When Hubert Aiwanger became the beer tent Gandhi

Performance at folk festival
Hubert Aiwanger – suddenly beer tent Gandhi

How does he react? What does he do? What is he ranting about? At the political morning pint at the Gillamoos folk festival, Hubert Aiwanger says nothing at all about the leaflet affair. About a strange appearance.

At 11.04 a.m. the time had come, the calls of the “Weissbierstadl” were heard: Hubert Aiwanger enters the stage. “We want to see Hubsi, we want to see Hubsi…”, the beer tent visitors had demanded in unison. Now they see him, with his shirt sleeves rolled up and a serious expression on his face. Aiwanger looks exhausted. Were indeed a few eventful days. What will he say?

On this Monday morning, Aiwanger would have ample opportunity to verbally expand. letting anger out of your stomach. distribute properly. After all, this is what the political morning pint at the Gillamoos folk festival in Lower Bavaria is known for. Every year, violent attacks on political opponents are made here, robust regulars’ table slogans are given to the best with beer mugs full to the brim and hearty music. Perfect terrain for a beer tent politician like Hubert Aiwanger.

Very close

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But Aiwanger says: nothing. At least nothing about the leaflet affair, nothing about his pardon from Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU), which was almost exactly 24 hours ago. Only so much: “Thank you for this backing, the wonderful vote of confidence.” Has everything been said?

If Aiwanger has his way, then obviously yes. His poor answers to Söder’s catalog of questions, which were intended to help clarify his role in the scandal surrounding an anti-Semitic pamphlet from his school days, raised even more questions – beyond the cause. Will he actually show remorse after Söder’s questionable acquittal or will he again stylize himself as a victim of an alleged campaign?

Hubert Aiwanger goes on with the agenda

In Gillamoos, Aiwanger demonstratively goes about business as usual. He spent almost an hour working on the “ideological traffic light policy,” ranting against citizen income or energy policy, and demanding the abolition of inheritance tax and tougher migration policies. Routine government scolding, combined with campaign hits from the free voters – as if nothing had happened. That is Aiwanger’s message this Monday morning.

And that was well received in the beer tent: Aiwanger received standing applause and was celebrated several times with “Hubert, Hubert!” chants. At 12.05 p.m., at the end of his speech, the Vice Prime Minister is clearly sweating with satisfaction. His fans have not turned away from him, and his party has also rallied behind him in the leaflet affair.

Aiwanger’s slogan, according to which the leaflet affair was a “campaign” against him intended to finish him off “politically and personally”, is apparently shared by his supporters. Definitely by Fabian Mehring, the parliamentary manager of the Free Voters in the Bavarian state parliament and one of Aiwanger’s previous speakers in the marquee.

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With the tone of conviction he speaks of a “smear campaign” against “our Hubert”, who is being celebrated like no other politician in Bavaria before. “We stand in front of you when dirt is thrown, and we stand behind you when dirt is thrown,” assures Mehring. Anyone who believes that the state elections on October 8 could lead to a vote on Hubert Aiwanger can be “optimistic”.

It is definitely more. He even quotes the Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi so that there is no doubt about the actual conclusion of the Aiwanger case: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you and then you win.” And it’s completely clear which part is now announced: winning.

There are still around four weeks until the Bavarian state elections. Then it will become clear whether the leaflet affair has done more good than harm for the Free Voters and Aiwanger. “We must now return to our day-to-day work for our country so that Bavaria can continue to be governed in a stable and sensible manner from the autumn,” demanded the party leader shortly after Söder’s pardon via X, formerly Twitter. Aiwanger wants to get rid of the ugly affair, his appearance in Gillamoos also showed that.