Aiwanger remains committed to being elected into the Bundestag.
Aiwanger, head of the Free Voters, is confident that his party has a high chance of making it into the Bundestag in the next election. At a recent press conference in Berlin, he responded to criticism about their 2.7% result in the European elections by addressing the opposition and putting down the Greens.
During the conference, Aiwanger shared his belief that the Free Voters could be a key player in the next federal government. When questioned about their performance in the recent European elections (where they received 2.7% of the votes), he recognized that although the results were slightly better than in the 2019 European elections, it was still not enough to secure a seat in Germany's federal parliament.
The party has grander ambitions for the forthcoming Bundestag election, with more funding and candidates on a national scale, promised Aiwanger. He also introduced the Bavaria model, which has been successful with a coalition of the right-wing parties without the inclusion of the left-wing Greens in the state. The deputy prime minister of the Free State assures that the upcoming election will offer a different strategic opportunity, increasing their chances of doubling their current vote share.
Aiwanger did not show any signs of being bothered by Söder's comments following the election. Söder had stated that the goals of the Free Voters were crushed and coming to an end. Söder recommended that the party concentrate on smaller-scale politics (local and municipal politics) rather than attempting to enter the Bavarian state parliament.
Aiwanger countered by pointing out that, in the past, the party opposed running for the Bavarian state parliament. He expressed his contentment with the Free Voters' strong presence in the current Bavarian state parliament, as otherwise, the Greens would have had a stronghold in Bavaria. In his words, the Free Voters' primary goal is to stop the Greens from joining the central government.
He harshly criticized the Greens, referring to them as the main culprits for the surge in radical elements in recent years. "The Greens are largely responsible for the increase of such forces, and it's one of the reasons for this election result, as more and more people have observed the deterioration of prosperity, (...) especially also by the Greens," he remarked. Aiwanger went on to share his party's intentions of forming a coalition with the FDP and the Union at the federal level.
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In the upcoming Federal election 2025, Aiwanger hopes that the Free Voters, led by him, can build upon their 2.7% result from the European elections and secure a seat in Germany's federal parliament. Despite criticism from politicians like Söder, Aiwanger remains committed to expanding the party's influence on a national level, utilizing the successful Bavaria model they've used in state politics.
