These elections went as smoothly as expected: Daniel Günther received a clear vote from the state parliament in Kiel for a second term at the head of the government.
Kiel – Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) has been leading the first black-green state government in Schleswig-Holstein since Wednesday. This 48-year-old was confirmed for a second term by the votes of the CDU and the Greens.
In his new cabinet, the CDU has six ministers, the Greens three. The new head of the social department, Aminata Touré (Greens/29), is the first Afro-German minister, Economy Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen (independent/49), former mayor of Rostock, the first Dane with ministerial rank.
A day earlier, Günther’s party friend Hendrik Wüst was elected the first prime minister of the black-green coalition in North Rhine-Westphalia in Düsseldorf. In Kiel, Günther received 47 votes, and thus all CDU and Green representatives present. Four SSW representatives abstained, SPD and FDP voted against Günther.
Justice and health in one hand
“I will perform this duty with humility and respect,” said Günther. He spoke of challenging times. “We have big tasks ahead of us for Schleswig-Holstein in the next five years.” The coalition has ambitious goals and is optimistic. After taking the oath, Günther appointed his ministers. “We know that we have big goals in our luggage, heavy stones,” said Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Monika Heinold (Greens). The Black and Greens see themselves as a climate coalition.
The newly created Ministry of Justice and Health will be taken over by lawyer Kerstin von der Decken (CDU). She was a member of the state government’s Expert Council for Corona. With Werner Schwarz (CDU), the long-term president of the State Farmers’ Association is now the Minister of Agriculture. For the first time in a long time, this area was separated from the Ministry of the Environment, which caused great criticism.
CDU politicians Karin Prien and Sabine Sütterlin-Waack will continue to lead the education and interior ministries. The Greens occupy the finance, social affairs and environment/energy departments with Heinold, Touré and Tobias Goldschmidt. In addition to Dirk Schrödter – in the future in the rank of minister – the CDU also secures the head of the state office. In the afternoon, members of the government took the oath in the state parliament.
Günther thanked retired FDP ministers Heiner Garg (health) and Bernd Buchholz (economy). The parting caused an ambivalent feeling, but also melancholy.
Strengthen relations with Denmark
The CDU clearly won the state election on May 8 with 43.4 percent ahead of the Greens (18.3 percent). The leaders of the CDU and the Greens officially signed the coalition agreement on Tuesday.
“I come here with the expectation that I will bring people forward here as well,” said Economy Minister Madsen. The challenges are great. “We have to roll up our sleeves and really get something done here.” The goal is to strengthen the economy and relations with Denmark. “Of course I want the country to quickly become a green industrial country.”
SPD parliamentary group leader Thomas Losse-Müller said after Günther’s election that the Black and Greens had gathered their votes. “There have been enough compromises, including formulaic compromises – but this majority cannot hide the fact that there is still no solution for the country.”
SSW parliamentary group leader Lars Harms gave Günther a bottle of Danish whiskey after the re-election, saying: “The government can get drunk with that kind of drink.”
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