If everything goes according to plan, Boris Rhein (CDU) will move into the Hessian State Chancellery as the new host on Tuesday. Exciting elections in the state parliament are pending.
Wiesbaden (dpa/lhe) - Volker Bouffier (CDU) wants to resign on Tuesday after almost twelve years at the head of the Hessian state government. State President Boris Rhein (CDU) is up for election in the state parliament. The procedure in parliament is mainly determined by the Hessian state constitution and the rules of procedure of the state parliament.
1. The resignation
Before the vote for the new Prime Minister, the incumbent Prime Minister Bouffier must formally hand in his resignation. According to the Hessian constitution, the ministers are also resigning. The long-time CDU Minister and Prime Minister is expected to speak farewell. The 70-year-old also wants to give up his seat in the state parliament at the end of May 31.
2. The new election
The new prime minister is elected in a secret ballot in the state parliament. The governing coalition of the CDU and the Greens has a parliamentary majority of just one mandate. A quorum of 69 of the 137 votes is required for the election. Black-Green can therefore not afford to deviate. If the required 69 votes - even in the possible multiple ballots - do not come together, then the previous state government would remain in office.
3. The Corona special rules
The state parliament also enables members of parliament with a positive corona test to cast their votes in the elections on Tuesday. You must be in the library, which will be locked for this purpose. For elections in which voting is by acclamation, the parliamentarians would have to go to a separate control booth so that the presidency can see the hand signals. According to the state parliament, a ballot box will be set up in a separate room for written votes.
4. The election of the President of the State Parliament
Should Rhein receive the required number of votes and accept the election, he will resign from the office of President of the Landtag. The government factions of the CDU and Greens have proposed the deputy leader of the CDU faction, Astrid Wallmann, as his successor. She can be elected by open ballot, unless a faction requests a secret ballot.
5. The swearing-in of the Prime Minister
After her successful election as the new President of the Landtag, Wallmann would swear in the 50-year-old Rhein as Prime Minister of Hesse. After that, the state parliament session is to be interrupted for around half an hour. During this time, Rhein appoints his cabinet. This is to take place in the "Blue Salon" of the state parliament, a historic room near the plenary hall.
6. The oath of office
When taking office, the Prime Minister takes the following oath of office in front of the state parliament, and the ministers take the following oath of office in front of the Prime Minister in the presence of the state parliament: "I swear that I will administer the office assigned to me impartially to the best of my knowledge and ability and that I will follow and defend the constitution and the law in a democratic spirit will."
7. The Cabinet
In addition to the Prime Minister, the CDU has seven ministers in the state government. The Greens occupy four posts in the cabinet. Parliament must express its confidence in the new state government - then the ministers will be sworn in by the head of government.
8. Entry into the State Chancellery
If Rhein is elected as planned, he will walk the short distance to the State Chancellery with his wife Tanja after the cabinet has been appointed by the state parliament. His predecessor Bouffier and his wife Ursula will then be waiting at the seat of government. A first meeting of the new cabinet in the State Chancellery is planned for Tuesday evening.
