Overview
- At a party congress in Baunatal on Saturday, delegates re-elected Sören Bartol as state chair with about 76% and returned Kaweh Mansoori as deputy with 62.7%.
- Long applause for Mansoori’s decision contrasted with a weak secret-ballot result that signaled private doubts inside the party.
- Prosecutors in Wiesbaden have opened a formal investigation into alleged sexual harassment by Umut Sönmez, the former state secretary, the top civil servant in a ministry, who denies the allegation and remains presumed innocent.
- Delegates sought to shift focus to policy by passing a Good School in Hesse plan that calls for 30% more staff at high-need schools, smaller classes, more school social work, and extra support hours to reduce learning gaps.
- Mansoori’s move follows an earlier 2024 personnel dispute in his ministry, and Greens leaders now question his leadership and call for a swift, transparent probe, signaling ongoing strain for the CDU–SPD coalition.