For days now, Markus Söder and Hubert Aiwanger have not missed an opportunity to give each other advice on democratic behavior, the CSU boss has fired more openly than ever against the Free Voters leader, so that party friends and observers are wondering how the two will ever do it again should find a reasonable working mode with each other. Most recently, Söder even demanded that Aiwanger and his party make a clear commitment to their future political compass and understanding of democracy and said that it should perhaps even be anchored in a preamble to the new coalition agreement. Aiwanger, on the other hand, says that he “no longer wants to be humiliated.”
But this Thursday it all seems to have suddenly disappeared. For almost three hours, the CSU and Free Voters met in the state parliament for the first time since the Bavarian election – for an exploratory discussion. Or a crisis conversation, both apply in some way. The “White Rose Hall” in which the meeting takes place is strictly shielded; not even the anteroom is allowed to be entered. Then – it’s around 2 p.m. – the doors open. The negotiators stream out, the two parliamentary group leaders Klaus Holetschek (CSU) and Florian Streibl (Free Voters) are already standing at their microphones, in front of the screens with the party logos. Ready to go.
“It was a good and very open and clear discussion,” says Holetschek. “It was also about the question of respect and style and joint action for the future.” Then the CSU man, who had sharply warned Aiwanger the day before to “leave the beer tent mode behind him”, turns to the question of how the new coalition will deal with the AfD in the future. “We also agreed that our democracy is under pressure when it comes to the AfD,” says Holetschek, “and we will once again state very clearly in a preamble that we will not allow anything there.”
The free voter man Streibl is at least a little honest. He also speaks of “good and clear pronunciation”. However, he also says, “it was necessary that we come together here again, that we build trust, so that we can see that we have had a good government for the past five years.” The success of this government is a shared success, says Streibl, “that was also reflected in the election results.” This election result shows “that the people of Bavaria want the Bavarian coalition to continue”.
One can interpret all of this to mean that the CSU has somehow accepted the FW’s assurance that it is “in the middle” and not on the way to the right. In any case, further confessions no longer seem to be necessary for the Christian Socialists after this Thursday in the state parliament, otherwise the coalition negotiations would not start. Behind the doors, they say, it was emotional, quite reproachful, with closed rows on both sides.
Outside during their statements, Holetschek and Streibl agreed that things should now happen quickly. The CSU and Free Voters will officially begin their coalition negotiations this Friday. However, it is still not to be expected that these negotiations will be completely conflict-free. The dispute over positions and the number of ministries began immediately after the election and is likely to continue. The new state parliament is to be constituted on October 30th and elect the state parliament presidency. One day later, Markus Söder will be elected as the new Prime Minister. According to this timetable, Söder will present his new cabinet on November 8th. By the way, questions from journalists about the exploratory discussion were not permitted.