“I basically assumed I had a cold” – a party colleague wanted to meet Aiwanger

After the unexpected death of Hubert Aiwanger, there is great consternation and sadness in politics. The Bavarian Digital Minister Fabian Mehring (Free Voters) describes on the LinkedIn portal that he had tried to meet with the federal chairman of the Free Voters just a few hours earlier.

“Because we were both in Berlin today, I texted him at lunchtime asking if we wanted to eat something together,” wrote the deputy chairman of the Free Voters.

Instead of going out to eat together, he was asked in the afternoon to step in for Aiwanger due to illness - for what exactly, Mehring did not write. “I wished him a speedy recovery and basically assumed he had a cold.”

According to media reports, Aiwanger had signed off due to feeling unwell and had stayed in his Berlin hotel, where he was finally found lifeless on Wednesday. He died at the age of 55. The cause of death is still being determined.

The news of Aiwanger's death caught him completely unprepared, Mehring continued: "Sitting in the hotel now and having to understand that Hubert has died feels completely surreal." He is “stunned and sad”, is trying to function and wishes Aiwanger’s family “heartfelt condolences and a lot of strength”. His post ended with: "We all owe him so much. Rest in peace, Hubert!"

There is also bewilderment in the Bavarian Ministry of Economics. According to his own statements, spokesman Jürgen Marks accompanied Aiwanger on a delegation trip to Poland just a few days ago. "He was full of strength, he was full of energy. He was close to the people, as we knew him," Marks told the news channel WELT TV. "He was so full of strength and drive that we are all shocked and dismayed. Nobody could have expected this. At the moment we all don't know exactly how his gap can be closed."

Marks describes the mood in the ministry as follows: "People are standing together in the rooms. There are tears flowing. We still can't believe it at all."

State Secretary Tobias Gotthardt from the Free Voters will initially take over official duties. According to Marks, he is currently on a delegation trip to Singapore. “He’s getting on the plane immediately and will be in Bavaria tomorrow.” Gotthardt will also be supported by head of office Sabine Jarothe and ministerial director Frank Messerer.

On Friday, the ministry wants to inform people at a press conference about what will happen next.

Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) announced that he would continue the common policy of the CSU and Free Voters in Bavaria. He worked closely with Aiwanger and together they pursued a bourgeois, liberal-conservative policy. Söder said that Aiwanger was “a real man, a strong Bavarian, a good economics minister, but also a warm-hearted person.” Söder ordered mourning flags in the Free State.