Peter Gauweiler, the former deputy chairman of the CSU, has advised his party on strengthening its relationship with the Free Voters and advocated for the possibility of participating in elections outside of Bavaria through a formal alliance. Speaking to the “Mediengruppe Bayern”, Gauweiler suggested that both the Free Voters and the CSU should be able to present themselves as a successful Bavarian concept even outside the Free State. He argued that if the CSU were to implement a system similar to that used by Bündnis 90/Die Grünen-for example, a joint Free Voters/CSU alliance-it would not only lift the possibility but make the overcoming of the federal five-percent electoral hurdle highly likely.
While clarifying that this was merely a suggestion, Gauweiler stressed that without such strategic planning, the party risks being unprepared when the center-right political bloc is occupied by more activist fringes. He stated that a potential center-right majority, or “mood bloc” holds the potential to capture two-thirds of the votes. The ultimate goal, he noted, is to end the unsatisfactory situation where Germans, even those who lean right, end up governed by leftist parties. As an alternative to an alliance with the Free Voters, he also suggested that the CSU might consider running independently outside of Bavaria.
Gauweiler expressed particular skepticism regarding concepts like the “firewall” (Brandmauer) intended to exclude the AfD. According to him, such political barriers do not replace logical arguments. He criticized the metaphor of throwing objectionable thoughts into the fire as particularly difficult to defend in an open debate. For him, the value lies in the dialogue itself, regardless of the political conviction of the person speaking.
The former CSU politician also called it a form of “democratic dishonesty” to reject parliamentary proposals solely because they originate from a “wrong” party. He recalled that during his time in the Bundestag, he had-and would continue to-support motions proposed by the Left wing if he felt it was appropriate.
Peter Gauweiler has a long history within the party structure, having served as a state secretary in the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior under Franz Josef Strauß and as the state environment minister under Edmund Stoiber. He represented the CSU in both the state parliament and the Bundestag and was long regarded as the party’s conservative conscience.
