It was formed after the 2013 Hessian state election by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Alliance 90/The Greens (GRÜNE).

Though they found common ground on education, energy, and labour, they encountered difficulties over finance policy and proposed expansions to Frankfurt Airport.

[6] The Greens and later SPD rejected The Left's proposal for a minority government, leaving a formal coalition as the only option.

[7] By mid-November, the CDU and Greens continued to give optimistic signs,[8] while talks had stalled between the three left-wing parties;[9] SPD leader Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel was rumoured to have declared negotiations with The Left a failure.

[10] Exploratory discussions also continued between the SPD and CDU, finding common ground in areas like finance policy, although both parties described a grand coalition as a last resort.

[15] It was approved by both parties' congresses on the 21st, with the Greens voting 74% in support and the CDU near-unanimously, and officially signed on 23 December.