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Viewing cable 09LEIPZIG28, THURINGIA ELECTION AFTERMATH: CALLS FOR A GRAND COALITION

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09LEIPZIG28 2009-09-02 14:11 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Leipzig
VZCZCXRO7006
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF
DE RUEHLZ #0028 2451411
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 021411Z SEP 09
FM AMCONSUL LEIPZIG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0167
INFO RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
RUEHLZ/AMCONSUL LEIPZIG 0177
UNCLAS LEIPZIG 000028 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/CE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV GM
SUBJECT: THURINGIA ELECTION AFTERMATH: CALLS FOR A GRAND COALITION 
WITHOUT ALTHAUS COULD SAVE CDU 
 
REF: Leipzig 26 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary:  Having lost its absolute majority in the 
August 30 state elections, Thuringia's Christian Democratic 
Union (CDU) may resort to pushing Minister-President Dieter 
Althaus aside to increase its chances of forming a coalition 
with the Social Democratic Party (SPD).  A CDU-SPD coalition 
could benefit the SPD nationally by showcasing the possibility 
of another Grand Coalition.  Some prominent CDU leaders in 
Thuringia have blamed Althaus for this major loss, and have 
called upon him to resign.  The CDU understands that the SPD 
would be hard-pressed to form a coalition with the CDU with 
Althaus as Minister President having based its election campaign 
on an appeal for change from the "Althaus system."  The SPD is 
the "kingmaker" in coalition negotiations, and also has the 
option of forming a coalition with The Left Party and the 
Greens.  End Summary. 
 
-------------------- 
Althaus as Liability 
-------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) SPD representatives told local press and ConGen staff 
that a CDU-SPD coalition with current MP Dieter Althaus is 
unthinkable.  SPD MP candidate Christoph Matschie's 
pronouncement that people in Thuringia voted against "the 
Althaus system," indicates the difficulty Matschie would have 
now entering into a coalition with an Althaus-led CDU.  The CDU 
lost 11 percent of its support (from 2004 levels) in the August 
30 state elections, ending up with 31.2 percent of the vote and 
losing its absolute majority (reftel).  The Left party received 
26 percent and the SPD 18 percent of the vote, making the SPD 
the "kingmaker" in forming a new government.  The SPD also has 
the option of building a coalition with the Left Party, but this 
is problematic since the SPD says it will not enter such a 
coalition with a Left Party minister president. What's more, the 
SPD ran a campaign calling for change from Althaus's CDU, so 
aligning itself now with an Althaus-led CDU would likely also 
prompt strong criticism from the Left Party and could injure the 
SPD's image in Thuringia in the long run. 
 
3. (U) In the aftermath of the elections, calls for Althaus's 
resignation have come from CDU politicians who want the CDU to 
stay in power and to prevent a governing coalition of the Left 
Party and the SPD.  Vera Lengsfeld, former CDU member of the 
Bundestag from Thuringia told the press on September 1 that "the 
CDU has to show that it cares about the future of the state and 
not about a person."   Also, Michael Brychcy (CDU), mayor of 
Waltershausen and President of the association of Thuringia 
municipalities, declared that Althaus should resign and give the 
CDU a "new start." 
 
------------------------------ 
Comment:  Enter, Lieberknecht? 
------------------------------ 
 
4.  (SBU) If Althaus resigns, Minister for Social Affairs 
Christine Lieberknecht is favored by political analysts and the 
press to take Althaus's position.  Lieberknecht has headed 
several ministries since 1990; as a former pastor, she is known 
for her ability to mediate and building bridges -- a skill 
necessary to bring two parties together which fought heavily 
against each other in the election campaign.  A grand coalition 
has advantages for both the CDU and SPD.  The CDU would be able 
to remain in power, with a CDU M-P, certainly a face-saving 
solution for the CDU in the month before national elections.   A 
CDU-SPD coalition in Thuringia could boost the SPD, showcasing 
the CDU-SPD coalition model before the upcoming national 
elections, where the SPD's best hope is another coalition with 
the CDU (Grand Coalition).  It would also mean that the SPD 
could avoid discussions of an SPD-Left Party-Greens 
(red-red-green) coalition, which many on the state and national 
level do not support. Althaus himself, however, would have to 
willingly step down and must find a way to do so without losing 
face; some analysts suggest he could become chairman of the 
CDU's political institution, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. 
End Comment. 
 
5. (U) This message was coordinated with U.S. Embassy, Berlin. 
 
BRUCKERK