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The SPIEGEL wrote:

Drama in Hessen: Müntefering greift hessische SPD-Abweichler an - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten - PolitikDrama in Hessen: Müntefering attacks Hessian SPD dissenters - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - Politics
Der späte Zeitpunkt, zu dem drei der vier Abgeordneten ihre Entscheidung bekannt gaben, sei etwas, "das man unter dem Gesichtspunkt Verantwortung diskutieren kann und muss". Den Begriff "parteischädigend" wollte Müntefering nicht explizit benutzen, da dies ein Grund für einen Parteiausschluss sein kann. " Da gibt es geordnete Verfahren, es ist nicht an mir, dort Empfehlungen zu geben", sagte er.The late hour at which the four delegates gave notice of their decision would be something "that one can and has to discuss in the context of responsibility". Müntefering did not want to explicitly use the term 'damaging to the party', as it can be a ground for expulsion. "There are relevant procedures for this, it is not my place to give recommendations" he said.

Today, Stern reports:

Nach Hessen-Debakel: SPD-Rebellen droht Partei-Ausschluss - Politik - STERN.DEAfter the Hesse Debacle: SPD-Rebels under threat of expulsion - Politics - STERN.DE
Wie soll es nach dem Scheitern von Andrea Ypsilanti in Hessen weitergehen? Grüne und FDP befürworten Neuwahlen, eine denkbare Jamaika-Koalition kommt wohl nicht zustande. Ein SPD-Ortsverein hat gegen die vier Rebellen, die die Machtübernahme verhindert haben, ein Ausschlussverfahren eingeleitet.How should things continue after the failure of Andrea Ypsilanti in Hesse? The Greens and the FDP support new elections, an imaginable Jamaica-Coalition [CDU/FDP/Greens] will not be brought about. A local SPD association has initiated an expulsion procedure against the four rebels who had impeded the [SPD's] coming into power.
Nach dem gescheiterten Versuch einer rot-grünen Minderheitsregierung in Hessen sind die vier abtrünnigen SPD-Landtagsabgeordneten in ihrer Partei unter heftigen Beschuss geraten. Ein Frankfurter Ortsverein stellte am Dienstag einen Antrag auf Ausschluss des Quartetts aus der SPD.After the failed attempt at a red-green minority government in Hesse, the four renegade SPD delegates have gotten under heavy fire in their party. On Tuesday, a local association from Frankfurt filed a petition to expel the quartet from the SPD.
Schon am Montag hatte der Darmstädter Vorsitzende der SPD-Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Arbeitnehmerfragen, Horst Raupp, einen Ausschlussantrag gegen Jürgen Walter, Dagmar Metzger, Carmen Everts und Silke Tesch angekündigt. Inzwischen leitete der Frankfurter Ortsverein Bonames offiziell das Verfahren ein. "Das Verhalten dieser vier Genossen ist eindeutig parteischädigend", hieß es in dem entsprechenden Antrag an das Schiedsgericht des SPD-Bezirks Hessen Süd zur Begründung.On Monday, the president of the SPD's Darmstadt working committee on labour issues, Horst Raupp, had already announced a motion for expulsion against Jürgen Walter, Dagmar Metzger, Carmen Everts and Silke Tesch. In the mean while, the local Frankfurt association Bonames [a district of Frankfurt] has officially initiated the procedure. "The behaviour of the four comrades is clearly damaging to the party", the accordant petition to the arbitration court of the SPD district Hesse South stated as grounds.

So, we get new elections in Hesse.
by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Tue Nov 4th, 2008 at 06:41:12 AM EST
saw on very late news last night how shocked and shaken Ypsilanti appeared.  ahhh politics. walter looked like a toad, croaking about losing 10,000 jobs. He belongs with the rest of the kool-aid drinkers in the FDP.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
by Crazy Horse on Tue Nov 4th, 2008 at 07:11:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Although the CDU might suit him as well.

,,Vorgehen der SPD ist nicht nachvollziehbar" - Politik - Deutschland - Handelsblatt.com"Approach of the SPD is incomprehensible" - Politics - Germany - Handelsblatt.com
Wolfgang Clement: Ich bin froh, dass dieser Kelch an uns vorübergegangen ist. Ich habe hohen Respekt vor den vier SPD-Abgeordneten, die deutlich gemacht haben, dass sie den Wortbruch von Frau Ypsilanti nicht akzeptieren und mittragen können. Außerdem ist die ausgehandelte Koalitionsvereinbarung wirtschafts- und arbeitsmarktfeindlich. Deshalb ist es gut, dass diese Regierung nicht zustande kommt. Sie wäre für Hessen und Deutschland ein Rückschlag gewesen.Wolfgang Clement: I am happy, that this chalice has passed us by. I have great respect for the four SPD delegates, who have made clear that they do not accept and can not carry the breach of promise of Ms. Ypsilanti. Furthermore, the negotiated coalition agreement is hostile to the economy and the labour market. For that reason, it is good that this government will not come about. It would have been a setback for Hesse and Germany.

Take note that Clement also directs fire against Steinmeier et al in Berlin. Some gratitude. Here's Steinmeier, back in August.
Parteiausschluss: Steinmeier verteidigt Clement - Politik - SPIEGEL ONLINE - NachrichtenParty expulsion: Steinmeier defends Clement - Politics - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News
Rückhalt für Wolfgang Clement: SPD-Vize Steinmeier stellt sich im SPIEGEL-Interview energisch hinter den früheren Wirtschaftsminister, der aus der Partei ausgeschlossen werden soll. Clement sei ein Querdenker, aber kein Querulant, sagt Steinmeier.Backing for Wolfgang Clement: in an interview with SPIEGEL [then] SPD vice party leader Steinmeier puts himself energetically behind the former minister of economy, who would be expelled from the party. Clement is a lateral thinker, but not a troublemaker, Steinmeier says.

A complete Fehleinschätzung. Clement is a smug, self-serving man who basks in the media attention he gets for sticking it to his own party. Someday Steinmeier will get his share of trouble with him, too.
by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Tue Nov 4th, 2008 at 08:05:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Clement has Joementum.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Tue Nov 4th, 2008 at 12:35:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
While the four are still not giving their mandates back, Walter resigned as vice-chairman, and another resigned all her party posts except the regional parliament membership.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Tue Nov 4th, 2008 at 02:06:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
So, we get new elections in Hesse.

Who knows when. What I noted is that Koch learnt something: he didn't rush before the cameras to gloat, apparently realising by now that there can be a public perception blowback. So the CDU is NOT pushing hard for new elections, and is suggesting more talks (which are to be talks to nowhere).

Now it all depends on the Greens.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Tue Nov 4th, 2008 at 12:39:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
A new coalition, especially CDU/FDP/Greens, is not going to happen. The next session is somewhere next week, elections would then be only 6 months out. Middle January.
by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Tue Nov 4th, 2008 at 01:06:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
What I mean is that the dissolution of parliament depends on Green votes, it is their choice when and how.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Tue Nov 4th, 2008 at 01:17:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Eeehm, that should have been weeks, not months. But both are off, the period is actually 60 days.

Now that both the FDP and the Greens have said that they want new elections, the CDU only needs to go along (and seems open to it). I think it's unavoidable at this point and Ypsilanti will also back it, perhaps postponing the decision a bit to let the election take place in early February.

More here.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Tue Nov 4th, 2008 at 01:19:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Eeehm, that should have been weeks, not months. But both are off, the period is actually 60 days.

I did suspect your math is wrong somewhere :-)

What remains to be seen is whether the Greens would vote for new elections without the SPD or not. I think that would say a lot about the future (for example, the viability of the hitherho unthinkable black-Green with Koch).

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Tue Nov 4th, 2008 at 01:26:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]
In an interview with SPIEGEL, Hessen Greens leader Tarek Al-Wazir makes new elections a simple question of majority -- i.e. he idnicates they won't wait for the SPD. What's more, much of the interview is an appeal to the CDU to tone down rhetoric to be acceptable.

Then again, he does so noting that Koch again "did it": he declared that "now the way is open again for highway and airport expansions", which is no way to get Greens into a Jamaica coalition [ = CDU + FDP + Greens].

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Tue Nov 4th, 2008 at 02:12:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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