In the Main-Kinzig district, the plans for a new layout of the state constituencies met with resolute rejection.

The district leadership, led by District Administrator Thorsten Stolz (SPD), insists that the town of Wächtersbach and the communities of Gründau and Ronneburg should not be included in Wetterau.

As before, these municipalities are to remain in constituencies within the district boundaries.

“Associating the three municipalities with the Wetterau makes absolutely no sense in terms of content, geography or politics.

That is exactly why we are clearly against the removal of three municipalities and see a medium-term viable solution where it continues to be closely based on the district borders," says the district administrator in a statement on the forthcoming constituency reform.

Luise Glaser-Lotz

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung for the Main-Kinzig district.

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The law introduced by the Hessian government factions CDU and Greens with the support of the FDP provides for the design of some state constituencies to be adapted to the population development.

The proposals were drawn up by a constituency commission set up by the state government.

The aim of the project is for all constituencies to have approximately the same number of residents.

In several constituencies in East Hesse, there are currently differences of around 25 percent from the average.

According to a ruling by the Hessian state court, the layout of these constituencies, including the Main-Kinzig district, must be adjusted in order to ensure the validity of future state elections.

District Administrator demands fourth constituency

The district leadership wants to replace the planned reorganization of Wächtersbach, Gründau and Ronneburg with another path.

It makes sense and is justified for the Main-Kinzig district to get a fourth constituency due to the population growth in recent years, according to the district office in Gelnhausen.

As Stolz states, the number of inhabitants in all three state constituencies of the district is more than 20 percent above the state average, with an upward trend.

According to the district administration, the current deviations are 21.9 percent for constituency 40 with the municipalities of Bruchköbel, Freigericht, Gründau, Hammersbach, Hasselroth, Langenselbold, Neuberg, Nidderau, Rodenbach, Ronneburg and Schöneck, and 21.9 percent for constituency 41 with the municipalities of Hanau , Großkrotzenburg, Maintal and Erlensee 24.9 percent and for constituency 42 with the towns and communities of Bad Orb, Bad Soden-Salmünster, Biebergemünd, Birstein, Brachttal, Flörsbachtal, Gelnhausen, Jossgrund, Linsengericht, Schluechtern, Sinntal, Steinau an der Straße , Wächtersbach and the Spessart estate district 24.2 percent.

1000 to 2000 new citizens per year

The constituency commission of the state provides for a balance with those neighboring districts that show a smaller deviation.

Accordingly, the town of Wächtersbach from constituency 42 and the communities of Ronneburg and Gründau from constituency 40 would be incorporated into constituency 26 (Wetterau II) from the 2023 state election.

When Ronneburg and Gründau are handed over, constituency 40 is to include the town of Erlensee from constituency 41.

“We are seeing a boom in construction areas.

We have black and white the growth in the population, and not just at the gates of Frankfurt.

Every year, 1,000 to 2,000 new citizens come to our district.” These consequences for constituency layouts must be taken into account in any reform.

The question can only be solved permanently with an additional constituency that takes this development into account, argues Stolz.

The SPD politician refers to the state election law, according to which constituencies form a contiguous area and should take into account the boundaries of the respective districts.

In 2012, the Federal Constitutional Court also recognized what is known as constituency continuity as a criterion when constituting constituencies.

A uniform representation and thus representation of the interests of the citizens of a constituency through the greatest possible agreement between the constituencies and the political districts is therefore "indispensable".

According to the ideas in the Main-Kinzig district, the additional constituency should be made up of cities and municipalities from the current constituencies 40 and 42.

That would correspond to the required constituency continuity, and the necessary adjustment of the constituencies of the Main-Kinzig district would be possible without cross-district assignments, according to the district committee.

The SPD in the Main-Kinzig district agrees to these proposals.

At the same time, she also sees political backgrounds.

The chairman of the SPD Main-Kinzig, Andreas Hofmann, assumes that the state government is acting according to the American model, in that the constituencies are tailored according to political calculations.

It is no secret that constituency 42 will be harder to win for the SPD due to the relocation of Gründau, Wächtersbach and Ronneburg.