2001 Hamburg state election

2001 Hamburg state election

← 1997 23 September 2001 2004 →

All 121 seats in the Hamburg Parliament
61 seats needed for a majority
Turnout850,668 (71.1%)
Increase 2.4%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Ortwin Runde Ole von Beust Ronald Schill
Party SPD CDU Schill
Last election 54 seats, 36.2% 46 seats, 30.7% Did not exist
Seats won 46 33 25
Seat change Decrease 8 Decrease 13 Increase 25
Popular vote 310,362 223,015 165,421
Percentage 36.5% 26.2% 19.4%
Swing Increase 0.3% Decrease 4.5% New party

  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Party Greens FDP
Last election 21 seats, 13.9% 0 seats, 3.5%
Seats won 11 6
Seat change Decrease 10 Increase6
Popular vote 72,771 43,214
Percentage 8.6% 5.1%
Swing Decrease 5.3% Increase 1.6%

Mayor before election

Ortwin Runde
SPD

Elected Mayor

Ole von Beust
CDU

The 2001 Hamburg state election was held on 23 September 2001 to elect the members of the 17th Hamburg Parliament. The incumbent coalition government of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Green Alternative List (GAL) led by First Mayor Ortwin Runde was defeated, ending 44 years of uninterrupted SPD rule in the city-state.

The most significant change of the election was the entry of the Party for a Rule of Law Offensive ("Schill party") led by Ronald Schill into Parliament with 19.4% of the vote and 25 seats. This can partly be attributed to the general feeling of insecurity due to the September 11 attacks less than two weeks earlier, especially since three of the terrorists involved, including ringleader Mohamed Atta, had been members of the Hamburg cell.[1][2]

The Free Democratic Party (FDP) also re-entered Parliament. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) subsequently formed a coalition with the Schill party and FDP, and CDU leader Ole von Beust was elected as First Mayor.[3]

  1. ^ Gunlicks, Arthur (2003). The Länder and German Federalism. Manchester University Press. p. 310.
  2. ^ Hyde-Price, Adrian (2003). Germany: Redefining its security role. p. 105.
  3. ^ Erlanger, Steven (2002-01-23). "Hamburg Journal; 'Judge Merciless' Thinks All Germany Needs Him". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-21.