Mayor
parliamentary
Election name2011 Hamburg state election
CountryHamburg
Ongoingno
Previous election2008 Hamburg state election
Previous year2008
Next election2015 Hamburg state election
Next year2015
Seats for electionAll 121 seats in the Hamburg Parliament
Majority seats61
Election date20 February 2011[1]
Turnout3,444,602 (57.3%)
6.2%
Leader 1Olaf Scholz
Party 1Social Democratic Party of Germany
Last election 145 seats, 34.1%
Seats 162
Popular vote 11,667,804
Seat change 117
Percentage 148.4%
Swing 114.3%
Leader 2Christoph Ahlhaus
Party 2Christian Democratic Union of Germany
Last election 256 seats, 42.6%
Seats 228
Popular vote 2753,805
Seat change 228
Percentage 221.9%
Swing 220.7%
Leader 3Anja Hajduk
Party 3Alliance 90/The Greens
Last election 312 seats, 9.6%
Seats 314
Popular vote 3384,502
Seat change 32
Percentage 311.2%
Swing 31.6%
Leader 4Katja Suding
Party 4Free Democratic Party (Germany)
Last election 40 seats, 4.8%
Seats 49
Popular vote 4229,125
Seat change 49
Percentage 46.7%
Swing 41.9%
Leader 5Dora Heyenn
Party 5The Left (Germany)
Last election 58 seats, 6.4%
Seats 58
Seat change 50
Popular vote 5220,428
Percentage 56.4%
Swing 50.0%
Before electionChristoph Ahlhaus
Before partyChristian Democratic Union of Germany
After electionOlaf Scholz
After partySocial Democratic Party of Germany

The 2011 Hamburg state election was held on 20 February 2011 to elect the members of the 20th Hamburg Parliament. The election was triggered by the collapse of the coalition government between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Green Alternative List (GAL), which had governed the state since 2008.[1] The election was a landslide defeat for the CDU, which lost half its voteshare and seats. The margin of defeat for the incumbent Ahlhaus Senate is the largest in post-war German history and has not been met since. Much of this lost support flowed to the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which won 62 of the 121 seats in Parliament, forming a majority government led by Olaf Scholz.[2][3]

Background

After the 2008 state election, the CDU formed a coalition government with the GAL. This was the first time such a government had been formed in Germany, as the Greens were seen as aligned with the SPD, typically in opposition to the CDU. Popular CDU mayor Ole von Beust was seen as a stabilising force for the government. After his retirement in August 2010 and the election of Christoph Ahlhaus as his successor, relations between the two parties became increasingly strained.[1][4][5] In November 2010, GAL left the government.[6] Ahlhaus formed a minority CDU Senate and the Parliament subsequently voted to dissolve itself and hold early elections.[7]

Parties

The table below lists parties represented in the 19th Hamburg Parliament.

NameIdeologyLeader(s)2008 result
Votes (%)Seats
bgcolor= |CDUChristian Democratic Union of Germany
Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands		Christian democracyChristoph Ahlhaus42.58%
bgcolor= |SPDSocial Democratic Party of Germany
Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands		Social democracyOlaf Scholz34.15%
bgcolor= |GALGreen Alternative List
Grün-Alternative-Liste Hamburg		Green politicsAnja Hajduk9.58%
bgcolor= |LinkeThe Left
Die Linke		Democratic socialismDora Heyenn6.45%

Opinion polling

Polling firmFieldwork dateSample
size		CDUSPDGALLinkeFDPOthersLead
2011 state election20 Feb 2011–21.948.411.26.46.75.526.5
GMS15–17 Feb 20111,00225431565618
Infratest dimap8–10 Feb 20111,00423.545145.55721.5
Forschungsgruppe Wahlen7–10 Feb 20111,686234614.5655.523
Emnid4–10 Feb 20111,00224451565521
Infratest dimap28 Jan–2 Feb 20111,00025461465421
Trend Research Hamburg26–31 Jan 201162725451664420
Infratest dimap7–11 Jan 20111,00026431754517
Trend Research Hamburg10–14 Dec 201064824451683421
Infratest dimap10–12 Dec 20101,00022431974521
Trend Research Hamburg2–7 Dec 201067822451773623
Trend Research Hamburg29 Nov–2 Dec 201065324441774520
Psephos29 Nov–1 Dec 20101,00228451463417
Forschungsgruppe Wahlen29–30 Nov 20101,00622412174519
Psephos6–10 Nov 20101,0043540126435
Trend Research Hamburg15–19 Oct 2010612253517114810
Psephos19–20 Jul 20101,0053541106446
Psephos29 Jun–2 Jul 20101,0073639116533
Psephos19–23 Apr 20101,00434371088?3
Infratest dimap17–21 Feb 20091,0003131161075Tie
PsephosDecember 20091,0013834118634
Psephos26–30 Nov 20091,0043633138823
Infratest dimap19–22 Feb 20091,0003633128923
Psephos22–27 Nov 20081,00344311165313
Psephos29 April–5 May 20081,00443341074.51.59
2008 state election24 Feb 2008–42.634.19.66.44.82.58.5

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hamburg vote set for February after coalition collapses". The Local. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  2. ^ "Merkel's party hammered in state elections". Deutsche Welle. 20 February 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  3. ^ Pidd, Helen (20 February 2011). "Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats suffer heavy Hamburg defeat". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  4. ^ "Germany's only CDU-Green coalition falls". The Local. 28 November 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  5. ^ Knight, Dennis (February 18, 2011). "Trend-Setting Loss Would Spell Trouble for Merkel". Spiegel Online. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
  6. ^ "Veit Medick: 'Union schäumt, SPD träumt. Koalitionsbruch in Hamburg.'" Der Spiegel, 28 November 2010
  7. ^ "Greens in Hamburg end coalition with CDU". Deutsche Welle. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2010.