1998 Lower Saxony state election
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1998 Lower Saxony state election
| country = Lower Saxony
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1994 Lower Saxony state election
| previous_year = 1994
| next_election = 2003 Lower Saxony state election
| next_year = 2003
| seats_for_election = All 157 seats in the Landtag of Lower Saxony
| majority_seats = 79
| election_date = 1 March 1998
| turnout = 4,314,932 (73.8%)
{{increase}} 0.0%
| image1 = 120px
| leader1 = Gerhard Schröder
| party1 = Social Democratic Party of Germany
| last_election1 = 81 seats, 44.3%
| seats1 = 83
| seat_change1 = {{increase}} 2
| popular_vote1 = 2,068,477
| percentage1 = 47.9%
| swing1 = {{increase}} 3.6%
| image2 = 110px
| leader2 = Christian Wulff
| party2 = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
| last_election2 = 67 seats, 36.4%
| seats2 = 62
| seat_change2 = {{decrease}} 5
| popular_vote2 = 1,549,227
| percentage2 = 35.9%
| swing2 = {{decrease}} 0.5%
| image3 =
| leader3 =
| party3 = Alliance 90/The Greens
| last_election3 = {{nowrap|13 seats, 7.4%}}
| seats3 = 12
| seat_change3 = {{decrease}} 1
| popular_vote3 = 304,193
| percentage3 = 7.0%
| swing3 = {{decrease}} 0.4%
| map_image = 1998 Lower Saxony state election.svg
| map_size = 350px
| map_caption = Results for the single-member constituencies
| title = Minister-President
| before_election = Gerhard Schröder
| before_party = Social Democratic Party of Germany
| after_election = Gerhard Schröder
| after_party = Social Democratic Party of Germany
}}
The 1998 Lower Saxony state election was held on 1 March 1998 to elect the members of the 14th Landtag of Lower Saxony. The incumbent Social Democratic Party (SPD) government led by Minister-President Gerhard Schröder was returned with an increased majority. Schröder was subsequently re-elected as minister-president.
Schröder took the election as a test run for a potential federal election in September. He said that if the SPD received less than 42 percent of the vote, he would rule out a bid to become the party's chancellor candidate. Achieving 47.9 percent of the vote, he later announced his (successful) candidacy and went on to form the first federal SPD-led government since 1982.Pulzer, Peter. "The German Federal Election of 1998." West European Politics July 1999: 241–249.
Parties
The table below lists parties represented in the 13th Landtag of Lower Saxony.
| class="wikitable"
! rowspan=2 colspan=3| Name ! rowspan=2| Ideology ! rowspan=2| Leader(s) ! colspan=2| 1994 result |
| Votes (%)
! Seats |
|---|
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}} |
| align=center| SPD | Social Democratic Party of Germany | align=center| 44.3% | {{Composition bar|81|161|{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}}} |
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}} |
| align=center| CDU | Christian Democratic Union of Germany | align=center| 36.4% | {{Composition bar|67|161|{{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}} |
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}} |
| align=center| Grüne | Alliance 90/The Greens | | align=center| 7.4% | {{Composition bar|13|161|{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}}} |
Election result
{{election table|title=Summary of the 1 March 1998 election results for the Landtag of Lower Saxony}}
|-
! colspan="2" | Party
! Votes
! %
! +/-
! Seats
! +/-
! Seats %
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}|
| align=left | Social Democratic Party (SPD)
| align=right| 2,068,477
| align=right| 47.9
| align=right| {{increase}}3.6
| align=right| 83
| align=right| {{increase}}2
| align=right| 52.9
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|
| align=left | Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
| align=right| 1,549,227
| align=right| 35.9
| align=right| {{decrease}}0.5
| align=right| 62
| align=right| {{decrease}}5
| align=right| 39.5
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}|
| align=left | Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne)
| align=right| 304,193
| align=right| 7.0
| align=right| {{decrease}}0.4
| align=right| 12
| align=right| {{decrease}}1
| align=right| 7.6
|-
! colspan=8|
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}|
| align=left | Free Democratic Party (FDP)
| align=right| 209,610
| align=right| 4.9
| align=right| {{increase}}0.5
| align=right| 0
| align=right| ±0
| align=right| 0
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Republicans (Germany)}}|
| align=left | The Republicans (REP)
| align=right| 118,975
| align=right| 2.8
| align=right| {{decrease}}0.9
| align=right| 0
| align=right| ±0
| align=right| 0
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Other}}|
| align=left | Others
| align=right| 64,450
| align=right| 1.5
| align=right|
| align=right| 0
| align=right| ±0
| align=right| 0
|-
! align=right colspan=2| Total
! align=right| 4,314,932
! align=right| 100.0
! align=right|
! align=right| 157
! align=right| {{decrease}}4
! align=right|
|-
! align=right colspan=2| Voter turnout
! align=right|
! align=right| 73.8
! align=right| {{increase}}0.0
! align=right|
! align=right|
! align=right|
|}
{{bar box
| title=Popular Vote
| titlebar=#ddd
| width=600px
| barwidth=410px
| bars=
{{bar percent|SPD|{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}|47.94}}
{{bar percent|CDU|{{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|35.90}}
{{bar percent|B'90/GRÜNE|{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}|7.05}}
{{bar percent|FDP|{{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}|4.86}}
{{bar percent|REP|{{party color|The Republicans (Germany)}}|2.76}}
{{bar percent|Other|#777777|1.49}}
}}
{{bar box
| title=Landtag seats
| titlebar=#ddd
| width=600px
| barwidth=410px
| bars=
{{bar percent|SPD|{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}|52.87}}
{{bar percent|CDU|{{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|39.49}}
{{bar percent|B'90/GRÜNE|{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}|7.64}}
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Sources
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20041206235227/http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/e/index_e.htm The Federal Returning Officer]
{{Lower Saxony state election}}