VZCZCXRO1363
RR RUEHAG RUEHLZ
DE RUEHFT #0564/01 0421244
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111243Z FEB 10
FM AMCONSUL FRANKFURT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0225
INFO FRG COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 FRANKFURT 000564 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV GM PREL
SUBJECT: A Polarizing Conservative Takes Charge in Southwest Germany: 
Stefan Mappus elected B-W Minister President 
 
REF: FRANKFURT 120 
 
¶1.  (SBU)SUMMARY:  On February 10, the Baden-Wuerttemberg (B-W) 
state parliament elected Christian Democrat Union (CDU) caucus 
chief Stefan Mappus as Germany's youngest Minister President. 
Mappus succeeds Guenther Oettinger, who was elected EU Commissioner 
for Energy Affairs on February 9.  With Mappus, the CDU leadership 
will turn conservative, while a close friendship with the Free 
Democratic Party (FDP) coalition partner is expected.  Mappus is an 
active, motivated, but polarizing political figure.  Thus far, 
Mappus has had little national presence, but this is likely to 
change.   END SUMMARY 
 
 
 
 
 
Stefan Mappus: Germany's Youngest Minister President 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On Feb 10, the State Parliament elected B-W CDU caucus 
chief Stefan Mappus Minister President with 83 of the 137 votes, 
one less than the 84 votes of the CDU/FDP coalition.  51 delegates 
voted against him, one abstained and two ballots had other names 
written on them.  Immediately after his election, Mappus expressed 
satisfaction with his election result and announced that he will 
present his cabinet on February 24. Mappus, who was is 43 years 
old, born in 1966, is now Germany's youngest Minister President. 
 
 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Mappus has long been an outspoken representative of the 
party's conservative wing.  His politics differ considerably from 
those of his predecessor Guenther Oettinger, with whom he was often 
in conflict.  A native of Pforzheim, Mappus remains rooted in rural 
B-W and maintains small-town conservative "family" values.  Mappus 
has already announced that he won't move with his family, wife and 
two sons, into the official residence of the Minister President in 
Stuttgart.  Mappus's personality is also said to differ from 
Oettinger's, with Mappus being more polarizing, less 
consensus-prone, and unafraid of conflict. CDU contacts told 
consulate representatives that the tone of the CDU leadership will 
become tougher as will the relationship with opposition parties. 
Originally trained as an economist, Mappus Mappus says that former 
Bavarian M-P Franz Josef Strauss, also known to have been both a 
conservative and polarizing in his speech, is his political idol. 
 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The B-W FDP welcomes Mappus as Minister President. Ulrich 
Goll, B-W Interior Minister, asserted yesterday that the one 
coalition vote that wasn't for Mappus did not come from an FDP 
member.  Mappus is a close personal friend of FDP caucus chief 
Hans-Ulrich Ruelke (who also lives in Pforzheim), and Mappus also 
works well with B-W FDP state chair and Bundestag floor leader 
Birgit Homburger. (Reftel) In terms of tax cuts and the recent 
issue of the CD with tax evasion data, Mappus has publicly sided 
with Ruelke. Under Mappus, the B-W CDU will be more predictable for 
the FDP.  While Oettinger initially discussed a coalition with the 
Greens, such a constellation would be impossible under Mappus.  As 
a result, the FDP remains confident in their current CDU-FDP 
coalition government and believe that it will likely continue after 
the 2011 elections. 
 
 
 
 
 
A Shift to the Political Right 
 
------------------------------ 
 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) While the CDU leadership may shift right, the opposition 
Social Democrat (SPD) and Greens party are already considering how 
they can benefit from the change. B-W SPD state chairman Nils 
Schmid told Consulate representatives that Mappus wants to gain the 
support of the ultra-conservative voters in the state, which will 
leave more room in the middle of the political spectrum.  Schmid 
hopes to take advantage of this.  Schmid also thinks that a more 
conservative CDU will help improve the previously tense relations 
between the SPD and Greens. Eugen Schlachter, financial expert of 
the Greens caucus, told Congen that he expects Mappus to make 
 
FRANKFURT 00000564  002 OF 002 
 
 
far-reaching changes in the cabinet, and he also expects Mappus to 
continue to be confrontational. In terms of policy, Schmid warns of 
Mappus's tendency to be anti-immigration and anti-integration. 
"While I consider diversity to be a chance, Mappus considers it to 
be a threat", Schmid said. Schmid believes the SPD will be able to 
attract voters with migration backgrounds. 
 
 
 
¶6.  COMMENT:  (SBU)Members of all political parties agree that 
Mappus will introduce new policy priorities and a new leadership 
style. By reputation, Mappus is an active, motivated, but 
polarizing political figure.  Thus far, Mappus has had little 
national presence, but this is likely to change.  With the spring 
2011 Baden-Wuerttemberg election on the horizon, Mappus will likely 
spend the next year trying to increase both his name recognition 
and his popularity, which may mean a considerable shift from the 
policies of his predecessor and may also mean an initial attempt to 
keep the population of Baden-Wuerttemberg content by avoiding tough 
issues like balancing the severely overdrawn B-W state budget.  END 
COMMENT 
ALFORD