Elsewhere, Ash Wednesday focuses on repentance and repentance; in Bavaria, Lent typically begins with a political spectacle. The carnival is, so to speak, extended by one day and the parties invite people to the political Ash Wednesday in Lower Bavaria. Politicians are officially allowed to verbally jostle each other there. Of course, this is sometimes greatly exaggerated; last year, AfD state leader Stephan Protschka insulted Prime Minister Markus Söder, among other things, as “Södolf” – he reported him, the legal process is still ongoing.
This year Protschka and parliamentary group leader Katrin Ebner-Steiner will be on stage again in Osterhofen, and Maximilian Krah, the top candidate for the European elections, has also been announced as the keynote speaker. He is counted as part of the officially dissolved ethnic-nationalist “wing” of the party and is far to the far right even in the AfD with his positions.
Usually on Ash Wednesday the opposition attacks the government parties and vice versa. The CSU and Free Voters will also be strongly against Berlin. Nothing is given away, FW boss Hubert Aiwanger in particular usually adopts a rather rustic tone. That will probably be no different this year, after all, the European elections are coming up and the Free Voters definitely want to win.
Of course, the boss himself is speaking in the Deggendorf town hall, and Christine Singer, state farmer and top candidate for the European elections, has also been announced. Other speakers include MEP Engin Eroglu and state parliamentary group leader Florian Streibl.
The CSU claims “the largest regulars’ table in the world” as its own event, most guests come to Passau and the events with the blustering CSU saint Franz Josef Strauss are among the milestones in the party’s history. However, the CSU didn’t invent it; the political spectacle arose from a cattle market where farmers met in Vilshofen in the first half of the 19th century. Not only did they haggle over animal prices, but they also took aim at the Royal Bavarian government over beer. In 1919, the Bavarian Farmers’ Association invited people to a rally for the first time on the occasion of the cattle market.
Franz Josef Strauss, the former star of Ash Wednesday, is still present at the event.
(Photo: Peter Kneffel/dpa)
After the Second World War, political Ash Wednesday was revived by the Bavarian Party, which used the event to launch vicious attacks on the CSU. The Christian Socials joined the tradition a little later. On February 18, 1953, the CSU invited people to their first Ash Wednesday rally: in the Wolferstetter Keller in Vilshofen. Strauß, then CSU general secretary, was one of the speakers. The traditional restaurant was the home of the CSU on Ash Wednesday for years – but in the end it was so full that the CSU had to move to Passau in 1975, first to the Nibelungenhalle, then to the Dreiländerhalle.
Traditionally, the party leader is on stage there, and Markus Söder will be the main speaker. Secretary General Martin Huber announces a “strong, brilliant speech” from the Prime Minister. Manfred Weber, EPP group leader in the European Parliament and CSU top candidate for the European elections, was also able to give a welcoming speech.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil (right) practiced at Gillamoos in Abensberg last year. Now he is on stage for the first time at the political Ash Wednesday. Country boss Florian von Brunn (left) already knows this.
(Photo: Daniel Löb/dpa)
The SPD has remained loyal to the traditional restaurant in Vilshofen and is also meeting in the Wolferstetter Keller this Ash Wednesday. Party leader Lars Klingbeil is coming as a speaker for the first time, supported by Maria Noichl, the SPD’s top candidate for the European elections. Also announced is the dual Bavarian party leadership Ronja Endres and Florian von Brunn.
The Greens meet in the Bernlochner Hall in Landshut. As usual, the guests can expect parliamentary group leader Katharina Schulze and also a premiere. Federal Chairman Omid Nouripour appears. Also the best placed Bavarian Green Party for the European elections, Andie Wörle.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chairwoman of the Defense Committee in the Bundestag and top candidate for the European elections, is expected at the FDP in Dingolfing. The Left meets in the Gasthof Knott in Jacking near Passau, but now without the Thuringian Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow. According to the party, he had to cancel; party leader Janine Wissler will speak instead.
Sahra Wagenknecht is coming to Passau for Ash Wednesday for the first time this year as head of her own party.
(Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa)
New to the party ranks is the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance. The boss herself comes to the Göller inn in Passau.
The ÖDP also meets in Passau, where state chairmen Agnes Becker and Tobias Ruff appear. The Bavarian Party meets at the Wolferstetter Bräu in Vilshofen. And in the evening the V-Party³ is also holding a vegan political Ash Wednesday. Sebastian Frankenberger is announced as a speaker there, the man who stirred up Bavaria with the referendum on non-smoking protection. He was ÖDP chairman for a time until he retired from politics in 2015. The V-Party³ indicated in a press release that it may be planning a referendum against factory farming. It’s quite possible that Frankenberger’s expertise could be in demand here.
Undifferentiated bleating only works with an audience
Despite its long tradition, there were also individual years without a political Ash Wednesday. Because of the corona pandemic, the events in 2021 took place digitally, a difficult story, as this special form of undifferentiated bleating out of political principles and claims only works with an audience. Ideally with such an audience that reinforces it and reflects back positively. The halls on political Ash Wednesday are not a place for thoughtful debates.
That’s why the events in 2022 were canceled because of the Russian attack on Ukraine and in 2016 because of the train accident near Bad Aibling with twelve dead and around 80 injured.