Minister-President
parliamentary
Election name2012 Saarland state election
CountrySaarland
Ongoingno
Previous election2009 Saarland state election
Previous year2009
Next election2017 Saarland state election
Next year2017
Seats for electionAll 51 seats of the Landtag of the Saarland
Majority seats26
Election date25 March 2012
Turnout481,294 (61.6%)
6.0%
Leader 1Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
Party 1Christian Democratic Union of Germany
Last election 119 seats, 34.5%
Seats 119
Seat change 10
Popular vote 1169,617
Percentage 135.2%
Swing 10.7%
Leader 2Heiko Maas
Party 2Social Democratic Party of Germany
Last election 213 seats, 24.5%
Seats 217
Seat change 24
Popular vote 2147,170
Percentage 230.6%
Swing 26.1%
Leader 3Oskar Lafontaine
Party 3The Left (Germany)
Last election 311 seats, 21.3%
Seats 39
Seat change 32
Popular vote 377,612
Percentage 316.1%
Swing 35.2%
Leader 4Jasmin Maurer
Party 4Pirate Party Germany
Last election 4Did not contest
Seats 44
Seat change 44
Popular vote 435,656
Percentage 47.4%
Swing 47.4%
Leader 5Simone Peter
Party 5Alliance 90/The Greens
Last election 53 seats, 5.9%
Seats 52
Seat change 51
Popular vote 524,252
Percentage 55.0%
Swing 50.9%
Before electionAnnegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
Before partyChristian Democratic Union of Germany
After electionAnnegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
After partyChristian Democratic Union of Germany

The 2012 Saarland state election was held in on 25 March 2012 to elect the members of the Landtag of Saarland. The election was triggered by the collapse of the previous coalition government comprising the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) led by Minister-President Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Free Democratic Party (FDP), and The Greens. The CDU subsequently formed a grand coalition with the Social Democratic Party (SPD), and Kramp-Karrenbauer was re-elected as Minister-President.[1][2]

Background

After the 2009 state election, a Jamaica coalition (CDU–FDP–Green) government took office, the first of its kind in Germany. The government collapsed on 6 January 2012 due to internal issues in the FDP.[3] Minister-President Kramp-Karrenbauer stated that "[a] credible and reliable cooperation is no longer completely possible in this coalition."[3] The CDU held discussions with the Social Democratic Party in an attempt to form a grand coalition, but this failed, causing early elections to be called.[4]

Parties

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

NameIdeologyLeader(s)2009 result
Votes (%)Seats
bgcolor= |CDUChristian Democratic Union of Germany
Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands		Christian democracyAnnegret Kramp-Karrenbauer34.5%
bgcolor= |SPDSocial Democratic Party of Germany
Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands		Social democracyHeiko Maas24.5%
bgcolor= |LinkeThe Left
Die Linke		Democratic socialismOskar Lafontaine21.3%
bgcolor= |FDPFree Democratic Party
Freie Demokratische Partei		Classical liberalismOliver Luksic9.2%
bgcolor= |GrüneAlliance 90/The Greens
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen		Green politicsSimone Peter5.9%

Opinion polling

Polling firmFieldwork dateSample
size		CDUSPDLinkeFDPGrünePiratenOthersLead
2012 state election25 Mar 2012–35.230.616.11.25.07.44.54.6
Forschungsgruppe Wahlen13–15 Mar 20121,0533434152564Tie
Infratest dimap13–15 Mar 20121,0003333163564Tie
Forsa20–29 Feb 20121,00235371414542
Infratest dimap21–22 Feb 20121,00135361524531
Emnid24–25 Jan 20121,0003636152542Tie
Forschungsgruppe Wahlen23–25 Jan 20121,03934381326524
Infratest dimap11–15 Nov 20111,00032351258443
Infratest dimap1–3 Nov 20101,00132341749–42
Infratest dimap10–13 Dec 20091,00032291997–43
2009 state election30 Aug 2009–34.524.521.39.25.9–4.610.0

Election result

|- | colspan=8| |- ! colspan="2" | Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- ! Seats % |- | bgcolor=| | align=left | Christian Democratic Union (CDU) | align=right| 169,617 | align=right| 35.2 | align=right| 0.7 | align=right| 19 | align=right| 0 | align=right| 37.3 |- | bgcolor=| | align=left | Social Democratic Party (SPD) | align=right| 147,170 | align=right| 30.6 | align=right| 6.1 | align=right| 17 | align=right| 4 | align=right| 33.3 |- | bgcolor=| | align=left | The Left (Linke) | align=right| 77,612 | align=right| 16.1 | align=right| 5.2 | align=right| 9 | align=right| 2 | align=right| 17.6 |- | bgcolor=| | align=left | Pirate Party (Piraten) | align=right| 35,656 | align=right| 7.4 | align=right| 7.4 | align=right| 4 | align=right| 4 | align=right| 7.8 |- | bgcolor=| | align=left | Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) | align=right| 24,252 | align=right| 5.0 | align=right| 0.9 | align=right| 2 | align=right| 1 | align=right| 3.9 |- ! colspan=8| |- | bgcolor=| | align=left | Family Party of Germany (FAMILIE) | align=right| 8,394 | align=right| 1.7 | align=right| 0.3 | align=right| 0 | align=right| ±0 | align=right| 0 |- | bgcolor=| | align=left | Free Democratic Party (FDP) | align=right| 5,871 | align=right| 1.2 | align=right| 8.0 | align=right| 0 | align=right| 5 | align=right| 0 |- | bgcolor=| | align=left | National Democratic Party (NPD) | align=right| 5,606 | align=right| 1.2 | align=right| 0.3 | align=right| 0 | align=right| ±0 | align=right| 0 |- | bgcolor=| | align=left | Others | align=right| 7,116 | align=right| 1.5 | align=right| | align=right| 0 | align=right| ±0 | align=right| 0 |- ! align=right colspan=2| Total ! align=right| 481,294 ! align=right| 100.0 ! align=right| ! align=right| 51 ! align=right| ±0 ! align=right| |- ! align=right colspan=2| Voter turnout ! align=right| ! align=right| 61.6 ! align=right| 6.0 ! align=right| ! align=right| ! align=right| |}

Outcome

Having been reelected as the largest party in the Landtag, CDU was tasked with forming the government. Minister-President Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said that she was seeking to form a grand coalition with the SPD, which have 37 seats altogether. Both parties reached a coalition agreement on 24 April 2012. The CDU and SPD would control 3 ministries each. Kramp-Karrenbauer will also head the new government which will be sworn on 9 May 2012.[5]

On 9 May 2012 Kramp-Karrenbauer's new government gained the vote of confidence with 37 votes. There was 12 votes against and 2 abstentions. Her cabinet was later endorsed by the Landtag with the same number of votes.[6]

References

  1. ^ "CDU gewinnt Landtagswahl". tagesschau. 25 March 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  2. ^ "Große Koalition im Saarland: Kramp-Karrenbauer als Ministerpräsidentin wiedergewählt" (in German). Focus. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  3. ^ Zuvela, Matt (6 January 2012). "One-of-a-kind coalition falls apart in German state". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  4. ^ Chelsom-Pill, Charlotte & Connor, Richard (20 January 2012). "Early Saarland elections planned as coalition talks fail". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  5. ^ "Strategiespiel ums Kabinett". SZ Online. 24 April 2012.
  6. ^ "Kramp-Karrenbauer als Ministerpräsidentin wiedergewählt". Süddeutsche. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012.