The Green parliamentarian gets the grin no more out of the face. Omid Nouripour, member of the Bundestag from Frankfurt, stands in the evening in the completely crowded parliamentary group of the Greens in the Wiesbaden Landtag. "It was important for us to land in front of the Bavarians," he says and laughs.
Of course, that's not meant seriously. But: It worked. The Greens celebrate their historically best result in Hesse. And it should be even better than the 17.5 percent who achieved the Bavarian party friends two weeks ago.
Nouripour pushes on, he is also grateful to the Bavarians: "We have benefited from their tailwind." Top candidate Tarek Al-Wazir tries later to step on the euphoria brake: The evening is still long, it is still unclear what the result in the end.
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But it is clear: the Greens are next to the AFD the winner of the election. Without them, no government formation will be possible. By the middle of the evening, it was even conceivable that Black-Green could continue to rule - a scenario that had barely anticipated a recent poll.
But that would also mean that the Greens would be massively strengthened in this coalition, it would not be an alliance of a big one with a small partner, but one of two medium-sized parties.
And if it is not enough for that? The projections of ARD and ZDF said last, that it would not be enough for black and green. Then the FDP could come to a Jamaica coalition would have a clear majority. But even a traffic light or an alliance with the SPD and Left Party would not rule out the Greens - if it is mathematically enough.
Landtag election Hesse 2018
ARD | ZDF
Extrapolation ARD, 8:51 pm
Second vote result
Shares in percent
CDU
27.2
-11.1
SPD
19.8
-10.9
green
19.6
+8.5
The left
6.1
+0.9
FDP
7.7
+2.7
AFD
13.2
+9.1
other
6.4
+0.8
allocation of seats
Total: 121
Majority: 61 seats
8th
26
25
10
35
17
The left (8)
SPD (26)
Green (25)
FDP (10)
CDU (35)
AfD (17)
Source: ARD / Infratest Dimap
Extrapolation ZDF, 21.00 clock
Second vote result
Shares in percent
CDU
27.2
-11.1
SPD
19.6
-11.1
green
19.6
+8.5
The left
6.4
+1.2
FDP
7.7
+2.7
AFD
13
+8.9
other
6.5
+0.9
allocation of seats
Total: 124
Majority: 63 seats
9
26
26
10
36
17
The left (9)
SPD (26)
Green (26)
FDP (10)
CDU (36)
AfD (17)
Source: ZDF / Research Group Elections
Results in detail
"Green-red-red would be the best option," says Dirk. The 67-year-old was one of the first Greens, who moved in 1982 in the state legislature. "But that would only work if Tarek Al-Wazir became prime minister," says Marc.
Even if it turns out in the course of the evening that it is probably not enough for a link alliance, the statements show the enormously grown self-confidence of the Greens.
CDU and SPD are experiencing a debacle
The mood in the black coalition partner is completely different: When the first forecasts run through the screens at 6 pm, there is horror in the CDU parliamentary group on the fifth floor of the state parliament building. Not even schadenfreude for the disaster result of the SPD is felt on this evening at the Christian Democrats. Instead: dead silence. Some roll their eyes, some breathe heavily. The party is experiencing a debacle, losing two digits - and is probably at its worst since 1966.
But a few minutes later, a timid jubilation breaks out. It is the moment when it becomes clear that it could be enough for a remake of black and green - despite the miserable result. This would mean that Volker Bouffier could remain prime minister. For Bouffier it might just have gone well again.
The head of government is humble, but makes no secret of whom he blames for the defeat: the federal government. The election result was a message to the grand coalition. The fight in Berlin must stop.
"Regular storm winds in the face"
The defeated SPD leader Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel aims in the same direction. He has brought in the third attempt, the worst result for the state party since 1946 and must even fear on Sunday evening, to land behind the Greens only in third place.
Schäfer-Gümbel speaks of a "painful, bitter evening". Blame for this is the long-standing dispute GroKo, the possibilities against an overpowering federal trend are limited, says Schäfer-Gümbel: "Not only did we not have tailwind, but we had regular storm winds in the face." As an example he calls the cause Maaßen.
Schäfer-Gümbel has always remained loyal to the party leadership around Andrea Nahles during the election campaign. He did not use that as well as the confrontational course of his Bavarian comrade Natascha Kohnen two weeks ago.
In the SPD is likely to open the dispute in the coming days, which was delayed because of the Hesse election: How to continue with the GroKo? Schäfer-Gümbel, who is deputy head of the federal SPD, also wants to get involved in this debate: "The work is just beginning," he says.
Where this leads the SPD, is completely open after the next election defeat.