Bavarian Conservative Leader Hubert Aiwanger Found Dead in Berlin Hotel at 55

Hubert Aiwanger, the leader of the Free Voters party and deputy governor of Bavaria, was discovered dead in his central Berlin hotel room on Wednesday evening. Authorities, including local police and prosecutors, have initiated an official investigation to determine how he died.

The 55-year-old politician, who also served as Bavaria's economy minister, was originally scheduled to speak at the opening of a new party office in Berlin on Wednesday afternoon. However, he withdrew from the appearance prior to the event, citing health issues.

Aiwanger had taken charge of his party's Bavarian branch in 2006 and assumed national leadership in 2010. Under his direction, the party entered the state legislature in Munich in 2008 and joined the Bavarian state government as a junior coalition partner a decade later.

During his political career, Aiwanger turned his party into a substantial competitor against the regional Christian Social Union, though efforts to expand its presence into Germany's national parliament yielded limited results. Prior to the 2023 elections, he denied allegations regarding an antisemitic flyer from his high school years, after which his party ultimately gained support in the vote.

Bavarian Governor Markus Söder publicly expressed grief over the news, describing the politician's sudden passing as a major tragedy. Aiwanger is survived by his partner, fellow politician Tanja Schweiger, and two children.