The CDU politician Boris Rhein is the new Prime Minister of Hesse. The 50-year-old was elected to succeed Volker Bouffier (CDU) in the state parliament in Wiesbaden on Tuesday. In the first ballot in a secret ballot, Rhein even received more votes than the number of deputies from the government factions CDU and Greens.
Black-Green has the parliamentary majority of only one mandate. Accordingly, a quorum of 69 of the 137 MP votes was required for the election. Rhein now received 74 yes votes, all MPs had voted. Before he was elected the new head of government, Rhein was President of the Hessian state parliament.
He resigned from this post after the vote. Astrid Wallmann was elected as his successor. The 42-year-old CDU politician has been a member of the state parliament since 2009 and was most recently vice-chairman of her parliamentary group.
After almost twelve years at the head of the state government, the 70-year-old Bouffier resigned on Tuesday. He was the longest-serving prime minister in Germany. Bouffier was said goodbye with a festive serenade in Biebrich Castle on Monday evening.
With Bouffier’s resignation, all the ministers of the state government resigned in accordance with the Hessian constitution. It is planned that the newly elected prime minister will appoint his cabinet on Tuesday afternoon, which will then be sworn in.
In Hesse, the state elections will take place next autumn. With a view to this important event, the state CDU decided to change personnel at the head of the state government.
More to come
