# Politics of Schleswig-Holstein

The politics of Schleswig-Holstein 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 Schleswig-Holstein. The state has a multi-party system.

## History

From 1919 to 1928, the largest parties in Schleswig-Holstein were the Social Democratic Party, German Democratic Party, Conservative Party and German Peoples Party. From 1930 onwards, Schleswig-Holstein was a bastion of Nazi support. In the 1930 Reicshtag elections, the Nazi Party received their highest vote share in Schleswig-Holstein with 27%. In 1932, the Nazi Party won 51% of the vote in Schleswig-Holstein, the only district where Nazis received an absolute majority. The rural areas of Schleswig-Holstein were particularly likely to support the Nazis.

## Executive Branch
### Minister-Presidents since 1949

Since the creation of the Federal Republic in 1945, the state's Minister-Presidents have been:
| Period | Minister-President | Party |
| 1945–1947 | Theodor Steltzer | (CDU) |
| 1947–1949 | Hermann Lüdemann | (SPD) |
| 1949–1950 | Bruno Diekmann | (SPD) |
| 1950–1951 | Walter Bartram | (CDU) |
| 1951–1954 | Friedrich-Wilhelm Lübke | (CDU) |
| 1954–1963 | Kai-Uwe von Hassel | (CDU) |
| 1963–1971 | Helmut Lemke | (CDU) |
| 1971–1982 | Gerhard Stoltenberg | (CDU) |
| 1982–1987 | Uwe Barschel | (CDU) |
| 1987–1988 | Henning Schwarz | (CDU) |
| 1988–1993 | Björn Engholm | (SPD) |
| 1993–2005 | Heide Simonis | (SPD) |
| 2005–2012 | Peter Harry Carstensen | (CDU) |
| 2012– 2016 | Torsten Albig | (SPD) |
| 2017– | Daniel Günther | (CDU) |

### Current Cabinet

| Portfolio | Minister | Party | Took office | Left office | State secretaries |
| Minister-President | Daniel Günther born (1973-07-24) 24 July 1973 (age 51) | CDU | 29 June 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Deputy Minister-President | Aminata Touré born (1992-11-15) 15 November 1992 (age 32) | GRÜNE | 1 August 2024 | Incumbent | |
| Minister for Social Affairs, Youth, Family, Seniors, Integration and Equality | Aminata Touré born (1992-11-15) 15 November 1992 (age 32) | GRÜNE | 29 June 2022 | Incumbent | Johannes Albig |
| Deputy Minister-President Minister for Finance | Monika Heinold born (1958-12-30) 30 December 1958 (age 65) | GRÜNE | 29 June 2022 | 1 August 2024 | Silke Torp Oliver Rabe |
| Minister for Finance | Silke Schneider born (1967-09-02) 2 September 1967 (age 57) | GRÜNE | 1 August 2024 | Incumbent | Silke Torp Oliver Rabe |
| Minister for Justice and Health | Kerstin von der Decken born (1968-11-22) 22 November 1968 (age 55) | CDU | 29 June 2022 | Incumbent | Otto Carstens Oliver Grundei |
| Minister for Education, Training, Science, Research and Culture | Karin Prien born (1965-06-26) 26 June 1965 (age 59) | CDU | 29 June 2022 | Incumbent | Dorit Stenke Guido Wendt |
| Minister for Interior, Communities, Housing and Sport | Sabine Sütterlin-Waack born (1958-02-15) 15 February 1958 (age 66) | CDU | 29 June 2022 | Incumbent | Jörg Sibbel Magdalena Finke |
| Minister for Energy Transition, Climate Protection, Environment and Nature | Tobias Goldschmidt born (1981-09-16) 16 September 1981 (age 43) | GRÜNE | 29 June 2022 | Incumbent | Katja Günther Joschka Knuth |
| Minister for Economics, Transport, Labour, Technology and Tourism | Claus Ruhe Madsen born (1972-08-27) 27 August 1972 (age 52) | CDU(Independent until May 2023, CDU nomination) | 29 June 2022 | Incumbent | Tobias von der Heide Julia Carstens |
| Minister for Agriculture, Rural Areas, Europe and Consumer Protection | Werner Schwarz born (1960-04-10) 10 April 1960 (age 64) | CDU | 29 June 2022 | Incumbent | Anne Benett-Sturies |
| Chief of the State Chancellery | Dirk Schrödter born (1978-10-17) 17 October 1978 (age 46) | CDU | 29 June 2022 | Incumbent | Johannes Callsen Sandra Gerken |

## Legislative Branch

The last elections were held on 8 May 2022.

### Election results by percentage of Votes since 1949

| Year | CDU | Green | SPD | FDP | SSW | AfD | BHE |
| 1947$^4$ | 34,1 | - | 43,8 | 5,0 | 9,3 | - | |
| 1950$^5$ | 19,8 | - | 27,5 | 7,1 | 5,5 | - | 23,4 |
| 1954$^6$ | 32,2 | - | 33,2 | 7,5 | 3,5 | - | 14,0 |
| 1958$^7$ | 44,4 | - | 35,9 | 5,4 | 2,8 | - | 6,9 |
| 1962 | 45,0 | - | 39,2 | 7,9 | 2,3 | - | 4,2 |
| 1967$^8$ | 46,0 | - | 39,4 | 5,9 | 1,9 | - | - |
| 1971 | 51,9 | - | 41,0 | 3,8 | 1,4 | - | - |
| 1975 | 50,4 | - | 40,1 | 7,1 | 1,4 | - | - |
| 1979 | 48,3 | 2,4 | 41,7 | 5,7 | 1,4 | - | - |
| 1983 | 49,0 | 3,6 | 43,7 | 2,2 | 1,3 | - | - |
| 1987 | 42,6 | 3,9 | 45,2 | 5,2 | 1,5 | - | - |
| 1988 | 33,3 | 2,9 | 54,8 | 4,4 | 1,7 | - | - |
| 1992$^9$ | 33,8 | 5,0 | 46,2 | 5,6 | 1,9 | - | - |
| 1996$^{10}$ | 37,2 | 8,1 | 39,8 | 5,7 | 2,5 | - | - |
| 2000 | 35,2 | 6,2 | 43,1 | 7,6 | 4,1 | - | - |
| 2005 | 40,2 | 6,2 | 38,7 | 6,6 | 3,6 | - | - |
| 2009 | 31,5 | 12,4 | 25,4 | 14,9 | 4,3 | - | - |
| 2012 | 30,8 | 13,2 | 30,4 | 8,2 | 4,6 | - | - |
| 2017 | 32,0 | 12,9 | 27,3 | 11,5 | 3,3 | 5,9 | - |
| 2022 | 43,4 | 18,3 | 16,0 | 6,4 | 5,7 | 4,4 | - |

### Election results by distribution of seats since 1947

| Year | Total | CDU | Bündnis 90/ Die Grünen | SPD | FDP | SSW | AfD | BHE |
| 1947 | 70 | 21 | - | 43 | | 6 | - | |
| 1950 | 69 | 16 | - | 19 | 8 | 4 | - | 15 |
| 1954 | 69 | 25 | - | 25 | 5 | - | - | 10 |
| 1958 | 69 | 33 | - | 26 | 3 | 2 | - | 5 |
| 1962 | 69 | 34 | - | 29 | 5 | 1 | - | - |
| 1967 | 73 | 34 | - | 30 | 4 | 1 | - | - |
| 1971 | 73 | 40 | - | 32 | - | 1 | - | - |
| 1975 | 73 | 37 | - | 30 | 5 | 1 | - | - |
| 1979 | 73 | 37 | - | 31 | 4 | 1 | - | - |
| 1983 | 74 | 39 | - | 34 | - | 1 | - | - |
| 1987 | 74 | 33 | - | 36 | 4 | 1 | - | - |
| 1988 | 74 | 27 | - | 46 | - | 1 | - | - |
| 1992 | 89 | 32 | - | 45 | 5 | 1 | - | - |
| 1996 | 75 | 30 | 6 | 33 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
| 2000 | 89 | 33 | 5 | 41 | 7 | 3 | - | - |
| 2005 | 69 | 30 | 4 | 29 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
| 2009 | 95 | 34 | 12 | 25 | 14 | 4 | - | - |
| 2012 | 69 | | 10 | 22 | 6 | 3 | - | - |
| 2017 | 73 | 25 | 10 | 21 | 9 | 3 | 5 | - |
| 2022 | 69 | 34 | 14 | 12 | 5 | 4 | - | - |
* 1st Landtag, following 1947 election
* 2nd Landtag, following 1950 election
* 3rd Landtag, following 1954 election
* 4th Landtag, following 1958 election
* 5th Landtag, following 1962 election
* 6th Landtag, following 1967 election
* 7th Landtag, following 1971 election
* 8th Landtag, following 1975 election
* 9th Landtag, following 1979 election
* 10th Landtag, following 1983 election
* 11th Landtag, following 1987 election
* 12th Landtag, following 1988 election
* 13th Landtag, following 1992 election
* 14th Landtag, following 1996 election
* 15th Landtag, following 2000 election
* 16th Landtag, following 2005 election
* 17th Landtag, following 2009 election
* 18th Landtag, following 2013 election
* 19th Landtag, following 2017 election
* 20th Landtag, following 2022 election

### Constituencies in the Landtag

* Nordfriesland-Nord (01)
* Nordfriesland-Süd (02)
* Flensburg (03)
* Flensburg-Land (04)
* Schleswig (05)
* Dithmarschen-Schleswig (06)
* Dithmarschen-Süd (07)
* Echernförde (08)
* Rendsburg-Ost (09)
* Rendsburg (10)
* Neumünster (11)
* Kiel-Nord (12)
* Kiel-West (13)
* Kiel-Ost (14)
* Plön-Nord (15)
* Plön-Ostholstein (16)
* Ostholstein-Nord (17)
* Ostholstein-Süd (18)
* Steinburg-West (19)
* Steinburg-Ost (20)
* Elmshorn (21)
* Pinneberg-Nord (22)
* Pinneberg-Elbmarschen (23)
* Pinneberg (24)
* Segeberg-West (25)
* Segeberg-Ost (26)
* Norderstedt (27)
* Stormarn-Nord (28)
* Stormarn-Mitte (29)
* Stormarn-Süd (30)
* Lübeck-Ost (31)
* Lübeck-West (32)
* Lübeck-Süd (33)
* Lauenburg-Nord (34)
* Lauenburg-Süd (35)

## Judicial Branch

The Schleswig-Holstein Landesverfassungsgericht was formed in 2008. Until then, Schleswig-Holstein was the last German state without a constitutional court.