Dhe only two SPD city councilors in Hubert Aiwanger’s hometown of Rottenburg an der Laaber have left the Social Democratic Party. City councilor Peter Bauer wants to join the Free Voters, ex-SPD parliamentary group leader Angelika Wimmer has not yet decided.
At the request of the German Press Agency on Wednesday evening, both cited long-term dissatisfaction with the SPD as the reasons. The decisive factor was the way the SPD dealt with Aiwanger in the leaflet affair. Several media outlets reported about it. Both want to keep their city council mandate.
“I had to take this step to make a statement,” said Wimmer about her departure. Among other things, she criticized early calls from the SPD to the Bavarian Economics Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Aiwanger to resign because of the affair. “I don’t run a campaign by badmouthing other people.”
Aiwanger sees himself as a victim
Wimmer’s parliamentary group colleague Peter Bauer also confirmed his departure to the dpa. Bauer wants to join the Free Voters. After his vacation at the beginning of October, he will present the membership application to the board. Wimmer, however, emphasized that she had not yet decided. She is initially non-partisan. “I’ll leave it open whether I’ll join a group. I’m close to the Free Voters, but I haven’t signed anything.” The mayor of the city of Rottenburg had previously told Bavarian Radio that Wimmer would also join the Free Voters.
Hubert Aiwanger, federal chairman of the Free Voters, expressed his satisfaction with the city councilors’ move on the online platform “X”. He responded to a party colleague’s tweet about the matter with the words “smear campaigns backfire.” Since the beginning of the leaflet affair, Aiwanger has seen himself as a victim of a political and media smear campaign.
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