1999 Hessian state election

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.

1999 Hesse state election
7 February 1999
All 110 seats of the Landtag of Hesse
56 seats needed for a majority
Turnout2,800,371 (66.4%)
Increase 0.1%
  First party Second party
 
Leader Roland Koch Hans Eichel
Party CDU SPD
Last election 45 seats, 39.2% 44 seats, 38.0%
Seats won 50 46
Seat change Increase 5 Increase 2
Popular vote 1,215,783 1,102,544
Percentage 43.4% 39.4%
Swing Increase 4.2% Increase 1.4%
  Third party Fourth party
 
Leader Evelin Schönhut-Keil
Tarek Al-Wazir		 Ruth Wagner
Party Greens FDP
Last election 13 seats, 11.2% 8 seats, 7.4%
Seats won 8 6
Seat change Decrease 5 Decrease 2
Popular vote 201,194 142,845
Percentage 7.2% 5.1%
Swing Decrease 4.0% Decrease 2.3%
Results for the single-member constituencies.
Minister-President before election

Hans Eichel
SPD

 Elected Minister-President

Roland Koch
CDU

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

The table below lists parties represented in the previous Landtag of Hesse.

Name Ideology Leader(s) 1995 result
Votes (%) Seats
CDU Christian Democratic Union of Germany
Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands		 Christian democracy Roland Koch 39.2%
45 / 110
SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany
Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands		 Social democracy Hans Eichel 38.0%
44 / 110
Grüne Alliance 90/The Greens
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen		 Green politics Priska Hinz
Rupert von Plottnitz		 11.2%
13 / 110
FDP Free Democratic Party
Freie Demokratische Partei		 Classical liberalism Ruth Wagner 7.4%
8 / 110

Opinion polling
Polling 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

During 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
Party Constituency Party list Total
seats		 +/-
Votes  % Seats Votes  % +/- Seats
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) 1,265,942 45.34 34 1,215,783 43.42 Increase 4.26 16 50 Increase 5
Social Democratic Party (SPD) 1,158,663 41.50 21 1,102,544 39.37 Increase 1.40 25 46 Increase 2
Alliance 90/The Greens (GRÜNE) 168,325 6.03 0 201,194 7.18 Decrease 4.01 8 8 Decrease 5
Free Democratic Party (FDP) 98,095 3.51 0 142,845 5.10 Decrease 2.35 6 6 Decrease 2
The Republicans (REP) 79,273 2.84 0 75,114 2.68 Increase 0.70 0 0 Steady 0
Human Environment Animal Protection (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 Increase 0.08 0 0 Steady 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 Decrease 0.07 0 0 Steady 0
Party of Bible-abiding Christians (PBC) 2,164 0.08 0 4,999 0.18 Decrease 0.06 0 0 Steady 0
German Communist Party (DKP) 1,181 0.04 0 3,881 0.14 Increase 0.02 0 0 Steady 0
Natural Law Party (Naturgesetz) 1,515 0.05 0 2,499 0.09 Decrease 0.07 0 0 Steady 0
Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP) 138 0.00 0 2,053 0.07 Decrease 0.12 0 0 Steady 0
Party of Willing Workers and Disadvantaged (PASS) 95 0.00 0 1,909 0.07 New 0 0 Steady 0
Civil Rights Movement Soliarity (BüSo) 627 0.02 0 612 0.02 Steady 0.00 0 0 Steady 0
German Homeland Party (DHP) 91 0.00 0 591 0.02 Decrease 0.01 0 0 Steady 0
Independents 540 0.02 0 – 0 Steady 0
Total 2,791,846 100.00 55 2,800,372 100.00 55 110 Steady 0
Invalid 53,740 1.89 45,214 1.59
Turnout 2,845,586 66.45 2,845,586 66.45 Increase 0.18
Registered voters 4,282,397 4,282,397

References
  1. staatsbuergerschaft Rhein Zeitung online, 5 January 1999

Sources
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