Just two months after the election for the Parliament of Baden-Württemberg, Cem Özdemir of the Green Party has been elected the new Minister-President. However, the process revealed a significant setback: Özdemir only secured 93 votes at the vote in the state parliament. The governing coalition, consisting of the CDU and the Greens, holds 112 seats collectively. During the casting of votes, 26 deputies voted ‘no’ four abstained, and 34 deputies voted for CDU state leader Manuel Hagel, who had been proposed by the AfD against his will. The AfD holds 35 seats in the parliament, and all of these deputies were also present. Although Hagel had initially rejected the proposal in the main plenary hall, he will now serve as the Minister of the Interior in the new coalition government.
The Greens and the CDU have jointly governed Baden-Württemberg since 2016. Following the March election, both parties began with an equal number of seats in the parliament, although the Greens achieved a slight advantage of half a percentage point in the overall vote.
The new coalition agreement lays out several ambitious goals. Among the key aims is making the state climate-neutral by 2040, five years ahead of the federal government’s target. Furthermore, the plan seeks to streamline business operations by allowing company formations within 48 hours.
Additional policy initiatives include establishing a mandatory, free final year of kindergarten, and enacting an efficiency law that utilizes a “one-in, two-out” rule, meaning that for every new regulation implemented, two old ones must be retired. A “Future Fund” is also planned, intended to stimulate private investment in areas such as startups, scaling businesses, and technological value creation.
At a governmental level, the state plans to advocate at the European level for a social media ban for children and teenagers under 16. Financially, one billion euros are earmarked for municipal investments focused on energy efficiency and energy retrofitting. Additionally, a new building type, designated the “BW Standard” aims to make construction and renovation projects more affordable.