Just a little over two and a half weeks after the state election in Rhineland-Palatinate, the CDU and SPD concluded their exploratory talks regarding a governing coalition. On Wednesday in Mainz, CDU top candidate Gordon Schneider and current Minister-President Alexander Schweitzer (SPD) announced that these discussions resulted in an agreement to enter formal coalition negotiations. If these talks are successful, it would establish a black-red coalition government in Rhineland-Palatinate for the first time. In this scenario, Schneider would become the head of the government. At the election, the CDU regained its status as the strongest party with 31.0 percent of the vote, marking the first time since 1987. The SPD lost nearly ten percentage points compared to the vote five years ago, recording its worst result in Rhineland-Palatinate history with 25.9 percent. However, there are currently no realistic alternatives to a grand coalition.
Politics
