The Bavarian FDP party leader Martin Hagen remains in office despite the election defeat. Hagen reported at a press conference at the state office in Munich that he had received a lot of letters since Sunday asking him not to give up. “Nevertheless, I offered my resignation to the state board,” said Hagen. If you experience such a devastating result, you can’t do “business as usual” afterwards. However, the state executive board asked him to remain in office. We voted in writing. There was not a single vote for resignation.
The reaction from the party right up to the meeting of the state executive committee motivated him to continue, said Hagen. And also his political ambition: “I’m not ending my political career by being kicked out of the state parliament,” he said. “My motivation is to erase this gap.” The FDP wants to continue to try to draw attention to itself in the future through constructive policy proposals. “We will not enter the race to see who is shriller and louder,” said Hagen. You couldn’t win against the chairman of the Free Voters Hubert Aiwanger anyway.
The FDP only received three percent of the vote in Sunday’s election and now has to withdraw from the state parliament. The election defeat also affects the party financially, as state funding depends on the election results. In the future, less money will be allocated, explained Hagen. In addition, the voluntary contributions paid by elected officials were no longer required. The FDP MPs traditionally support the party with donations. However, the party is still financially stable.