Earthquake in Bavaria – 46 years of CSU majority destroyed

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Earthquake in Bavaria – 46 years of CSU majority destroyed

Earthquake, tsunami, landslide those where the most used words in the yesterday's coverage from the Election of the State Parliament of Bavaria.

The CSU did run the Bavarian Government for the last 46 years. In the 2003 elections they still had an elections output of 60.7 %, with gave them a 2/3 majority in the Bavarian Parliament. The yesterday output was only 43.4 %, a go down of more than 17 %. Now, it seems the party is over. But why?

Bavaria has the lowest unemployment rate in Germany (3.8 %, av. in Germany 7.6 %). Bavaria is the only federal state in Germany with a balanced budget, it even will pay back 500 millions of public debts in 2007/8. It is the leader in the PISA studies, it is the leader in inner security statistics and nobody questions Bavarians success over the past decades from a poor, mainly agriculturally orientated, state to a high tech location and an undisputed driving force in Germany.

As the content seems to be right, there might be some personal consequences, but the Minister President of Bavaria, Günther Beckstein and the Head of the Party, Erwin Huber still don't speak out clear what consequences will be taken and it seems they play for time. Some speculate their one heads may roll.

Too much time to play out should not be left over, as the German federal elections will take place early spring 2009 and the Election for the European Parliament will be held in the middle of 2009. The CSU and her sister party CDU will need all the power to keep the dominoes from falling.

Update: September 30, 2008

Head of the Party, Erwin Huber will resign at a special party conference on October 25, 2008. This should mean that Christine Haderthauer, Secretary General of the CSU, will also loose her job, as his successor will choose a new Secretary General.

Update: October 1, 2008

Minister President of Bavaria, Günther Beckstein announced, in a short statement this noon, his resignation. He declared, he has neither the necessary support from the electors nor from his own party to fulfill his job in this not so easy times.

Update:

Horst Seehofer, the former Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the Federal Republic of Germany, was elected Head of the Party of the CSU on October 25th, 2008 and Minister President of Bavaria on October 27th, 2008.

The CSU will govern Bavaria in coalition with the FPD in this election period.