Un ministro bavarese è stato trovato morto in un hotel di Berlino

Hubert Aiwanger, the deputy prime minister of Bavaria and head of the Free Voters party, was found dead in a hotel room in Berlin on Wednesday. He was 55 years old. Sources within the Bavarian state government and the Berlin police confirmed the death to media outlets, though the exact cause of death remained unknown at the time of reporting. Investigators stated that their primary objective is to determine the specific cause of death, establish the circumstances surrounding it, and rule out the possibility of criminal involvement. Aiwanger had been scheduled to attend the official opening of the Free Voters' new headquarters office in the German capital earlier that day. However, he cancelled his appearance due to health issues. According to reports, he felt unwell and stayed behind in his accommodation instead of joining the ceremony. His body was discovered later in the evening inside the Neuer Fritz hotel, located on Friedrichstrasse in the Mitte district of Berlin. The Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that an investigation had been launched immediately after the discovery. Michael Petzold, the deputy spokesperson for the general prosecutor’s office, addressed reporters shortly before midnight. He stated that there were no initial suspicions of a crime, but emphasized that nothing could be ruled out at this stage. Due to the ongoing nature of the inquiry, officials declined to reveal the specific circumstances under which Aiwanger was found. Police described the aim of the probe as excluding any potential third-party responsibility. Aiwanger’s family has been informed of his passing. He was not married but lived with Tanja Schweiger, a local politician and district administrator who is also a member of the Free Voters. The couple shared two sons. A statement released by Ilse Aigner, the president of the Bavarian state parliament, expressed profound shock and incomprehension at the news. She described Aiwanger as having been ripped away from life in the middle of it, calling his death a heavy loss for Bavarian politics. Her thoughts, she added, were with his grieving family. Markus Söder, the prime minister of Bavaria and leader of the Christian Social Union, reacted to the news via social media. He characterized the sudden death of his deputy as an absolute tragedy. Söder stated that everyone involved in Bavarian politics was deeply shocked. He extended condolences to Aiwanger’s family and children, saying they were mourning with them and praying for them. Aiwanger was born on January 26, 1971, in Ergoldsbach, in the region of Lower Bavaria. He studied agronomy at the Weihenstephan University of Applied Sciences. His political career began when he was first elected to the Bavarian State Parliament in 2008. That same year, the Free Voters, under his leadership, secured mandates in the state legislature for the first time. He served as the leader of the Free Voters parliamentary group until 2018. From 2006, Aiwanger led the Free Voters party in Bavaria. Four years later, in 2010, he assumed leadership of the party at the federal level. Under his guidance, the party achieved a historic milestone in 2018 by entering the Bavarian state government in a coalition with the center-right Christian Social Union. Following the 2018 state elections, he was appointed Minister of Economy, Regional Development, and Energy, as well as Deputy Prime Minister. Despite his prominence in state politics, Aiwanger’s influence did not extend to the national level. The Free Voters never won sufficient seats to gain representation in the Bundestag, Germany’s federal parliament. He was widely regarded as a combative and polarizing figure in Bavarian politics. Known for his sharp criticism of European Union decisions, he often adopted conservative stances on economic and social issues. In 2023, just weeks before state elections, Aiwanger faced a significant controversy. Reports emerged that he had authored an antisemitic leaflet during his high school years in the 1980s. The document contained references to Nazi-era atrocities, including Auschwitz. This revelation sparked a national debate regarding his past conduct. At the scene of the incident, staff at the Neuer Fritz hotel maintained strict silence. When asked about the circumstances of the death, one employee issued an immediate ban on further inquiries. Few windows in the building were lit late into the evening. Guests arriving or stepping outside for air declined to comment on the situation. The atmosphere around the hotel remained quiet as authorities continued their work. The Free Voters party, which participates in the governing coalition in Bavaria alongside the Christian Social Union, lost its most visible leader abruptly. Aiwanger had represented the party since its entry into the state government, serving as the face of the organization both in Bavaria and across Germany. His role as Minister of Economic Affairs placed him in charge of key sectors including energy and regional development. The investigation into his death is expected to continue, with prosecutors aiming to clarify whether any external factors contributed to his demise. For now, the focus remains on the forensic examination and the statements gathered from those present in the hotel.