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Viewing cable 08HAMBURG7, HAMBURG ELECTIONS: CDU PONDERS COALITION OPTIONS; LEFT PARTY

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08HAMBURG7 2008-02-25 16:59 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Hamburg
VZCZCXRO6558
PP RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAG #0007/01 0561659
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251659Z FEB 08
FM AMCONSUL HAMBURG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0218
INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0196
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHAG/AMCONSUL HAMBURG 0238
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HAMBURG 000007 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/AGS 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL GM
SUBJECT: HAMBURG ELECTIONS: CDU PONDERS COALITION OPTIONS; LEFT PARTY 
TO ENTER PARLIAMENT 
 
REF: A. A) HAMBURG 005 
     B. B) FRANKFURT 0447 
     C. C) BERLIN 0137 
     D. D) 07 HAMBURG 068 
     E. E) 07 HAMBURG 065 
 
HAMBURG 00000007  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY: The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won 
decisively in the Hamburg state elections February 24.  However, 
it lost its absolute majority and will now have to form a 
government with either the Social Democratic Party (SPD) or the 
Greens.  If the CDU and Greens form a coalition government, it 
would be the first CDU-Greens government on the state level and 
could possibly serve as a model for a future national coalition. 
 The SPD gained three points over the last election four years 
ago but did not win enough votes to form its desired coalition 
with the Greens; and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) did not 
overcome the five percent hurdle to enter the parliament at all. 
 Only one of the political parties in Hamburg reached its 
campaign goal: the Left Party continued its successful growth in 
western states, entering the fourth western state parliament in 
less than one year.   Most politicians appeared to be relieved 
that a political stalemate, like in Hesse, would not plague 
Hamburg as well.  END SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------------------- 
CDU: Ahead, But No Clear Partner 
-------------------------------- 
 
2 (U) The CDU preserved its position as the strongest party in 
this traditionally SPD city-state.  Mayor Ole von Beust (CDU) 
will now have to choose a coalition partner from the SPD or 
Greens in order to build a government.  He has stated that he 
will approach both parties; the SPD and Greens have said they 
are willing to talk.  None of the parties, however, expect 
negotiations to run smoothly.  An official count is not expected 
until February 27, but the CDU is predicted to end up with 42.6 
percent (-4.6 percentage points compared to 2004; 56 
parliamentary seats), the SPD with 34.1 percent (45 seats, up 
3.6 percentage points), the Greens with 9.6 percent (12 seats, 
down 2.7 percentage points), the Left Part with 6.4 percent 
(eight seats), and the FDP with 4.7 percent (up 1.7 percentage 
points over 2004). 
 
3. (SBU) Hamburg could become the first German state with a 
CDU-Greens (Black-Green) government.  A potential Black-Green 
coalition in Hamburg could later be replicated at the national 
level (the first state-level SPD-Greens coalition took office in 
Hesse in 1985, followed by a red-green federal coalition in 
1998).  ConGen Hamburg's local contacts believe that a "grand 
coalition" would be the least preferable option, although the 
SPD appears keen to regain its position as a ruling party in 
Hamburg.  A feeling of fatigue with the national "grand 
coalition" and a fear that a local CDU-SPD government would be 
incapable of carrying out important reforms are palpable within 
the city-state. 
 
4. (SBU) Neighboring Schleswig-Holstein's Minister President 
Peter Harry Carstensen (CDU), who also rules with a "grand 
coalition," has publicly advocated a Black-Green solution.  In 
fact, Hamburg itself has experience with Black-Green coalitions. 
 Two of the city's districts have been governed by Black-Green 
coalitions for the past four years.  Nevertheless, the gulf 
between the CDU and Greens on political issues, such as 
education reform, the construction of a brown coal power plant, 
and the dredging of the Elbe River, is much greater than that 
between the CDU and SPD.  While both parties have the go-ahead 
from Berlin to negotiate, it may be very difficult for the 
Greens to obtain approval from their local membership for a 
coalition with the conservatives.  An NDR poll from February 25 
reported that 40 percent of Hamburg voters would prefer a "grand 
coalition," while only 24 percent would like to see a 
Black-Green government; 21 percent were in favor of a 
SPD-Green-Left coalition. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Left Party Draws from SPD and Fringes 
------------------------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) The all-time low voter turnout (62.2 percent) 
negatively affected the CDU, SPD, and Greens.  The Left Party 
did not perform as well as had been predicted by polls, but it 
firmly established itself as a credible political force in 
another western state.  With a voter base composed in great part 
of protest voters, about half of Left voters had voted in the 
past for small parties that failed to clear the 5 percent 
hurdle.  One-quarter were previous SPD voters, and a quarter 
identified themselves as "unemployed."  The Left Party's 
emergence in Hamburg is a further indication of the SPD's 
identity crisis. 
 
 
HAMBURG 00000007  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
6. (SBU) SPD candidate Michael Naumann performed a remarkable 
political feat by pulling the party up over three points from 
its lowest election outcome in 2004.  Despite the SPD's wish to 
govern Hamburg again, Naumann made it clear that under no 
circumstances would the SPD form a coalition with The Left or 
make itself dependent on "toleration" by The Left (this was an 
implicit rebuke to SPD National Chairman Kurt Beck, who is 
mulling over a "toleration" option for the SPD in Hesse).  The 
Greens have also ruled out a coalition with the Left.  On 
election night Naumann commented that the discussion in Hesse 
over an SPD-Greens coalition tolerated by the Left Party "was 
not helpful" for the Hamburg SPD's election outcome. 
 
7. (U) This cable has been coordinated with Embassy Berlin. 
JOHNSON