Bremen state election, 2011

Bremen state election, 2011
Bremen (state)
May 22, 2011
All 83 seats of the Bürgerschaft of Bremen
42 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Jens Böhrnsen Karoline Linnert Rita Mohr-Lüllmann
Party SPD Green CDU
Last election 36.8% 16.4% 25.7%
Seats before 33 14 23
Seats won 36 21 20
Seat change +3 +7 -3
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Kristina Vogt Jan Timke Oliver Möllenstädt
Party Left BIW FDP
Last election 8.4% 0.8% 6.0%
Seats before 7 1 5
Seats won 5 1 0
Seat change -2 0 -5
Mayor before election

Jens Böhrnsen
SPD

 Elected Mayor

Jens Böhrnsen
SPD

A Bremen state election was held on May 22, 2011,[1] to elect the Bürgerschaft (city and state legislature).[2] The Christian Democratic Union's slogan was "Now do the right thing."[3] The Social Democratic Party and the Green Party wanted to continue their coalition.[3] Nineteen parties and political associations were authorized to participate in the election.[4] The Citizens' Party, German People's Union and Free Voters were the parties not eligible to be in the election.[4]

Sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds were able to vote for the first time in this election.[5] There had also been a major change in the voting system: whereas until the 2007 election, Bremen voters had only one vote, and only had a choice between closed party lists, the new electoral law gave them five votes which they were able to distribute freely between party lists and individual candidates.[5]

Post-election

Overview

The Social Democrats and the Greens remained as the governing coalition.[6] The Greens overtook the Christian Democrats for second place for the first time in the history of the West German states.[6]

Issues and campaign

The Christian Democratic Union campaign focused on economic growth and Town Hall security policies.[5]

Illegal drugs

A new study has shown that "nearly all children living with methadone substituted parents have drugs in her hair".[7] CDU leader Rita Mohr-Lüllmann stated that recent studies showed that parents in Bremen consume illegal drugs in addition to methadone and how their children are "exposed to enormous risks".[7] She goes on to say that the state will remove the children from their homes if traces of illegal drugs are found in the children's hair.[7]

Results

Party Votes % +/– Seats +/– %
Social Democratic Party (SPD) 38.6 +1.9 36 +4
Alliance '90/The Greens 22.5 +5.7 21 +7
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) 20.4 -5.1 20 -3
The Left 5.6 -2.8 5 -2
Citizens in Rage (BIW) 3.7 +2.9 1 0
Free Democratic Party (FDP) 2.4 -3.8 0 -5
Pirate Party Germany (PIRATEN) 1.9 +1.9 0 0
National Democratic Party (NPD) 1.6 -1.1 0 0
Others 3.4 +2.7 0 0
Totals 100.0% — 83 — 100.0%

These are the final results. [8]

References

  1. ↑ "SPD and Greens set for power in Hamburg". The Local. February 13, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Wahlen". Bremen. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "CDU setzt auf Wachstumspolitik". Weser Kurier. March 9, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "19 Parteien und Vereinigungen zugelassen". Weser-Kurier. March 25, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Wahlen". Weser Kurier. February 4, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Rot-Grün – das ist die neue große Koalition". Die Welt. May 22, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2011.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Mohr-Lüllmann will Kinder aus Familien nehmen". Weser Kurier. May 5, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Ergebnisse der Bürgerschaftswahlen in Bremen".