Thuringia held state elections on 30 August 2009, the same day as the Saarland and Saxony state elections. The election established the composition of the Landtag of Thuringia (Thuringia's parliament). According to the preliminary results, The Left and Social Democratic Party (SPD) together held a bare majority of seats, but a grand coalition of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and SPD was considered possible. The CDU and SPD formed a coalition seven weeks after the election.[2]
Results
e • d Summary of the 30 August 2009 election results for the Landtag of Thuringia
| Party |
Party list votes |
Vote % (change) |
Total Seats (change) |
Seat % |
|
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) |
329,241 |
31.2% (−11.8) |
30 (−15) |
34.1% |
|
The Left |
288,932 |
27.4% (+1.3) |
27 (−1) |
30.7% |
|
Social Democratic Party (SPD) |
195,353 |
18.5% (+4) |
18 (+3) |
20.5% |
|
Free Democratic Party (FDP) |
80,511 |
7.6% (+4) |
7 (+7) |
8.0% |
|
Alliance '90/The Greens (Grüne) |
64,889 |
6.2% (+1.7) |
6 (+6) |
6.8% |
|
National Democratic Party (NPD) |
45,401 |
4.3% (+2.7) |
– |
– |
|
Free Voters in Thuringia |
40,834 |
3.9% (+1.3) |
– |
– |
|
All Others |
9,040 |
0.8% |
– |
– |
| Totals |
|
1,054,201 |
100.0% |
88 |
100.0% |
Turnout was 56.2%
| Popular Vote |
|
|
|
|
|
| CDU |
|
31.23% |
| DIE LINKE |
|
27.40% |
| SPD |
|
18.53% |
| FDP |
|
7.64% |
| B'90/GRÜNE |
|
6.16% |
| NPD |
|
4.31% |
| FW |
|
3.87% |
| Other |
|
0.86% |
| Landtag seats |
|
|
|
|
|
| CDU |
|
34.09% |
| DIE LINKE |
|
30.68% |
| SPD |
|
20.45% |
| FDP |
|
7.95% |
| B'90/GRÜNE |
|
6.82% |
Aftermath
CDU's leader, Dieter Althaus, resigned in the wake of the election defeat, saying he was taking responsibility for the his party's losing its absolute majority.[3] However, it had also been noted that his remaining in office was a stumbling block to a coalition with the SPD. Both parties preferred that coalition to an SPD-Left-Green coalition: the CDU because such a coalition would leave them in opposition, and the SPD because of personal animosity between its leader, Christoph Matschie, and The Left leader Bodo Ramelow.[3] In the end, a grand coalition of CDU and SPD was formed with new CDU leader Christine Lieberknecht as Minister-President.
Prior election
In the 2004 election, Minister-President Dieter Althaus was elected to a full term, having replaced Bernhard Vogel prior to the election. Althaus and his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won an absolute majority of 45 out of 88 seats.
| Party |
Party List votes |
Vote percentage |
Total Seats |
Seat percentage |
| Christian Democratic Union (CDU) |
434,088 |
43.0% |
45 |
51.1% |
| Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) |
263,717 |
26.1% |
28 |
31.8% |
| Social Democratic Party (SPD) |
146,297 |
14.5% |
15 |
17.0% |
| Alliance '90/The Greens |
45,649 |
4.5% |
0 |
0.0% |
| Free Democratic Party (FDP) |
36,483 |
3.6% |
0 |
0.0% |
| Free Voters in Thuringia |
26,302 |
2.6% |
0 |
0.0% |
| The Republicans |
19,797 |
2.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
| National Democratic Party (NPD) |
15,695 |
1.6% |
0 |
0.0% |
| All Others |
22,549 |
2.2% |
0 |
0.0% |
| Totals |
1,010,578 |
100.0% |
88 |
100.0% |
Opinion polling
The following opinion polls have been conducted during the campaign:[4]
| Institut |
Datum |
CDU |
The Left |
SPD |
Green |
FDP |
Rights |
Other |
| Institut für Marktforschung |
22.08.2009 |
37% |
23% |
20% |
5% |
9% |
3% |
3% |
| Forschungsgruppe Wahlen |
21.08.2009 |
35% |
25% |
18% |
5% |
10% |
– |
7% |
| Infratest dimap |
20.08.2009 |
34% |
24% |
19% |
6% |
8% |
4% |
5% |
| Infratest dimap |
12.08.2009 |
34% |
24% |
20% |
6% |
9% |
3% |
4% |
| Forsa |
29.07.2009 |
40% |
24% |
16% |
6% |
6% |
3% |
5% |
| Infratest dimap |
25.06.2009 |
36% |
24% |
18% |
6% |
9% |
3% |
4% |
| Institut für Marktforschung |
25.05.2009 |
36% |
23% |
23% |
5% |
8% |
3% |
2% |
| Infratest dimap |
14.05.2009 |
39% |
25% |
20% |
5% |
6% |
2% |
3% |
| Infratest dimap |
25.03.2009 |
36% |
25% |
20% |
5% |
8% |
– |
6% |
| GESS |
10.03.2009 |
39% |
25% |
18% |
4% |
8% |
– |
6% |
| Forsa |
22.01.2009 |
39% |
28% |
16% |
5% |
5% |
4% |
3% |
References
Elections in Thuringia
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