The new Prime Minister of Hesse, Boris Rhein (CDU), appointed his cabinet after his election on Tuesday.

There has been a change in the ranks of CDU ministers: the previous President of the State Court of Justice and the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court, Roman Poseck, has replaced the previous Justice Minister Eva Kühne-Hörmann (CDU).

There had long been speculation about a possible cabinet reshuffle on the CDU side.

With a view to the state elections in autumn 2023, it was considered likely that Rhein would want to make a name for himself in his government team with a breath of fresh air.

In addition to the prime minister, the CDU is represented in the government with seven ministers and the Greens with four.

The smaller coalition partner had already indicated that he saw no need for personnel changes.

The cabinet wanted to meet in the State Chancellery on Tuesday afternoon.

Before that, the ministers should be sworn in in the state parliament.

74 yes votes

Rhein said goodbye to Kühne-Hörmann and thanked her for her dedicated work.

The CDU politician wants to work as a successor in her party's parliamentary group in the future when the previous Prime Minister Volker Bouffier gives up his mandate.

Rhein was elected to succeed Volker Bouffier as Prime Minister of Hesse on Tuesday.

The 50-year-old received the required number of votes in the first ballot in the state parliament in Wiesbaden on Tuesday.

Since the Christian Democrats and the Greens in Hesse have a parliamentary majority of just one mandate, the election was eagerly awaited.

In a secret ballot, Rhein even got some votes from opposition MPs.

69 of the 137 MP votes were needed for the election as head of government, 74 yes votes ultimately went to the CDU politician.

Rhein, who is considered conservative, was President of the Hessian state parliament before being elected Prime Minister.

To the applause of the deputies after his election, Rhein thanked him for the “overwhelming trust”.

In Hesse, the state elections will take place next autumn.

With a view to this important event, the state CDU decided to change personnel at the head of the state government.

Astrid Wallmann elected to the head of Parliament

Bouffier resigned on Tuesday after almost twelve years at the head of the Hessian state government.

The 70-year-old was the longest-serving Prime Minister in Germany, and he had already announced his retirement in February.

Bouffier said goodbye to the state parliament on Tuesday with a short speech, to which the MPs responded with standing applause.

Up to now, Rhein's career has been characterized by ups and downs.

At the age of 27 he was first elected to the Hessian state parliament, and at the age of 38 he took over the office of the Hessian Minister of the Interior.

In the run-off election for the office of mayor in his hometown of Frankfurt in 2012, he surprisingly lost to SPD man Peter Feldmann.

In 2014, Rhein was appointed Minister of Science in the black-green state government.

The married Catholic and father of two has been President of the State Parliament since January 2019.

In the office, he has earned respect across factions, including with committed action against racism, anti-Semitism and right-wing extremism.

Astrid Wallmann, a member of the CDU, was elected as Rhein's successor to the head of the Hessian parliament. She is the first woman in Hesse to hold this office.

After the election, Wallmann thanked the MPs for their trust and said she was very much looking forward to the new task.

Wallmann is the daughter of Wiesbaden Mayor Wilhelm Wallmann and niece of the former Prime Minister of Hesse, Walter Wallmann.