Posted on 03/18/2005 2:36:51 PM PST by Pikamax
Schleswig-Holstein premier quits after Kiel vote debacle
18 March 2005
KIEL/BERLIN - The only woman ever to head a German state, Heide Simonis, announced Friday she is stepping aside as a consequence of her failure to be confirmed in office after four deadlock votes in the Schleswig-Holstein parliament.
Simonis, a Social Democrat (SPD), informed her party faction on Friday that she was withdrawing her name as a candidate for the premiership.
The move appeared to increase the likelihood of a grand coalition between the SPD and the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the state, a prospect which party leaders at the national level in Berlin earlier said was likely.
Simonis, 61, has been in office since 1993 as the only woman ever
in Germany to hold the premiership of a federal state.
Her move came after the state parliament held four secret votes ending in a deadlock between her and her CDU opponent, Peter Harry Carstensen.
Thursday's parliamentary drama was the latest twist in several weeks of controversy in Germany's otherwise serene northernmost state since the 20 February elections.
Then, the ruling SPD-Greens gained only 33 mandates, to the 34 for the opposition CDU and FDP. This left the Danish minority party SSW, with two deputies, holding the balance of power.
Simonis had been expecting to head a minority government with the decisive support of those two SSW votes, which would have given her SPD-Greens team 35 votes in the 69-seat parliament.
But in Thursday's four rounds of voting by secret ballot in parliament, Simonis and Carstensen each were tied at 34 votes. One deputy in Simonis' camp abstained in all four ballots, leaving the legislature deadlocked.
DPA
Premier's re-election sabotaged Dissenter creates the ‘darkest day'
18. März 2005 By Aaron Kirchfeld
Thursday was to be a crowning moment in the career of Heide Simonis, the day on which she was to be re-elected as premier of Schleswig-Holstein. Instead, it turned into a disaster.
The dramatic turn of events began when lawmakers met in Kiel to pick the person who will lead the state for the next five years. To be voted premier, Simonis needed the absolute majority of 35 votes.
The slim majority seemed assured thanks to the unusual arrangement she and her Social Democratic Party forged to preserve their place in office after having suffered a defeat at the polls in February. First, they created a minority coalition with their old partner, the Greens. Then, the new coalition won the support of the Southern Schleswig Voter Federation, a small party that represents the state's Danish and Frisian minority. The federation has two seats in the parliament, and its support enables the group to have a one-seat advantage over the rival parties of Christian Democrats and Free Democrats.
But in all four rounds of secret balloting, Simonis received only 34 votes, one shy of victory. This signaled that one person in the coalition was abstaining. Peter Harry Carstensen, the head of the Christian Democratic parliamentary group, also failed to receive a majority.
Social Democrats were particularly troubled by the outcome. ”This is the darkest day in the history of the Social Democrats in Schleswig-Holstein,” said party member Lothar Hay.
After the fourth vote, the session was abruptly ended, and a distraught Simonis was escorted from the building. The opposition reiterated its demands that a grand coalition between the Social Democrats and Christian Democrats should be set up. The next session is set for April 17.
Germany ping
Secrets, secrets, secrets, who rolled the black ball? How could you keep a straight face while doing this?
Thanks to Zeppelin.
longjack
what is the political meaning of this, I'm not sure I understand the significance ...
Makes it rather likely the socialists (Social Democrats) will have to form a coalition with the Christian Democrats
thanks for the clarification, they are both socialist right? one is just a bit further to the left?
This is very big.
Simonis / SPD lost the election in Schleswig-Holstein (S-H). Even with the Greens she would have come up short. She tried to cut a deal with a Danish fringe party that normally wouldn't send members to parliament, but have an exception to the 5% rule from many years back.
Apparently, a delegate from the SPD, Greens or SSW held back thieir vote for Simonis as S-H premier. Schroeder told Simonis to keep trying to force that vote out, from what I've read. After 4 tries, however, she quit asking for votes and resigned. Extremely embarassing.
Now, here's what I think this all means: If S-H goes to a grand coalition, which would be the SPD and the opposition CDU, the votes of the delegates from S-H wouldn't count in the German parliament. Normally, if a state has a SPD government, their delegates vote SPD in the federal parliament. In a state governed by both parties, the delegates don't vote, or the vote is split and neutralized (I'm not sure which).
As it is now, the state election in NordRhein-Westfalia (NRW) in May will determine if Schroeder can keep his veto power. If the CDU wins in NRW, they will reach the number of delegates in the federal parliament to override any Schroeder veto.
Fischer, the Greens icon, is dragging them down with his stonewalling on the Visa Scandal. Schroeder is starting to get pinned with the responsibility for the economic woes. With this embarassment in S-H, the SPD-Greens will suffer a big hit in NRW to add to the misery.
From what I gather, the voters in S-H want a re-vote. The SSW shouldn't have been allowed to dictate politics, especially with their liberal school reform ideas. Simonis figuratively gave everyone the finger with her posturing, and someone obvously felt it was payback time.
David's Medienkritik is covering this in English. They're a good place to follow the events.
New elections in Germany are not out of the picture, now, I believe, especially if the CDU can take NRW.
longjack
I suspect that one of the SPD deputies...really had a bad relationship with Simonis...for whatever reason. Its amusing that after the 1st ballot...they didn't go public open voting. Apparently the meeting was private, and everyone marked a ballot and stuffed it into a box, and was counted. I can guess...that Simonis was very puzzled at the end of the first ballot and no decision. And by the end of the second, she probably met with almost everyone in the room to assess what was going on...and then a flurry of chats with Schroeder. Schroeder's call to go to four full ballots really deepen the whole episode. For the media...it really made the headlines.
As for the next outcome, Ms Simonis is finished. I don't think you will ever see her back as a SPD politican. She will retire to the farm. Another state election is likely to come...with strong recommendations to disallow the Danish-fringe party from participating...which will require a political showdown, and media confrontation....all of which Schroeder doesn't need currently. The public in S-H may decide that the SPD is not the best option, and ensure a vote swings heavily to the right. This all makes for a great German comedy...real life characters....in a chaotic state.
They deserve whatever they get, too.
Spoorendonk, if she had been wise, should have realized that the SSW, with 3 % of the vote, had no business determining the political direction of S-H and the Bundesrepublik, and politely declined any attempts to form a coalition with either party.
Instead, she seized the opportunity for the spotlight and rushed to any camera available to blabber about her Steckenpferd, the Gesamtschulen, complete with abolishing grades, abolishing staying back, etc.
Another SSW member, right after the February 20th election, when asked why he felt the SPD had lost so many voters compared to 2000, replied, "I guess the voters felt that the economy wasn't going too well." Spoorendonk, instead of understanding this principle, completely ignored it. Simonis, in her bid to maintain power, ignored the message as well.
What's unemployment in S-H, about 15%, one of the highest in the former West? So you have high unemployment and have to endure the Frauenpower trio of Simonis, Juettkes and Spoorendonk as they pontificate about their take on the real evil in S-H, namely, the ignominy of having your kids get grades in school?
The SPD will be lucky if they get a grand coalition. I think new elections, which the voters in S-H want, would wipe them out.
It's really amazing to see how the German media is describing the renegade; "Backstabber", "Shabby", "Devious". Actually, by abstaining, he/she allowed the mirroring of the results of the popular vote. The CDU/FDP got more votes than the SPD/Greens. The SSW, existing at the whim of a 60 year old agreement, and representing 3% of the vote, got to play kingmaker until this person's abstention threw sand in the gears.
Schroeder must see the writing on the wall to have pushed for 4 votes to pressure the abstainee into the open, or to change his/her vote. His machinations backfired this time.
Now, with the good possibility of NRW going to the Union in May, his days may be numbered.
longjack
I´m really sorry to tell you that you got it wrong. Now Schleswig-Holstein will be governed by CDU/SPD - and nothing really changes. The CDU/CSU/FDP in the Bundesrat (which is not part of the Bundestag/parliament) still have no 2/3 majority. The bloc-votes of S-H will be counted, but abstaining. Abstaining is equally to saying Nay in the Bundesrat, because you need a positive majority of 46 votes for the 2/3 majority. It is likely that the SPD/Greens lose in NRW, too - and that´s a political sign (because then there will be NO SINGLE STATE governed by a Red-Green-coalition). But new elections won´t happen before 2006.
Actually, it isn´t the media insulting the "renegade", they´re just reporting what the Left says. Treason depends on the viewpoint. Imagine the same situation just with the CDU/FDP in the place of the SPD/Greens with a Christian Democrat refusing to accept the "Danish coalition" - Mr Müntefering and all the others had praised this great MP for showing morale!
I find it pretty much undemocratic to insult this person. He/she in no way "abused" the secrecy of the election. This is why we have it: nobody shall be offended, attacked, insulted for his/her vote. This IS democracy, and who doesn´t accept it, may harbour ill against the rebel, but must not blame him for following his/her free will.
It was good to see that Carstensen said no compromises in school reform in the case of a grand coalition. It looks like he's telling Anke Spoorendonk where the exit doorway is located. I think the school reform issue was more important than people realized.
longjack
I´m not sure. In any case, the SSW has risked all - and lost. They gave up their neutrality for a failure, pretty dumb IMHO. They haven´t made friends within the CDU or FDP, that´s for sure. :-)
They are both leftist by US standards with the Social Democrats being to the left of most Democraps here. The Christian Democrats are more centrist but are still to the left of most RINOS; they are, however, rather more pro-American than the Social Democrats.
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