2017 Lower Saxony state election

Last updated
2017 Lower Saxony state election
Flag of Lower Saxony.svg
  2013 15 October 2017 2022  

All 137 seats in the Landtag of Lower Saxony
69 seats needed for a majority
Turnout3,828,003 (63.1%)
Increase2.svg 3.7%
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Stephan Weil (2013).png Althusmann.jpg Anja Piel (Martin Rulsch) 1.jpg
Leader Stephan Weil Bernd Althusmann Anja Piel
Party SPD CDU Greens
Last election49 seats, 32.6%54 seats, 36.0%20 seats, 13.7%
Seats won555012
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 6Decrease2.svg 4Decrease2.svg 8
Popular vote1,413,9901,287,191334,130
Percentage36.9%33.6%8.7%
SwingIncrease2.svg 4.3%Decrease2.svg 2.4%Decrease2.svg 5.0%

 Fourth partyFifth party
  Stefan Birkner 2017.png 2018-02-28 Dana Guth-6170.jpg
Leader Stefan Birkner Dana Guth
Party FDP AfD
Last election14 seats, 9.9%Did not exist
Seats won119
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 3Increase2.svg 9
Popular vote287,957235,863
Percentage7.5%6.2%
SwingDecrease2.svg 2.4%Did not exist

2017 Lower Saxony state election.svg
Results for the single-member constituencies

Government before election

First Weil cabinet
SPDGreen

Government after election

Second Weil cabinet
SPDCDU

The 2017 Lower Saxony state election was held on 15 October 2017 to elect the 18th Landtag of Lower Saxony. The incumbent coalition government of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and The Greens led by Minister-President Stephan Weil was defeated. Though the SPD became the largest party in the Landtag largely fueled by the personal popularity of Weil, their gains were offset by losses for the Greens, depriving the government of its majority. The SPD subsequently formed a grand coalition with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and Weil continued as Minister-President.

Contents

This was the last election, state or federal, in which the SPD gained seats or increased their share of the popular vote until the 2021 German federal election and 2021 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state election which both took place on the same day in September 2021.

Background

Following the 2013 state election, a red-green coalition between the SPD and Greens was formed, holding a one-seat majority in the Landtag. After Green parliamentarian Elke Twesten controversially defected to the CDU on 4 August 2017, the coalition lost its majority, [1] which prompted Minister-President Stephan Weil to schedule an early election for 15 October. [2] The Landtag was officially dissolved on 21 August after 135 of 137 parliamentarians voted in favor, with 91 votes required for its dissolution. [3]

Electoral system

The Landtag of Lower Saxony is elected using mixed-member proportional representation. Its minimum size is 135 seats. Of these, 87 are elected in single-member constituencies, and the remainder are determined by party lists. Voters have two votes: the "first vote" for candidates within each individual constituency, and the "second vote" for party lists. There is an electoral threshold of 5% of second vote to qualify for seats. Seats are allocated using the d'Hondt method, with additional overhang and leveling seats provided to ensure proportionality. The normal term of the Landtag is 5 years. [4]

Parties

The table below lists parties represented in the 17th Landtag of Lower Saxony.

NameIdeologyLeader(s)2013 result
Votes (%)Seats
CDU Christian Democratic Union of Germany
Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands
Christian democracy Bernd Althusmann 36.0%
54 / 137
SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany
Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands
Social democracy Stephan Weil 32.6%
49 / 137
Grüne Alliance 90/The Greens
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
Green politics Anja Piel 13.7%
20 / 137
FDP Free Democratic Party
Freie Demokratische Partei
Classical liberalism Stefan Birkner 9.9%
14 / 137

Opinion polling

Polling firmFieldwork dateSample
size
CDU SPD Grüne FDP Linke AfD OthersLead
2017 state election 15 Oct 201733.636.98.77.54.66.22.43.3
Civey 25 Sep–13 Oct 20175,07331.834.68.58.95.77.82.72.8
Forschungsgruppe Wahlen 10–11 Oct 20171,0013334.599572.51.5
INSA 4–6 Oct 20171,005323310105731
Forschungsgruppe Wahlen 2–5 Oct 20171,0833333910573Tie
Infratest dimap 2–4 Oct 20171,00234348.584.583Tie
Civey 24 Sep–1 Oct 20174,57033.132.89.98.05.48.12.70.3
Infratest dimap 26–27 Sep 20171,0043534985631
2017 federal election 24 Sep 201734.927.48.79.36.99.13.67.5
Infratest dimap 30 Aug–5 Sep 20171,00137321065735
dimap 18–26 Aug 20171,0033931884828
INSA 9 Aug 20171,00040289957212
Infratest dimap 8–9 Aug 20171,0034032973638
INSA 18–23 May 20171,00041278956414
Forsa 18–28 Apr 20171,0013536864651
Infratest dimap 13–18 Jan 20171,00235311464824
Forsa 22 Dec 2016–9 Jan 20171,00034321264752
INSA 6–14 Oct 20161,00033311285742
Forsa 23 Oct–20 Nov 20151,00235331464442
INSA 21 Aug–2 Sep 20151,00037291466358
Infratest dimap 26 Jun–1 Jul 20151,00040311455239
GMS 8–13 Jan 20151,012413014344411
2014 European election 25 May 201439.432.510.92.54.05.45.36.9
Infratest dimap 14–16 Jan 20141,00040321345338
2013 federal election 22 Sep 201341.133.18.84.25.03.74.18.0
2013 state election 20 Jan 201336.032.613.79.93.14.63.4

Results

18th Lower Saxony Landtag.svg
PartyConstituencyParty listTotal
seats
+/–
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
Social Democratic Party (SPD)1,508,83039.6%551,413,99036.9%055+6
Christian Democratic Union (CDU)1,420,08337.3%321,287,19133.6%1850–4
Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne)283,3277.4%0334,1308.7%1212–8
Free Democratic Party (FDP)226,5545.9%0287,9577.5%1111–3
Alternative for Germany (AfD)174,5214.6%0235,8636.2%99+9
The Left (Linke)170,6604.5%0177,1184.6%00
Animal Protection Party (Tierschutz)027,1080.7%00
Die PARTEI (PARTEI)9,0970.2%022,5780.6%00
Free Voters (FW)11,3480.3%014,8690.4%00
Pirate Party (Piraten)2,3500.1%08,4490.2%00
Basic Income Alliance (BFE)05,1250.1%00
German Centre (DM)04,4820.1%00
V-Partei³ 04,1510.1%00
Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP)7350.0%04,0420.1%00
Liberal Conservative Reformers (LKR)4880.0%09500.0%00
The Grays (DG)2600.0%000
Independents 2,4470.1%000
Total3,811,125100.0%873,828,003100.0%50137
Valid votes3,811,12599.0%3,828,00399.5%
Invalid votes37,8921.0%21,0140.5%
Turnout3,849,01763.1%
Eligible voters6,098,379
Source: Niedersächsische Landeswahlleiterin

Government formation

Due to AfD entering the Landtag and no party willing to form a coalition with them, neither the incumbent red-green coalition between the SPD and Greens nor the black-yellow opposition of the CDU and FDP secured a majority of seats in the election. Because the FDP ruled out the possibility of a traffic light coalition (between the SPD, FDP, and Greens) and the Greens ruled out a Jamaica coalition (between the CDU, Greens, and FDP), [5] the SPD and CDU subsequently agreed to start negotiations to form a grand coalition. [6]

On 16 November, the SPD and CDU agreed to form a government. [7]

See also

References

  1. Lisa Caspari; Veronika Völlinger; Rita Lauter (4 August 2017). "Die Frau, die Niedersachsens Regierung stürzte". Die Zeit. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  2. "Niedersachsen-Wahl am 15. Oktober". Die Welt. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  3. "Der Niedersächsische Landtag hat sich aufgelöst". Norddeutscher Rundfunk. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  4. Wilko Zicht (20 January 2013). "Wahlsystem Niedersachsen". Wahlrecht.de. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  5. "FDP und Grüne in Hannover stellen sich auf Opposition ein". Die Welt. Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  6. "Niedersachsen vor Großer Koalition". ZDF. Deutsche Press-Agentur. 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 1 November 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  7. "SPD und CDU schließen "Koalition der Vernunft"". NDR. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.