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Political Leader Mysteriously Found Dead in Hotel

The politician was faced with a national scandal shortly before Bavaria’s 2023 election.

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A prominent German politician embroiled in controversy has been found dead in a Berlin hotel room on Wednesday. Hubert Aiwanger, 55, led the conservative Free Voters party, which is influential in Bavaria. Aiwanger, Bavaria’s deputy governor, was slated to speak at the opening of a Free Voters office in Berlin on Wednesday afternoon, but backed out, citing stomach and intestinal problems. Police say they have opened a probe to determine the specific cause of death but don’t believe it to be foul play or suicide. Aiwanger was faced with scandal shortly before Bavaria’s 2023 election, after reports emerged that he authored an antisemitic flyer as a high school student. The conservative politician denied the accusations, and the Free Voters party maintained their position in government. Bavarian Gov. Markus Söder described Aiwanger’s passing as an “absolute tragedy”. “We are all deeply shocked. Our thoughts are now first and foremost with his family and his children,” he wrote. Aiwanger is survived by his partner, fellow Free Voters politician Tanja Schweiger, and their two children.