The CDU politician Volker Bouffier remains Prime Minister of Hesse. The 67-year-old was re-elected at the constituent meeting of the new state parliament in Wiesbaden with 69 votes. This number corresponds to the parliamentary mandates of the coalition of CDU and Greens.
In the first session of the newly elected state parliament, the new edition of the black-green coalition government was facing its first major test. The Christian Democrats and the Greens have a slim majority of one seat. All 69 MPs from both factions had to be present and vote for Bouffier so that the 67-year-old could lead the alliance into a second term.
In the summer of 2010, the then Hesse Interior Minister Bouffier was elected in the current legislative period as the successor to Roland Koch (CDU) at the head of a black-yellow coalition government. At the start of the black-green government in 2014, the Hessian CDU chief was elected only in the second ballot.
The first run had been invalid, as several ballot papers with the name "Max Mustermann" had been issued by mistake. At the second ballot Bouffier then received 62 out of 109 votes - thus mathematically all 61 votes from the government factions of the CDU and Greens plus another of the opposition.
Greens MP becomes father during inaugural session
New president of the Hessian state parliament is the CDU politician Boris Rhein. The 47-year-old was elected by the deputies of all six parties represented in the parliament by a show of hands. Rhine was previously Minister of Science. He succeeds his party colleague Norbert Kartmann, who was President of the Landtag for some 16 years.
To Rhein's deputies were in a secret election Frank Lorz (CDU), Karin Müller (Green), Heike Hofmann (SPD), Jörg -Uwe Hahn (FDP) and Ulrich Wilken (left) elected. The candidate of the AfD, Bernd-Erich Vohl, prevailed in a total of three ballots. Thus, the AFD can apply again in the next parliamentary session, that a sixth vice-president is elected.
As an aged president, the 73-year-old AfD MP Rolf Kahnt gave the opening speech. The AfD is represented for the first time in the Hessian parliament.
The Green MP Daniel May was during the constituent state parliament meeting on Friday father of a daughter. This was announced by the regional parliament president Rhein during the meeting. "There are moments in life that are even more important than the election of the vice-presidents of the state parliament," he said. Mother and child are well. In a majority of the black-green coalition of only one vote, a lack of Mays could possibly lead to a defeat Bouffiers in the election.