Aiwanger remains at the top: Free voters before crucial elections!

Aiwanger remains at the top: Free voters before crucial elections!

Hubert Aiwanger remains at the head of the Free Voters and is going into the local elections next March with a clear agenda. At the last state meeting in Straubing, he was re-elected state chairman with an impressive 82.3 percent of the delegate votes. Aiwanger has led the Free Voters since 2006 and is also the party's federal leader. There was no opposing candidate in sight, but the mood within the association remains mixed, especially after his controversial rhetoric in public appearances, which has generated both support and concerns. Loud South German newspaper The upcoming election is seen as central for the Free Voters because they have historical roots there.

If Aiwanger appears to be a pragmatist who speaks out against ideological politics, his harsh words on migration policy and the EU's guidelines are increasingly being criticized. On the one hand, he declares the Free Voters to be “pragmatists, bridge builders and generators of ideas”; on the other hand, he warns of the polarization within the party. This could have a negative impact on voters' favor, quoted BR24 some internal voices. While Aiwanger was applauded during his speech in Kempten, several FW politicians, such as Christian Schoch and Marco Meier, share the concern that his statements could harm the party.

Core concerns of the Free Voters

The Free Voters not only face challenges, but also have specific concerns that they have formulated in their election program for the 2023 state elections. Under the motto “Tackling things up for Bavaria” they have put together a 75-page program that covers various key points such as homeland, agriculture, energy security and environmental protection. Among other things, Aiwanger wants to increase the master's bonus to 3,000 euros and bring society together. “We want to make Bavaria the number 1 hydrogen country,” said Aiwanger. The topics of “economy and education policy” in particular are expected to play a major role in the coming election. The focus on strengthening medium-sized businesses and a secure and affordable energy supply is highly technical and ambitious, as is the case Free voters Bavaria emphasize.

The poll numbers from Free Voters are rather sobering at the moment. According to the Forsa Institute, at only 10 percent they are far below the values ​​in the 2023 state elections, where they received 16 percent of the votes. In the federal election, the Free Voters only achieved 4.3 percent. Aiwanger himself had to admit that the pressure from state parliament leader Markus Söder also influenced him and he changed course on the federal government's new debt. The party currently holds 14 of 71 district council positions and sees the local elections on March 8th as the “mother of all elections” - and the chance to establish itself as the second major people's party alongside the CSU.

The challenges at a glance

Internally, there are voices of concern among the Free Voters about Aiwanger's style and its future impact on the party's representation. General Secretary Susann Enders sees no polarization in Aiwanger's rhetoric, while other voices from the association fear the opposite. These political fundamental discussions must find clarifying answers in order to make it clear to voters what the Free Voters stand for. Ultimately, the upcoming local elections could also be crucial for the self-image of the Free Voters – as a powerful voice of committed citizens at the local level.

Overall, it shows that the Free Voters are caught in an intense area of ​​tension within the party as well as politically, which could have a strong influence on their strategy, issues and future contacts with voters. As the local elections approach and Aiwanger presents himself to voters, it remains to be seen how successfully they will manage the balance between pragmatism and political sharpness.