals are formulated there “that are extremely painful.”
Around two months after the state elections, the CDU and SPD agreed on the 184-page government program for the years 2024 to 2029 in the week that ended.
In the state elections on October 8th, the SPD received 15.1 percent, less than half of the CDU’s votes (34.6 percent). Therefore, the Christian Democrats should receive eight ministries and the Social Democrats three. The names of the future ministers are to be announced at the beginning of 2024.
The coalition agreement provides, among other things, for increased educational offerings from daycare centers and schools to craft banks and university lecture halls. The multi-tiered school system should be retained and the number of teachers should be increased. There should also be more police officers. Black-Red wants to significantly limit irregular migration and at the same time strengthen the integration of refugees with the right to remain.
