Politics of Saarland

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, CVP [de]
1955 - 1956: Heinrich Welsch (ind)
1956 - 1957: Dr. Hubert Ney, (CDU)

List of Ministers President

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 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 year	Total seats	Seats won
		CVP	SPS	DPS	KP	CDU	DSP

1947	50	28	17	3	2
1952	50	29	17		4
1955	50	13	2	12	2	14	7

Since joining the Federal Republic of Germany

Election year	Total seats	Seats won
		CDU	SPD	FDP	Grüne	Linke	AfD	Other

1960	50	19	16	7				8 ^[a]
1965	50	23	21	4				2 ^[b]
1970	50	27	23
1975	50	25	22	3
1980	51	23	24	4
1985	51	20	26	5
1990	51	18	30	3
1994	51	21	27		3
1999	51	26	25
2004	51	27	18	3	3
2009	51	19	13	5	3	11
2012	51	19	17		2	9		4 ^[c]
2017	51	24	17			7	3
2022	51	19	29				3

State Landtag Compositions

1st Landtag, following 1947 election
2nd Landtag, following 1952 election
3rd Landtag, following 1955 election
4th Landtag, following 1960 election
5th Landtag, following 1965 election
6th Landtag, following 1970 election
7th Landtag, following 1975 election
8th Landtag, following 1980 election
9th Landtag, following 1985 election
10th Landtag, following 1990 election
11th Landtag, following 1994 election
12th Landtag, following 1999 election
13th Landtag, following 2004 election
14th Landtag, following 2009 election
15th Landtag, following 2012 election
16th Landtag, following 2017 election
17th Landtag, following 2022 election

State Election Results Maps

Constituencies in the Landtag

Vote Share

The election results have been:

Year	CDU	SPD	FDP/DPS	Grüne	Die Linke^[1]	Piraten	AfD	TSP	CVP	SPS	DPS	KP	DDU	Others
1947	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		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

	Constituency	Member^[2]	2021	Voters	2017	2013	2009	2005	2002	1998	1994	1990
296	Saarbrücken	Josephine Ortleb	SPD	192,929	SPD	CDU	CDU	SPD	SPD	SPD	SPD	SPD
297	Saarlouis	Heiko Maas	SPD	203,279	CDU	CDU	CDU	SPD	SPD	SPD	SPD	SPD
298	St. Wendel	Christian Petry	SPD	173,074	CDU	CDU	CDU	SPD	SPD	SPD	SPD	SPD
299	Homburg	Esra Limbacher	SPD	185,941	CDU	CDU	CDU	SPD	SPD	SPD	SPD	SPD

Notes

^ 6 SVP, 2 DDU
^ SVP
^ Pirates

References

[1] 6 SVP, 2 DDU

[2] SVP

[3] Pirates

[4] 2004: PDS

[5] ttps://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/bundestagswahlen/2021/wahlkreiseinteilung.html

[a]

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