▁this ▁might ▁in ▁parts ▁be ▁ow ed ▁to ▁question able ▁alleg ations ▁which ▁were ▁flo ated ▁before ▁the ▁refer endum , ▁e . g . ▁that ▁consequences ▁of ▁a ▁withdraw al ▁in ▁the ▁end ▁might ▁already ▁be ▁significantly ▁more ▁expensive ▁than ▁comple ting ▁the ▁project ; ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁word ing ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁mis leading ▁for ▁some ▁vot ers ▁( a ▁' yes ' ▁vote ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁b ail ing ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁project , ▁and ▁a ▁' no ' ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁its ▁implementation ) ▁although ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁' yes ' ▁or ▁' no ' ▁was ▁explained ▁on ▁the ▁ball ot . ▁ ▁Effect s ▁on ▁politics ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁German ▁newspaper ▁Die ▁Welt , ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁the ▁Gre ens ▁changed ▁the ▁balance ▁of ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁council ▁as ▁a ▁direct ▁result ▁of ▁dis gr unt lement ▁with ▁the ▁controvers ial ▁Stuttgart ▁ 2 1 ▁rail ▁project . ▁The ▁victory ▁marked ▁the ▁Gre ens ' ▁first ▁majority ▁in ▁a ▁German ▁city ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁inhabitants . ▁This ▁meant ▁an ▁enorm ous ▁loss ▁for ▁the ▁CD U , ▁who ▁had ▁held ▁a ▁majority ▁of ▁seats ▁in ▁Stuttgart ▁continu ously ▁since ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁ ▁The ▁Stuttgart ▁ 2 1 ▁project ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁issue ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁elections ▁held ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁While ▁the ▁CD U ▁again ▁won ▁the ▁largest