DÜSSELDORF (dpa-AFX) – After the election in North Rhine-Westphalia, the deputies of the three strongest parties will meet this Tuesday for their first parliamentary group meetings in the Düsseldorf state parliament. The particular focus is on the election winner, the CDU and the Greens.
Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst is expected in the CDU parliamentary group. A bouquet of flowers is waiting for Wüst and the MPs can toast the election victory with a glass of sparkling wine, as was announced in advance. The CDU is represented in the new state parliament with 76 members. That is four MPs more than in the old legislative period. The CDU MPs who will no longer belong to the new parliamentary group are also invited. Including Minister of Justice Peter Biesenbach (74).
The SPD parliamentary group is also coming together for the constituent meeting this Tuesday. SPD top candidate Thomas Kutschaty, who is also the parliamentary group leader, should also be the focus. The SPD faction shrinks by 13 to 56 MPs.
The Greens, who almost tripled their result in the state election five years ago, have space problems. The group strength has increased by 25 to 39 MPs. Only eight of them belonged to the state parliament in the old legislative period. First, a large hall had to be found. Among the newcomers is the top candidate Mona Neubaur, who is moving into parliament via the state list of the Greens.
In the case of the FDP parliamentary group, which is shrinking from 28 to 12 MPs, the first parliamentary group meeting was already planned for Monday evening. In the old legislative period, the CDU and FDP governed with a majority of just one vote in the state parliament in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The fifth parliamentary group in the state parliament is the AfD, which also has twelve MPs. That is one seat less than before. In addition, the old state parliament last included three non-attached MPs who were previously with the AfD./vd/DP/stw