At 8:40 p.m. Hubert Aiwanger enters the Augustinerkeller ballroom, where the Free Voters have gathered for the election party, to frenetic cheers. He walks slowly between the rows of tables, like a victorious knight who has just lifted his opponent from his horse. He shakes hands, waves, beams. Finally he gets on stage, waits until there is silence, then he says: “Today is the happiest day of my life.” The crowd goes wild, shouts of “Hubert” echo through the ballroom. In fact, it is not only a happy day for Aiwanger, but also for his party.
When the first projection flickers across the screen at 6 p.m. sharp, a murmur goes through the hall. 14 percent for the Free Voters, less than some people here were hoping for after the polls had meanwhile promised up to 17 percent. But from projection to projection the number increases and so does the mood in the room. When Aiwanger speaks, the Free Voters are already at 15.3 percent “and there is still something going on,” shouts the party leader. The increase in votes cannot be denied; in 2018 the party completed the state elections with 11.6 percent of the vote.
In Munich, however, things look completely different. The Free Voters there are not far above the result from 2018, when the party received 6.1 percent of the vote, and thus once again remain well below the Bavaria-wide result. No surprise for Martin Blasi, direct candidate in the Munich-Bogenhausen constituency. “Unfortunately, in Munich we have the image of a farmers’ party,” he says. The 53-year-old, who is himself in a wheelchair and campaigned under the motto “Inclusion now”, is nevertheless satisfied, at least with the overall result of his party, which has now fought for even more say in the state government. He himself has little chance of getting a seat in the state parliament, but remains active in local politics. For the future, he hopes that the ideas of the Free Voters will also be more popular in the cities.
Aiwanger now sees the Free Voters as a “people’s party”
Shortly after 9 p.m., Michael Piazolo, deputy leader of the Free Voters and chairman of the party in Munich, stands a little away from the hustle and bustle. An employee hands him a tablet to check the vote analysis. Piazolo, a direct candidate in the Munich-Giesing constituency, was able to achieve the best first vote result for a Free Voter candidate in Munich five years ago with 8.6 percent. He will probably fall slightly short of this result in 2023, but he does not have to worry about his place in the state parliament. He had already moved there in 2018 using his place on the list.
Piazolo takes the weak Munich result calmly. The election campaign was always very focused on rural areas, so it is hardly surprising that the increase in votes was not reflected in the state capital. However, he is thrilled with the overall result. “We are happy that we were able to improve.” In Munich they “didn’t expect this anyway”.
Meanwhile, Hubert Aiwanger has already rushed on to the next performance. However, that doesn’t dampen the good mood in the room. The party received around 30 percent of the vote in some parts of the Free State. To the ears of the celebrants, this sounds like what Aiwanger shouts into the hall shortly before the end of his performance. “The Free Voters are now the people’s party in Bavaria.”