Hubert Aiwanger, number two in the Bavarian government, found dead in Berlin
The leader of the Freie Wähler and Bavaria's minister for the economy was discovered dead in his hotel room in Berlin. Police have opened an investigation.
Death of Bavarian politician Hubert Aiwanger in Berlin hotel
Hubert Aiwanger, 55, vice-president of the Bavarian regional government and minister for the economy, was found dead on Wednesday in his hotel room in central Berlin, according to La Libre.
Police confirmed the discovery in an official statement, without immediately specifying the cause of death. The public prosecutor's office and law enforcement have opened a joint investigation in order to "determine the precise cause and circumstances of death and rule out any possible involvement of third parties".
According to the tabloid Bild, Aiwanger was in Berlin to attend the opening of an office for his party, the Freie Wähler (Free Voters). He had, however, missed the event, feeling unwell. His body was subsequently discovered by police in the establishment.
The head of the Bavarian government, Markus Söder, described his death as an "absolute tragedy".
Aiwanger had led the Bavarian section of the Freie Wähler since 2006. This populist party held the position of junior coalition partner within the Bavarian regional government, alongside Söder's Christian Social Union (CSU), itself the local branch of federal chancellor Friedrich Merz's party.
Aiwanger's name had been at the centre of vigorous national controversy in 2023, following the revelation that Nazi leaflets had been found in his schoolbag in the late 1980s, when he was a teenager. He had apologised for this matter, whilst categorically refusing to step down from his position.
Source: La Libre