Jamaica coalition (politics)

Last updated
Jamaica's national flag Flag of Jamaica.svg
Jamaica's national flag

Jamaica coalition (German : Jamaika-Koalition; also known as the Jamaica alliance, Jamaica traffic light, black traffic light or Schwampel) is a term in German politics describing a governing coalition among the parties of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), Free Democratic Party (FDP), and the Green Party.

Contents

The term comes from the fact that the symbolic colors of the parties in such a coalition—black for the conservative CDU/CSU, yellow for the liberal FDP, and green for the Green Party—are also the colors of the flag of Jamaica.

History

After the German federal election in 2005 a Jamaica coalition became mathematically possible and was initially discussed. The Free Democrats decided they would not form a coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD), leaving the Jamaica coalition as one of the few remaining options, but the Greens rejected the coalition proposal. "Can you really see [CDU and CSU leaders] Angela Merkel and Edmund Stoiber sitting round the table in dreadlocks?" asked Joschka Fischer, the Greens' leader at the time. "This is more our style. It's impossible. I don't see that." [1] In October 2005, the CDU/CSU and SPD formed a grand coalition instead.

At the state level, the Greens announced in October 2009 that they would support a CDU/FDP coalition in Saarland, forming Germany's first Jamaica coalition in state government. This move was partly prompted by desire to prevent an SPD minority government in Saarland dependent upon support from Die Linke. The Saarland coalition collapsed in January 2012. [2]

A Jamaica coalition held power in the state of Schleswig-Holstein from 2017 to 2022. After the 2017 Schleswig-Holstein state election, CDU leader Daniel Günther became Minister President by forming a coalition with the Free Democrats led by Wolfgang Kubicki and the Greens led by Monika Heinold. [3] After the 2022 election, the FDP was dropped from the governing coalition.

2017

A Jamaica coalition was unsuccessfully negotiated at the national level in Germany following the 2017 federal election. [4] After the SPD initially announced their return to opposition, it became the only viable coalition that didn't involve Alternative for Germany. [5] Coalition talks failed after the FDP pulled out of talks, citing an inability to find a compromise on migration and energy policy. [6]

Black traffic light

Another nickname for this coalition is black traffic light (German : Schwarze Ampel or the portmanteau word Schwampel). This term alludes to the classic traffic light coalition, an alliance between the SPD (red), FDP (yellow), and the Greens, together whose symbolic colors match the colors of most German traffic lights. In a black traffic light, the CDU's color black would replace the SPD's red. Classic traffic light coalitions have already governed at the state level in Brandenburg, Bremen and Rhineland-Palatinate. The first known appearance of the short form Schwampel was in the Tageszeitung newspaper (Bremen edition) on 4 October 1991. [7]

Use of the term in Belgium

In Belgian politics, the term Jamaica coalition refers to a coalition of Christian democrats (CD&V, cdH and CSP), liberals (Open Vld, MR and PFF) and greens (Groen and Ecolo). [8] [9] The term has been adopted from German politics, even though the colors of the Belgian parties in question (orange, blue and green, respectively) do not correspond to those of the Jamaican flag. Even if this kind of coalition remains hypothetical on a federal, regional or provincial level, it has been formed in various municipalities, such as in Holsbeek in 2018. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Democratic Party (Germany)</span> Political party in Germany

The Free Democratic Party is a liberal political party in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Germany</span>

Germany is a democratic and federal parliamentary republic, where federal legislative power is vested in the Bundestag and the Bundesrat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 German federal election</span>

Federal elections were held in Germany on 22 September 2002 to elect the members of the 15th Bundestag. Incumbent Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's centre-left "red-green" governing coalition retained a narrow majority, and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) retained their status as the largest party in the Bundestag by three seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 German federal election</span>

Federal elections were held in Germany on 27 September 1998 to elect the members of the 14th Bundestag. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) emerged as the largest faction in parliament for the first time since 1972, with its leader Gerhard Schröder becoming chancellor. The Christian Democrats had their worst election result since 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 German federal election</span>

Federal elections were held in Germany on 18 September 2005 to elect the members of the 16th Bundestag. The snap election was called after the government's defeat in the North Rhine-Westphalia state election, which caused them to intentionally lose a motion of confidence to trigger an early federal election. The outgoing government was a coalition of the centre-left Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and Alliance 90/The Greens, led by federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. The election was originally intended for the autumn of 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traffic light coalition</span> Type of coalition government

In German politics, a traffic light coalition is a coalition government of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and Alliance 90/The Greens. It is named after the parties' traditional colours, respectively red, yellow, and green, matching the colour sequence of a traffic light (Ampel). So far, the only instance of a traffic light coalition on a federal level in Germany has been in Olaf Scholz' cabinet between 2021 and its collapse over disagreements in November 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 German federal election</span>

Federal elections were held in Germany on 27 September 2009 to elect the members of the 17th Bundestag.

Grand coalition is a nickname in German politics describing a governing coalition of the parties Christian Democratic Union (CDU) along with its sister party the Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), since they have historically been the major parties in most state and federal elections since 1949. The meaning of the term may change due to the growth of some formerly minor parties in recent years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 North Rhine-Westphalia state election</span> German state election

The 2010 North Rhine-Westphalia state election was held on 9 May 2010 to elect the 15th Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia. The outgoing government was a coalition of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Free Democratic Party (FDP) led by Minister-President Jürgen Rüttgers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Third Merkel cabinet</span> Government of Germany from 2013 to 2018

The Third Merkel cabinet was the 23rd Government of the Federal Republic of Germany during the 18th legislative session of the Bundestag. Installed after the 2013 federal election, it left office on 14 March 2018. It was preceded by the second Merkel cabinet and succeeded by the fourth Merkel cabinet. Led by Chancellor Angela Merkel. The government was supported by a coalition of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD). Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) replaced Philipp Rösler (FDP) as Vice Chancellor of Germany and became Federal Minister for Economics and Energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Baden-Württemberg state election</span> State election in Germany

The 2016 Baden-Württemberg state election was held on 13 March 2016 to elect the members of the 15th Landtag of Baden-Württemberg. The incumbent government of The Greens and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) led by Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann lost its majority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Saarland state election</span>

The 2017 Saarland state election was held on 26 March 2017 to elect the members of the Landtag of Saarland. The incumbent grand coalition of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Social Democratic Party (SPD) led by Minister-President Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer was returned with an increased majority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Lower Saxony state election</span> State election in Lower Saxony, Germany

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Baden-Württemberg state election</span> State election

The 2021 Baden-Württemberg state election was held on 14 March 2021 to elect the 17th Landtag of Baden-Württemberg. The outgoing government was a coalition of Alliance 90/The Greens and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) led by Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German governing coalition</span> Potential governing alliances in Germany

In Germany's federal electoral system, a single party or parliamentary group rarely wins an absolute majority of seats in the Bundestag, and thus coalition governments, rather than single-party governments, are the usually expected outcome of a German election. As German political parties are often associated with particular colors, coalitions are frequently given nicknames based on the colors included. Prominent political parties in Germany are the CDU/CSU (black), the SPD (red), the Greens (green), the Left, the AfD (blue), and the FDP (yellow).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Günther cabinet</span> State government of Schleswig-Holstein

The first Günther cabinet was the state government of Schleswig-Holstein from between 2017 and 2022, sworn in after Daniel Günther was elected as Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein by the members of the Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein. It was the 26th Cabinet of Schleswig-Holstein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vivaldi coalition</span> Belgian political term

The Vivaldi coalition is a neologism in Belgian politics describing a governing coalition among the parties of the liberals, social democrats, greens and Christian democrats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red–purple coalition</span>

In German politics, a red-purple coalition also called a magenta coalition is a coalition between the Social Democratic Party of Germany and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance. Since December 2024, such a governing coalition has been governing at the state level for the first time with the fourth Woidke cabinet in the state of Brandenburg.

A black-green or green-black coalition is a coalition between a conservative and/or Christian Democratic party and a green party.

References

  1. ↑ Harding, Luke (20 September 2005). "New election looms as Greens reject Merkel". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  2. ↑ Zuvela, Matt (6 January 2012). "One-of-a-kind coalition falls apart in German state". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  3. ↑ Herrmann, Gunnar (8 May 2017). "All signs point to Jamaica coalition". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  4. ↑ C, J (24 September 2017). "Germany's exit polls point to big losses for the two main parties". The Economist. Berlin. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  5. ↑ Shalal, Andrea (24 September 2017). "German Social Democrats vow to rebuild in opposition after election drubbing". Reuters. Berlin. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  6. ↑ Oltermann, Philip (20 November 2017). "German coalition talks collapse after deadlock on migration and energy". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  7. ↑ ASE (4 October 1991). "FDP will mitregieren". taz (in German). Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  8. ↑ "Wat na 7 juni". De Standaard (in Dutch). 26 May 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  9. ↑ Van de Velden, Wim (4 April 2019). "De groene droom van een jamaicacoalitie". De Tijd (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  10. ↑ Bosmans, Kirsten (2018). "Holsbeek krijgt coalitie met CD&V, Groen en Open Vld". Leuven Actueel (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 December 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.