Politics of Saarland

{{short description|Overview of the politics of the German state of Saarland}}

The politics of Saarland takes place within a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic republic, where the Federal Government of Germany exercises sovereign rights with certain powers reserved to the states of Germany including Saarland. The state has a multi-party system where the two main parties are the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) on the left and the Christian Democratic Union on the right.

Every five years, all Germans residing in the State over the age of 18 elect the members of the Saarland Landtag. This regional parliament or legislature then elects the Minister-President and confirms the cabinet members.

History pre-1957

=League of Nations=

The "Territory of the Saar Basin" was governed by the League of Nations under the Treaty of Versailles from 1920 until 1935. The Chairmen of the Commission of Government were:

1920 - 1926: Victor Rault (France)
1926 - 1927 George Washington Stevens (Canada)
1927 - 1932 Sir Ernest Colville Collins Wilton (UK)
1932 - 1935 Sir Geoffrey George Knox (UK)

=Nazi Germany=

Saarland voted to rejoin Germany in 1935. The German-appointed Reichskommissar were:

1935 - 1944: Josef Bürckel (NSDAP)
1944 - 1945: Willi Stöhr (NSDAP)

=Saar protectorate=

From 1947 to 1956, Saarland was controlled by France as a protectorate. Elections were held but pro-German parties were banned.

Minister-Presidents in this time were:

1945 - 1946: Hans Neureuther, Leader of the Government under French administration
1946 - 1947: Erwin Müller, Chairman of the Administrative Commission
1947 - 1955: Johannes Hoffmann, {{ill|Christliche Volkspartei des Saarlandes|lt=CVP|de}}
1955 - 1956: Heinrich Welsch (ind)
1956 - 1957: Dr. Hubert Ney, (CDU)

List of Ministers President

Saarland joined the Federal Republic of Germany in 1957. Since then, its Minister-Presidents have been:

1957 - 1959: Egon Reinert, CDU
1959 - 1979: Dr. Franz Josef Röder, CDU
1979 (26 June - 5 July): Werner Klumpp, FDP, interim
1979 - 1985: Werner Zeyer, CDU
1985 - 1998: Oskar Lafontaine, SPD
1998 - 1999: Reinhard Klimmt, SPD
1999 - 2011: Peter Müller, CDU
2011 - 2018: Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, CDU
2018 – 2022: Tobias Hans, CDU
2022-present: Anke Rehlinger, SPD

Landtag of Saarland

=Party Strength in Landtag=

A darkened box under a party in any given year denotes that the party had either not yet been founded, or the party had become defunct, by the date of that election.

Prior to joining Germany

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 0.9em;" ! rowspan="3" \|Election year ! rowspan="3" \|Total seats ! colspan="7" \|Seats won
class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" \|CVP ! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" \|SPS ! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" \|DPS ! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" \|KP ! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" \|CDU ! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" \|DSP
style="background:{{party color\|Alliance 90/The Greens}};" \| ! style="background:{{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Saarland}};" \| ! style="background:{{party color\|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}};" \| ! style="background:{{party color\|German Communist Party}};" \| ! style="background:{{party color\|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}};" \| ! style="background:{{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}};" \|
style="text-align: left;" \|1947 !50 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|28 \|17 \|3 \|2 \|style="background:#828282; \| \|
style="text-align: left;" \|1952 !50 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|29 \|17 \| \|4 \|style="background:#828282; \| \|
style="text-align: left;" \|1955 !50 \|13 \|2 \|12 \|2 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|14 \|7

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 0.9em;"

! rowspan="3" |Election year

! rowspan="3" |Total
seats

! colspan="7" |Seats won

class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |CVP

! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |SPS

! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |DPS

! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |KP

! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |CDU

! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |DSP

style="background:{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}};" |

! style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Saarland}};" |

! style="background:{{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}};" |

! style="background:{{party color|German Communist Party}};" |

! style="background:{{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}};" |

! style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}};" |

style="text-align: left;" |1947

!50

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |28

|17

|3

|2

|style="background:#828282; |

|

style="text-align: left;" |1952

!50

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |29

|17

|

|4

|style="background:#828282; |

|

style="text-align: left;" |1955

!50

|13

|2

|12

|2

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |14

|7

Since joining the Federal Republic of Germany

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 0.9em;" ! rowspan="3" \|Election year ! rowspan="3" \|Total seats ! colspan="7" \|Seats won
class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" \|CDU ! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" \|SPD ! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" \|FDP ! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" \|Grüne ! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" \|Linke ! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" \|AfD ! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" \|Other
style="background:{{party color\|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}};" \| ! style="background:{{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}};" \| ! style="background:{{party color\| Free Democratic Party (Germany)}};" \| ! style="background:{{party color\|Alliance 90/The Greens}};" \| ! style="background:{{party color\|The Left (Germany)}};" \| ! style="background:{{party color\|Alternative for Germany}};" \| ! style="background:{{party color\|Independent (politician)}};" \|
style="text-align: left;" \|1960 !50 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|19 \|16 \|7 \|style="background:#828282; \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|8 {{Efn\|6 SVP, 2 DDU}}
style="text-align: left;" \|1965 !50 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|23 \|21 \|4 \|style="background:#828282; \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|2 {{Efn\|SVP}}
style="text-align: left;" \|1970 !50 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|27 \|23 \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|
style="text-align: left;" \|1975 !50 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|25 \|22 \|3 \|style="background:#828282; \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|
style="text-align: left;" \|1980 !51 \|23 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|24 \|4 \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|
style="text-align: left;" \|1985 !51 \|20 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|26 \|5 \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|
style="text-align: left;" \|1990 !51 \|18 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|30 \|3 \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|
style="text-align: left;" \|1994 !51 \|21 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|27 \| \|3 \|style="background:#828282; \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|
style="text-align: left;" \|1999 !51 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|26 \|25 \| \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|
style="text-align: left;" \|2004 !51 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|27 \|18 \|3 \|3 \|style="background:#828282; \| \|style="background:#828282; \| \|
style="text-align: left;" \|2009 !51 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|19 \|13 \|5 \|3 \|11 \|style="background:#828282; \| \|
style="text-align: left;" \|2012 !51 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|19 \|17 \| \|2 \|9 \|style="background:#828282; \| \|4 {{Efn\|Pirates}}
style="text-align: left;" \|2017 !51 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|24 \|17 \| \| \|7 \|3 \|
style="text-align: left;" \|2022 !51 \|19 \|style="background:#d1ffbd; \|29 \| \| \| \|3 \|

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 0.9em;"

! rowspan="3" |Election year

! rowspan="3" |Total
seats

! colspan="7" |Seats won

class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |CDU

! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |SPD

! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |FDP

! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |Grüne

! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |Linke

! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |AfD

! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |Other

style="background:{{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}};" |

! style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}};" |

! style="background:{{party color| Free Democratic Party (Germany)}};" |

! style="background:{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}};" |

! style="background:{{party color|The Left (Germany)}};" |

! style="background:{{party color|Alternative for Germany}};" |

! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" |

style="text-align: left;" |1960

!50

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |19

|16

|7

|style="background:#828282; |

|8 {{Efn|6 SVP, 2 DDU}}

style="text-align: left;" |1965

!50

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |23

|21

|4

|style="background:#828282; |

|2 {{Efn|SVP}}

style="text-align: left;" |1970

!50

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |27

|23

|

|style="background:#828282; |

|

style="text-align: left;" |1975

!50

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |25

|22

|3

|style="background:#828282; |

|

style="text-align: left;" |1980

!51

|23

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |24

|4

|

|style="background:#828282; |

|

style="text-align: left;" |1985

!51

|20

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |26

|5

|

|style="background:#828282; |

|

style="text-align: left;" |1990

!51

|18

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |30

|3

|

|style="background:#828282; |

|

style="text-align: left;" |1994

!51

|21

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |27

|

|3

|style="background:#828282; |

|

style="text-align: left;" |1999

!51

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |26

|25

|

|style="background:#828282; |

|

style="text-align: left;" |2004

!51

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |27

|18

|3

|style="background:#828282; |

|

style="text-align: left;" |2009

!51

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |19

|13

|5

|3

|11

|style="background:#828282; |

|

style="text-align: left;" |2012

!51

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |19

|17

|

|2

|9

|style="background:#828282; |

|4 {{Efn|Pirates}}

style="text-align: left;" |2017

!51

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |24

|17

|

|7

|3

|

style="text-align: left;" |2022

!51

|19

|style="background:#d1ffbd; |29

|

|3

|

=State Landtag Compositions=

1st Saarland Landtag.svg|1st Landtag, following 1947 election

2nd Saarland Landtag.svg|2nd Landtag, following 1952 election

3rd Saarland Landtag.svg|3rd Landtag, following 1955 election

SL Landtagswahl 1960.svg|4th Landtag, following 1960 election

5th Saarland Landtag.svg|5th Landtag, following 1965 election

6th Saarland Landtag.svg|6th Landtag, following 1970 election

7th Saarland Landtag.svg|7th Landtag, following 1975 election

8th Saarland Landtag.svg|8th Landtag, following 1980 election

9th Saarland Landtag.svg|9th Landtag, following 1985 election

10th Saarland Landtag.svg|10th Landtag, following 1990 election

11th Saarland Landtag.svg|11th Landtag, following 1994 election

12th Saarland Landtag.svg|12th Landtag, following 1999 election

13th Saarland Landtag.svg|13th Landtag, following 2004 election

2009 Saarland state election - composition chart.svg|14th Landtag, following 2009 election

2012 Saarland state election - composition chart.svg|15th Landtag, following 2012 election

SL Landtagswahl 2017.svg|16th Landtag, following 2017 election

2022 Saarland state election - composition chart.svg|17th Landtag, following 2022 election

=State Election Results Maps=

File:1990 Saarland State Election.svg|1990 Saarland state election

File:1994 Saarland State Election.svg|1994 Saarland state election

File:1999 Saarland State Election.svg|1999 Saarland state election

File:2004 Saarland State Election.svg|2004 Saarland state election

File:2009 Saarland State Election.svg|2009 Saarland state election

File:2012 Saarland State Election.svg|2012 Saarland state election

File:2017 Saarland State Election.svg|2017 Saarland state election

File:2022 Saarland State Election.svg|2022 Saarland state election

=Constituencies in the Landtag=

=Vote Share=

The election results have been:

border=0

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

|Year

align=center | CDU

align=center | SPD

align=center |FDP/DPS

align=center |Grüne

align=center |Die Linke2004: PDS

align=center | Piraten

align=center | AfD

|TSP

align="center" | CVP

Sozialdemokratische Partei des Saarlandes|SPS

DPS

KP

DDU

Others

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

|1947

|align=center | -

|

| align="center" | 51,2 %*

|align=center | 32,8%

|align=center | 7,6%

|align=center | 8,4%

|align=center | -

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

|1952

|align=center | -

|

| align="center" | 54,7 %

|align=center | 32,4%

|align=center | -

|align=center | 9,5%

|align=center | -

|align=center | 3,4%

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

|1955

|align=center | 25,4 %

|align=center | 14,3 %

|align=center | -

|

| align="center" | 21,8%

|align=center | 5,8%

|align=center | 24,2 %

|align=center | 6,8%

|align=center | 0,9%

|align=center | 1,0%

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

|1960

|align=center | 36,6 %

|align=center | 30,0%

|align=center | -

|

| align="center" | 11,4%

|align=center | -

|align=center | 13,6 %

|align=center | -

|align=center | 5,0%

|align=center | 3,4%

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

|1965

|align=center | 42,7 %

|align=center | 40,7%

|align=center | 8,3 %

|align=center | -

|

| align="center" | 5,2%

|align=center | -

|align=center | 3,1%

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

|1970

|align=center | 47,8 %

|align=center | 40,8%

|align=center | 4,4%

|align=center | -

|

| align="center" | -

|align=center | -

|align=center | 7,0%

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

|1975

|align=center | 49,1 %

|align=center | 41,8%

|align=center | 7,4%

|align=center | -

|

| align="center" | -

|align=center | -

|align=center | 1,7%

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

|1980

|align=center | 44,0 %

|align=center | 45,4%

|align=center | 6,9 %

|align=center | 2,9%

|align=center | -

|

| align="center" | -

|align=center | -

|align=center | 0,8%

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

|1985

|align=center | 37,3%

|align=center | 49,2 %

|align=center | 10,0%

|align=center | 2,5%

|align=center | -

|

| align="center" | -

|align=center | -

|align=center | 1,0%

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

|1990

|align=center | 33,4%

|align=center | 54,4 %

|align=center | 5,6%

|align=center | 2,6%

|align=center | -

|

| align="center" | -

|align=center | -

|align=center | 4,0%

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

|1994

|align=center | 38,6%

|align=center | 49,4 %

|align=center | 2,1%

|align=center | 5,5%

|align=center | -

|

| align="center" | -

|align=center | -

|align=center | 4,5%

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

|1999

|align=center | 45,5 %

|align=center | 44,4%

|align=center | 2,6%

|align=center | 3,2%

|align=center | -

|

| align="center" | -

|align=center | -

|align=center | 4,3%

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

|2004

|align=center | 47,5 %

|align=center | 30,8%

|align=center | 5,2%

|align=center | 5,6%

|align=center | 2,3%

|align=center | -

|

| align="center" | -

|align=center | -

|align=center | 8,6%

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

| 2009

|align=center | 34,5 %

|align=center | 24,5%

|align=center | 9,2 %

|align=center | 5,9 %

|align=center | 21,5%

|align=center | -

|

| align="center" | -

|align=center | -

|align=center | 4,4%

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

| 2012

|align=center | 35,2%

|align=center | 30,6%

|align=center | 1,2%

|align=center | 5,0%

|align=center | 16,1%

|align=center | 7,4%

|align=center | -

|

| align="center" | -

|align=center | -

|align=center | 4,5%

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

| 2017

|align=center | 40,7%

|align=center | 29,6%

|align=center | 3,3%

|align=center | 4,0%

|align=center | 12,9%

|align=center | 0,7%

|align=center | 6,2%

|

| align="center" | -

|align=center | -

|align=center | 2,6%

bgcolor=#DDEEFF

| 2022

|align=center | 28,5%

|align=center | 43,5%

|align=center | 5,7%

|align=center | 5,0%

|align=center | 2,6%

|align=center | 0,3%

|align=center | 5,7%

|2,3%

| align="center" | -

|align=center | -

|align=center | 6,4%

Constituencies in the Bundestag

colspan=2\|No	Constituency	Memberhttps://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/bundestagswahlen/2021/wahlkreiseinteilung.html !2021	Voters	2017	2013	2009	2005	2002	1998	1994	1990
class="wikitable sortable"
style="background-color: {{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" \| \| 296 \| Saarbrücken \| Josephine Ortleb \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \| 192,929 \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" \| {{font color\|white\|CDU}} \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" \| CDU \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" \| SPD
style="background-color: {{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" \| \| 297 \| Saarlouis \| Heiko Maas \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \| 203,279 \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" \| {{font color\|white\|CDU}} \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" \| {{font color\|white\|CDU}} \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" \| CDU \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" \| SPD
style="background-color: {{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" \| \| 298 \| St. Wendel \| Christian Petry \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \| 173,074 \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" \| {{font color\|white\|CDU}} \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" \| {{font color\|white\|CDU}} \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" \| CDU \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" \| SPD
style="background-color: {{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" \| \| 299 \| Homburg \| Esra Limbacher \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \| 185,941 \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" \| {{font color\|white\|CDU}} \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" \| {{font color\|white\|CDU}} \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" \| CDU \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \|bgcolor={{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}\| SPD \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" \| SPD

Politics of Saarland

History pre-1957

=League of Nations=

=Nazi Germany=

=Saar protectorate=

List of Ministers President

Landtag of Saarland

=Party Strength in Landtag=

=State Landtag Compositions=

=State Election Results Maps=

=Constituencies in the Landtag=

=Vote Share=

Constituencies in the Bundestag

Notes

References