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, 1955 - 1956: Heinrich Welsch (ind) 1956 - 1957: Dr. Hubert Ney, (CDU)
List of minister-presidents
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 the 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 Election yearTotalseatsSeats wonCVPSPSDPSKPCDUDSP19475028173219525029174195550132122147
Since joining the Federal Republic of Germany
Election yearTotalseatsSeats wonCDUSPDFDPGrüneLinkeAfDOther196050191678 196550232142 197050272319755025223198051232441985512026519905118303199451212731999512625200451271833200951191353112012511917294 20175124177320225119293
Legislative compositions
State election results maps
Constituencies in the Landtag
Saarbrücken (01) Saarlouis (02) Neunkirchen (03)
Vote share The election results have been:
Year CDU SPD FDP/DPS Grüne Die Linke2004: PDS Piraten AfD TSP CVP SPS DPS KP DDU Others1947 - - - - - - - 51,2 %* 32,8% 7,6% 8,4% - -1952 - - - - - - - 54,7 % 32,4% - 9,5% - 3,4%1955 25,4 % 14,3 % - - - - - 21,8% 5,8% 24,2 % 6,8% 0,9% 1,0%1960 36,6 % 30,0% - - - - - 11,4% - 13,6 % - 5,0% 3,4%1965 42,7 % 40,7% 8,3 % - - - - 5,2% - - - - 3,1%1970 47,8 % 40,8% 4,4% - - - - - - - - - 7,0%1975 49,1 % 41,8% 7,4% - - - - - - - - - 1,7%1980 44,0 % 45,4% 6,9 % 2,9% - - - - - - - - 0,8%1985 37,3% 49,2 % 10,0% 2,5% - - - - - - - - 1,0%1990 33,4% 54,4 % 5,6% 2,6% - - - - - - - - 4,0%1994 38,6% 49,4 % 2,1% 5,5% - - - - - - - - 4,5%1999 45,5 % 44,4% 2,6% 3,2% - - - - - - - - 4,3%2004 47,5 % 30,8% 5,2% 5,6% 2,3% - - - - - - - 8,6% 2009 34,5 % 24,5% 9,2 % 5,9 % 21,5% - - - - - - - 4,4% 2012 35,2% 30,6% 1,2% 5,0% 16,1% 7,4% - - - - - - 4,5% 2017 40,7% 29,6% 3,3% 4,0% 12,9% 0,7% 6,2% - - - - - 2,6% 2022 28,5% 43,5% 5,7% 5,0% 2,6% 0,3% 5,7%2,3% - - - - - 6,4%
Constituencies in the Bundestag NoConstituencyMember2021Voters20172013200920052002199819941990 296 Saarbrücken Josephine Ortleb SPD 192,929 SPD CDU SPD SPD SPD SPD SPD 297 Saarlouis Heiko Maas SPD 203,279 CDU SPD SPD SPD SPD SPD 298 St. Wendel Christian Petry SPD 173,074 CDU SPD SPD SPD SPD SPD 299 Homburg Esra Limbacher SPD 185,941 CDU SPD SPD SPD SPD SPD
Notes
References