After the state elections in Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, CDU election winner Hendrik Wüst is now claiming leadership. CDU and Greens are clear winners, said CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja today in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin”.
For Czaja, it is now important to reconcile the economy and progress with the issue of climate and ecology. “That is the task of this government, in such difficult times. In an industrialized country like North Rhine-Westphalia, this can work well under the leadership of Hendrik Wüst.”
Kuchaty: The CDU has priority
SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert did not want to give up hope of an SPD-led government just yet. SPD top candidate Thomas Kutschaty sees the CDU as the priority for coalition talks following his party’s historic defeat. The SPD will take a close look at the first contacts and soundings between the CDU and the Greens.
Baerbock doesn’t want to get involved
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) did not want to get involved in the formation of a government in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Although a “traffic light coalition” is mathematically possible following the NRW state elections, the FDP’s top candidate, Joachim Stamp, is firmly assuming a coalition of the CDU and the Greens. When asked regarding the chances of a coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP, Stamp said on WDR5: “The question doesn’t arise, it’s going to be black and green now.”
In yesterday’s state elections, Prime Minister Wüst’s CDU was clearly ahead with 35.7 percent of the votes. The SPD ended up in second place with significant losses and 26.7 percent. The Greens made strong gains, almost tripling their result in the 2017 election with 18.2 percent. FDP (5.9 percent) and AfD (5.4 percent) only just managed to re-enter the state parliament.