2005 North Rhine-Westphalia state election

2005 North Rhine-Westphalia state election

← 2000 22 May 2005 2010 →

All 187 seats in the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia, including 6 overhang and leveling seats
94 seats needed for a majority
Turnout8,333,363 (63.0% Increase 6.3pp)
  First party Second party
 
Candidate Jürgen Rüttgers Peer Steinbrück
Party CDU SPD
Last election 88 seats, 37.0% 102 seats, 42.8%
Seats won 89 74
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 28
Popular vote 3,696,506 3,058,988
Percentage 44.8% 37.1%
Swing Increase 7.8pp Decrease 5.7pp

  Third party Fourth party
 
Candidate Bärbel Höhn Ingo Wolf
Party Greens FDP
Last election 17 seats, 7.1% 24 seats, 9.8%
Seats won 12 12
Seat change Decrease 5 Decrease 12
Popular vote 509,293 508,266
Percentage 6.2% 6.2%
Swing Decrease 0.9pp Decrease 3.6pp

Results for the single-member constituencies.

Government before election

Steinbrück cabinet
SPDGreen

Government after election

Rüttgers cabinet
CDUFDP

The 2005 North Rhine-Westphalia state election was held on 22 May 2005 to elect the 14th Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia. The outgoing government was a coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and The Greens led by Minister-President Peer Steinbrück.

The result was a landslide defeat for the SPD, as the party suffered its worst result in 50 years at 37% and was ousted from government for the first time since 1966. The opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) under Jürgen Rüttgers won a commanding victory with 45% of votes and came just short of a majority in the Landtag. The Greens also suffered losses, as did the Free Democratic Party (FDP), with both finishing on 6.2%.[1] The CDU subsequently formed a coalition with the FDP, and Rüttgers was elected Minister-President by the Landtag on 22 June.

The result had important ramifications outside North Rhine-Westphalia: such a crushing defeat for the SPD in a stronghold state was viewed as an indication of unpopularity of the federal government led by Gerhard Schröder. On the evening of the election, Schröder announced he would seek an early federal election.[a]

  1. ^ "SPD voted out, CDU triumphs". Der Spiegel (in German). 22 May 2005.


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