"Work, homeland and security": That is the "clear vision" that the Hessian Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU) formulated on Tuesday in the state parliament.

Previously, 74 MPs had given him their votes in the first ballot.

For the election he needed the vote of at least 69 elected representatives.

The black-green government coalition alone has that many seats.

Anyone who voted for the Rhine is left to speculation because the election was secret.

Astrid Wallmann auf Rhein, a member of the CDU, is the first woman in the history of the state to succeed him as President of the State Parliament.

In an open vote, 115 of the 137 MPs raised their hands for them.

Abstentions and votes against came from the ranks of the AfD and the left.

Wallmann announced that by the end of the election period in a year and a half he would do something about the declining voter turnout and the dwindling interest in politics.

"We need to reduce the distance between state institutions and citizens," she said.

There are extremists in the country who want democracy to fail.

Democracy needs active democrats all the more.

The Hessian state parliament is considered the toughest parliament in Germany, said Wallmann.

In fact, the plenary debates are sometimes very heated.

But she has learned to appreciate the state parliament in recent years.

Because it is also “a parliament of togetherness”.

She wants to preserve and develop this culture, promised the new President of the State Parliament.

Like Wallmann, the new Prime Minister Boris Rhein referred to the Russian war of aggression.

Ukraine also defends the values ​​of all Hessian democrats, they declared.

Rhein stated that he was taking office at a “confusing time”.

The CDU politician wants to present his concrete ideas for Hesse in a government statement in the state parliament next week.

He attested to his predecessor Volker Bouffier's "almost superhuman commitment" to the country.

He wants to make his claim to be the prime minister of all Hessen his own.

After the session of the state parliament and the swearing-in of the ministers, Rhein and Bouffier went together with their wives to the state chancellery to change office.

It was there that Rhein chaired his first cabinet meeting.

As reported, Roman Poseck, President of the Higher Regional Court and the State Court of Justice, will replace the previous Minister of Justice, Eva Kühne-Hörmann.

This change was "long overdue", said the parliamentary group leader of the SPD, Günter Rudolph.

Poseck knows the problems that have piled up in the Hessian judiciary from his previous work.

But whether he can solve it is "extremely questionable".

Incidentally, "the rest of the black-green government staff should apparently just muddle on".

According to opposition politician Rudolph, the ministers of the Greens usually did not cut a good figure either.

For example, the handling of environment minister Priska Hinz with rotten sausage and poisonous cucumber slices is unspeakable.

"And Economy Minister Al-Wazir, a master of self-portrayal, primarily produces hot air instead of wind energy." Rudolph stated that the new head of government was not a new beginning.

"There is no trace of a spirit of optimism."

René Rock, leader of the FDP parliamentary group, praised the change in the Ministry of Justice – and also the new prime minister.

"Boris Rhein is a sensible person and an experienced politician who we expect to switch immediately and get to work," said Rock.

He is no longer the friendly representative at the head of Parliament, but is asked to "show his political course and lead Hessen out of the mediocrity that unfortunately stands at the end of Volker Bouffier's term in office".

He left Rhein some construction sites that couldn't wait.

As examples, Rock cited a lack of a strategy for climate protection, a neglected economy and digitization.

Robert Lambrou, the chairman of the AfD parliamentary group, attested to Rhein that as president of the state parliament he distinguished himself by being non-partisan towards all six parliamentary groups and that he had done a good job.

Now they want to give him 100 days in his position to judge him afterwards.

According to their own statements, the left has also learned to appreciate Rhein for his friendly, communicative and approachable style in recent years.

But the parliamentary group leaders Elisabeth Kula and Jan Schalauske wanted to remind people "that he was scandalous as interior minister in the past, failed as Frankfurt mayoral candidate and remained colorless as science minister".

Rhine is "politically flesh of the flesh of the Hesse CDU".