Gordon Schnieder has been elected the new Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate. During the election at the state parliament, the CDU politician secured 63 votes. Despite the total count of votes, the coalition comprising the CDU and SPD collectively holds 71 seats in the parliament. A total of 38 representatives voted against Schnieder’s candidacy, while two abstained, and there were also two invalid votes recorded.
The recent state election on March 22 saw the CDU emerge as clear winners, garnering 31 percent of the vote, compared to the SPD-the party of the outgoing Minister-President, Alexander Schweitzer-which received 25.9 percent. Following the election, both parties agreed to form a Grand Coalition. While Schweitzer is not part of the new administration, he is not retiring completely. Instead, he has assumed the role of the chair of the SPD parliamentary faction, a position he had previously held from 2014 to 2021.
The new coalition agreement outlines several key goals. Among them, the parties aim to strengthen cities and municipalities, promising increased financial allocations. Furthermore, the administration plans for modernization. In the area of internal security, the CDU and SPD intend to rely more heavily on technology, including artificial intelligence, and also propose enabling increased video surveillance.