Hubert Aiwanger, Bavaria's deputy premier, discovered dead in Berlin hotel room

Hubert Aiwanger, the deputy leader of Bavaria and head of the populist Free Voters party, has died at the age of 55 after being discovered in a Berlin hotel room on Wednesday.

Law enforcement authorities and public prosecutors in the German capital have initiated an inquiry into his sudden passing. According to an official statement, investigators are working to determine the precise circumstances and cause of death, while also checking whether any third party was involved.

Aiwanger was staying in the central Berlin-Mitte area. According to a report by the German newspaper Bild, he had traveled to the capital to attend the launch of a new party office. However, he failed to appear at the gathering after reporting that he felt unwell, and officers subsequently found his body inside his room.

The news prompted immediate reactions across the political spectrum. Bavarian Premier Markus Soeder called the death an absolute tragedy, expressing deep shock and extending his condolences to Aiwanger's family and children.

Aiwanger served as Bavaria's economy minister alongside his duties as deputy state premier. He had led the Bavarian wing of the Free Voters since 2006, guiding the political movement into regional power in 2018 as a junior coalition ally to Soeder's Christian Social Union. While his party established a firm foothold in state politics, it never managed to gain enough representation to enter the German federal parliament.

His career was not without significant controversy. In 2023, he became the center of a nationwide political storm over allegations regarding an antisemitic leaflet produced while he was a 17-year-old student, which trivialized the Auschwitz concentration camp. Aiwanger strongly rejected claims that he authored the text, although he conceded that several copies had been in his school bag at the time. Despite facing intense calls to resign, he apologized for the broader situation and maintained his government position.

German media outlets noted that Aiwanger is survived by his partner and two children. Authorities have not yet released any additional findings regarding the timeline of the investigation.