Hubert Aiwanger, the leader of the Free Voters party, has been found dead at a hotel in Berlin. The 55-year-old politician, who served as Bavaria's deputy governor and economy minister, was discovered in his hotel room in the center of the capital on Wednesday evening, according to Berlin police and prosecutors. An official investigation into the cause of his death has been opened.
Reports from the German news agency dpa indicate that Aiwanger had been scheduled to deliver a speech on Wednesday afternoon at the opening of a new Berlin office for his party. However, he withdrew from the event, citing health reasons. Aiwanger had led the Free Voters in Bavaria since 2006 and had served as the party's national leader since 2010.
Known for his populist style and distinct regional accent, Aiwanger was a combative political figure who established the Free Voters as a significant rival to the Christian Social Union, the center-right party that has long dominated Bavarian politics. Under his leadership, the party entered the state legislature in Munich in 2008. By 2018, when the Christian Social Union lost its majority, the Free Voters joined the Bavarian government as a junior coalition partner.
Aiwanger’s tenure was marked by a major controversy shortly before the 2023 Bavarian election, when he faced allegations regarding an antisemitic flyer from 35 years earlier, when he was a high school student. Aiwanger denied the claims, and the Free Voters emerged from the election with increased support, maintaining their position in the state government. Despite his influence in Bavaria, Aiwanger was unable to lead the party into the national parliament.
Bavarian governor Markus Söder addressed the loss on X, writing that “the sudden death of Hubert Aiwanger is an absolute tragedy.” Aiwanger is survived by his partner, Tanja Schweiger, who is also a politician with the Free Voters, and his two children.
