Hubert Aiwanger, the leader of the Free Voters, has signaled his openness to closer collaboration with the CSU. Speaking to the Mediengruppe Bayern, he stated that Germany, and Bavaria specifically, requires a political platform catering to voters who are conservatively liberal and desire constructive policies.
This move follows earlier discussions initiated by former CSU board member Peter Gauweiler, who proposed a formal “Free Voters/CSU Alliance”. However, Aiwanger cautioned that while voters might be enthusiastic about such a partnership, the respective parties themselves face difficulties implementing it.
He argued that a more realistic model is the form of cooperation already successfully implemented within Bavaria, encapsulated by the principle of “marching separately – striking together”. According to Aiwanger, the overarching goal is to counteract what he perceives as the increasing left-wing bias in politics, which, in his view, contributes to a rise in protest votes at the political edges.
Furthermore, the Free Voters leader expressed confidence that by strengthening their strategic cooperation with the broader Union coalition, they could achieve national success. He points out that the party is capable of surpassing the 5% electoral threshold in all states. Nevertheless, Aiwanger addressed the current friction, noting that the Union has so far been “rather giving the cold shoulder” to his party. Therefore, he emphasized that the Free Voters must continue working to build up their own inherent strength.
