Voting Process - Aiwanger condemns CSU before European polls as a complete disappointment (Weber)
Ahead of the European election, Aiwanger, head of the Free Voters party, demonstrated tremendous resolve and targeted the Greens and the CSU in his speech. Addressing his fellow party members at the conference in Bamberg, he criticized the CSU, his coalition partner in the Bavarian state government, in a more aggressive manner than usual.
In response to a remark by CSU's Manfred Weber, the lead candidate for the European election, who criticized Aiwanger's lack of presence in Brussels over the years, Aiwanger retorted, "If I had known how crazy the stuff they were passing there in the recent years, I would've had to be there every day." He also lashed out against Weber, claiming "You were a total bust in Brussels in recent years."
The Free Voters leader promised to send as many representatives to the European Parliament as possible, claiming, "We're taking care of making sure you don't soil everything. So that we ensure that you don't create a clusterfuck."
Aiwanger also laid into the Greens, claiming they were fueling conflict through their ideologically driven politics. "Politics shouldn't be about trampling the public with empty slogans," said Aiwanger. "If the public feels they're not being considered, and get pushed around ideologically, they're going to get angry. And when the public gets angry, we end up with division. So, we're involving the citizens in the discussions, and treating them with respect."
Christine Singer, the European election candidate for the Free Voters, expressed similar sentiments in Bamberg, advocating for less bureaucracy and greater clarity within the EU. She also called for the EU to avoid constantly advocating for more centralization.
In the 2019 European elections, the Free Voters in Bavaria received 5.3% of the votes, while the CSU garnered 40.7%. The European Parliament will be elected directly for the tenth time on Sunday (9th of June).
Read also:
- Despite Aiwanger's criticism, the CSU performed well in the 2019 European elections, securing 40.7% of the votes in Bavaria.
- The Free Voters, led by Aiwanger, aimed to significantly increase their presence in the EU Parliament, vowing to prevent a "total failure" like Weber's.
- Several European parties, including the FW, are closely monitoring the tensions between Aiwanger and Weber, as the European elections approach in Brussels.
- In a bid to distance himself from the CSU's policies, Aiwanger emphasized the importance of free voting in the European elections and criticized the lack of democratic representation within the EU institutions.
- Before the European elections, Weber and Aiwanger's public spat added another layer of complexity to the political landscape in Bavaria and Germany, with the CSU and the FW being key players.
- The European Parliament is set to witness intense debates, as parties like the FW strive to uphold democratic values and challenge the status quo, following the European elections in Bavaria and across Europe.
){kind=link}