Hannelore Kraft is undertaking a Minderheitenbündis in NRW. The end of the Cabinet Rüttgers the CDU forces to control uncomfortable questions.

Berlin ponders the political and plans and is still surprised. 24 hours after the conclusion of North Rhine-Westphalia SPD boss, but now seek a minority government, the exact circumstances of this decision are still unclear. Certainly, however, is that it is almost certain end of the caretaker government of Jürgen Rüttgers the weights in the parties, but also a substantial shift to the Federal Government. Because this is so, offers the U-turn for lots of cloak-and-dagger speculation.

For example, the federal SPD participated in it or an early stage of decision you know? The Willy-Brandt-Haus will have been surprised to meet some representation of the turn. SPD Chief Minister Sigmar Gabriel, had stated, in the morning in the canteen before the Bundestag for the 17th Commemoration June confers no party with friends as the chairman of the North Rhine-group of the SPD, as it was called. He had spoken but without a party function with two visitors from another state.

The SPD's chief national group was again reported to have agreed at the time with one another, not coming from NRW SPD-Mann. With him it is to be sure, have acted to SPD party chief Frank-Walter Steinmeier. According to Gabriel of the SPD press office was informed by telephone between 13 und 14 clock by Hannelore power over their decision. Previously, she had telephoned the Green-land boss Sylvia Löhrmann. The fact that Gabriel is said to have given the go-ahead on Thursday morning for the minority government, which denies federal SPD.

In the federal CDU ruled Krafts step amazement, and immediately it was clear that he in Merkel's party will have consequences. Juergen Ruettgers is one of four deputy national chairman, and from NRW depends on the Federal Council of the majority Christian-liberal coalition. CDU Secretary General Hermann Gröhe waived but first on a detailed opinion. He counts as Bundestag President Norbert Lammert, Chancellery Chief Ronald Pofalla, Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen and the Parliamentary State Secretary Peter Hintze in the marketing department at the Berlin representatives of the NRW-CDU. The Regional Executive Committee met Thursday for nearly incessantly. The country's press problems, the federal political consequences are acute in the autumn.

On the agenda now is the question of who or if anyone on the CDU 13th or 14 July against Hannelore force takes up when they want to be elected in the Düsseldorf parliament for the first prime minister in the country's history. This could be the 49-year-olds succeed in the latest fourth ballot, then reaches a simple majority: Red-Green has 90 votes and black on yellow-80th

But it is not yet clear whether Jürgen Rüttgers playing against force, or whether the CDU no need for a candidate. It would examine all options, it is, from the top leadership of the National Party. When accessing Rüttgers, the FDP will once again vote for him. A different candidate than he would to nominate to force the New or the New view of the majority is immediately to damage in the first vote. Would be strange for anyone to set up a party on 9 Just over 6,000 votes in May has received more than the SPD.

A rapid succession planning is complicated because Rüttgers since he became head of the CDU-country eleven years ago the nation's largest national association entirely focused on himself. He has succeeded in May 2005, the SPD after 39-year-old permanent rule and paved the way for Angela Merkel in the Chancellery. Despite the criticism of his role in the election defeat on 9 May there is no unanimous view as to whether one should plan with or without Rüttgers. Only he can give key signal, and he keeps publicly covered. In the small circle should Rüttgers have announced the resignation from office if he were voted out as prime minister.

His first such offer shortly after the state election on the evening of 9 May, the Regional Executive, however, declined from unanimous. They worried before bitter Diadochi. There are potential successors ready, but none of them is so well established that it is automatically running toward him. Each of them would have to court the favor of the powerful CDU district chiefs. In the CDU, it is hard to imagine one that carries on from mid-July Rüttgers as CDU party leader and State President, but no one dares to exclude even this idea. "The situation may be even change from day to day," says one out of the guide.

For Angela Merkel, this means that they must put pressure on inner-party switches that can have long-term implications for federal policy. With Roland Koch, Jürgen Rüttgers and possibly on 30 June Christian Wulff will be in extreme cases, three of the four CDU deputy posts vacant - material for power struggles. For the CDU chairmanship country could come as confidante Berlin Norbert Röttgen into account - their weight in federal politics because of the importance of the NRW CDU automatically increasing again as well.

not yet included is what it would mean for the political climate in the Berlin coalition if the North Rhine-Westphalia FDP procured from mid-July, a red-green minority government from time to time only for lack of majority vote. The NRW FDP, Guido Westerwelle and with the Secretary-General Christian Lindner listened most closely FDP-running federal denied yesterday, however rigorous, so to want more.