# 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 | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won |
| Election year | Total seats | 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 | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won |
| Election year | Total seats | CDU | SPD | FDP | Grüne | Linke | AfD | Other |
| 1960 | 50 | 19 | 16 | 7 | | | | 8 |
| 1965 | 50 | 23 | 21 | 4 | | | | 2 |
| 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 |
| 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

* 1990 Saarland state election
* 1994 Saarland state election
* 1999 Saarland state election
* 2004 Saarland state election
* 2009 Saarland state election
* 2012 Saarland state election
* 2017 Saarland state election
* 2022 Saarland state election

### Constituencies in the Landtag

* Saarbrücken (01)
* Saarlouis (02)
* Neunkirchen (03)

### Vote Share

The election results have been:
| Year | CDU | SPD | FDP/DPS | Grüne | Die Linke | 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

| No | Constituency | Member | 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 |