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Free Voters leader Hubert Aiwanger and Prime Minister Markus Söder
Photo: Frank Hoermann / Sven Simon / IMAGO
In the state elections in Bavaria about two weeks ago, the Free Voters achieved a significant increase in votes. Now the party is getting a fourth ministry: According to SPIEGEL information from coalition circles, the Free Voters are taking over the digital portfolio from the CSU. The news agency dpa had first reported. In return, however, they will reportedly have to give up one of the two state secretary posts to the Christian Socialists.
As the dpa further reports, the former parliamentary manager of the Free Voters in the state parliament, Fabian Mehring, will take over as digital minister. He succeeds CSU politician Judith Gerlach.
Accordingly, the further division of responsibilities remains unchanged. In particular, the Ministry of Agriculture, over which the CSU and the Free Voters had been fighting fiercely for some time, remains in the hands of the CSU. The Free Voters thus retain the ministries of economics, culture and the environment. In addition to the Prime Minister, the CSU continues to provide the head of the State Chancellery and the Minister for European Affairs. In addition to the Ministry of Agriculture, it will also retain the ministries of the Interior, Finance, Justice, Transport/Construction, Health, Social Affairs and Science/Arts.
The Free Voters under party leader Hubert Aiwanger had gained 8.4 points to 2.15 percent in the state election on October 8. They are now the second strongest force in the new state parliament after the CSU – with 37 deputies, ten more than before. The CSU had lost slightly from 37.2 to 37.0 percent – the number of its deputies remained constant compared to the last legislature.
After two weeks of coalition negotiations, the leaders of the CSU and the Free Voters want to sign their new coalition agreement in the afternoon – before that, the respective party committees are to give the green light. CSU leader Markus Söder is then to be re-elected Bavarian Prime Minister on 31 October, one day after the constituent session of the new state parliament. The swearing-in of the new cabinet is scheduled for November 8.
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col/fri/dpa