The second Wüst cabinet is the current state government of North Rhine-Westphalia, sworn in on 29 June 2022 after Hendrik Wüst was elected as Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia by the members of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the 26th Cabinet of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Second Cabinet of Hendrik Wüst
Cabinet Wüst II

26th Cabinet of North Rhine-Westphalia
29 June 2022 –
Hendrik Wüst at the Conference of Transport Ministers in Frankfurt am Main in October 2019
Date formed29 June 2022
People and organisations
Minister-PresidentHendrik Wüst
Deputy Minister-PresidentMona Neubaur
No. of ministers12
Member partiesChristian Democratic Union
Alliance 90/The Greens
Status in legislatureCoalition government
115 / 195
Opposition partiesSocial Democratic Party
Free Democratic Party
Alternative for Germany
History
Election2022 North Rhine-Westphalia state election
Legislature term18th Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia
PredecessorFirst Wüst cabinet

It was formed after the 2022 North Rhine-Westphalia state election by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Alliance 90/The Greens (GRÜNE). Excluding the Minister-President, the cabinet comprises twelve ministers. Eight are members of the CDU and four are members of the Greens.

Formation

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The previous cabinet was a coalition government of the CDU and Free Democratic Party (FDP) led by Minister-President Hendrik Wüst of the CDU, who took office in October 2021.

The election took place on 15 May 2022, and resulted in small gains for the CDU and major losses for the FDP. The opposition Social Democratic Party (SPD) recorded a decline, while the Greens almost tripled their vote share to 18% and moved into third place. Overall, the incumbent coalition lost its majority.[1][2]

After the election, the CDU and SPD both held exploratory discussions with the Greens, who held the balance of power and could form a government with either the CDU or the SPD and FDP. However, the FDP refused talks in the belief that a CDU–Green government was a foregone conclusion.[3] With no other options available, the Greens voted to initiate coalition talks with the CDU, who reciprocated on 29 May.[4] Negotiations began on 31 May.[5]

The CDU and Greens presented their coalition agreement on 23 June.[6] It was approved near-unanimously by a CDU conference on 25 June.[7] The same day, it passed the Greens congress with 85%. There were objections from members who criticised the proposed separation of the agriculture portfolio from the environment ministry, as well as the state Green Youth, who rejected the prospect of coalition with the CDU outright on the basis that it could not sufficiently address pressing issues such as climate change, affordability, and rent and housing.[8]

Wüst was elected as Minister-President by the Landtag on 28 June, winning 106 votes out of 180 cast.[9] His new cabinet was sworn in the next day.[10]

Composition

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Portfolio Minister Party Took office Left office State secretaries
Minister-President   Hendrik Wüst
born (1975-06-19) 19 June 1975 (age 49)
CDU 28 June 2022 Incumbent
Deputy Minister-President
Minister for Economics, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy
  Mona Neubaur
born (1977-07-01) 1 July 1977 (age 47)
GRÜNE 29 June 2022 Incumbent
  • Paul Höller
  • Silke Krebs
Minister for Finance   Marcus Optendrenk
born (1969-07-21) 21 July 1969 (age 55)
CDU 29 June 2022 Incumbent
  • Dirk Günnewig
Minister for Interior   Herbert Reul
born (1952-08-31) 31 August 1952 (age 72)
CDU 29 June 2022 Incumbent
  • Daniela Lesmeister
Minister for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Asylum and Integration   Josefine Paul
born (1982-03-02) 2 March 1982 (age 42)
GRÜNE 29 June 2022 Incumbent
  • Lorenz Bahr-Hedemann
Minister for Labour, Health and Social Affairs   Karl-Josef Laumann
born (1957-07-11) 11 July 1957 (age 67)
CDU 29 June 2022 Incumbent
  • Matthias Heidmeier
Minister for School and Education   Dorothee Feller
born (1966-05-06) 6 May 1966 (age 58)
CDU 29 June 2022 Incumbent
  • Urban Mauer
Minister for Homeland, Communities, Construction and Digitalisation   Ina Scharrenbach
born (1976-09-30) 30 September 1976 (age 48)
CDU 29 June 2022 Incumbent
  • Josef Hovenjürgen
  • Daniel Sieveke
Minister for Justice Benjamin Limbach
born 1970 (age 53–54)
GRÜNE 29 June 2022 Incumbent
  • Daniela Brückner
Minister for Environment, Nature Protection, and Transport   Oliver Krischer
born (1969-07-26) 26 July 1969 (age 55)
GRÜNE 29 June 2022 Incumbent
  • Viktor Haase
Minister for Agriculture and Consumer Protection Silke Gorißen
born (1971-12-15) 15 December 1971 (age 52)
CDU 29 June 2022 Incumbent
  • Martin Berges
Minister for Culture and Science   Ina Brandes
born 1977 (age 46–47)
CDU 29 June 2022 Incumbent
Minister for Federal, European and International Affairs
Chief of the State Chancellery
  Nathanael Liminski
born (1985-09-19) 19 September 1985 (age 39)
CDU 29 June 2022 Incumbent
  • Mark Speich (Federal, European and International Affairs)
  • Bernd Schulte (Office of the State Chancellery)
  • Andrea Milz (Sport and Volunteering)
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  • "Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst appoints his new state cabinet". State Government of North Rhine-Westphalia (in German). 29 June 2022.

References

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