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Free Voters

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Free Voters (German: Freie Wähler, FW) is a political party in Germany. It originates as an umbrella organisation of several Free Voters Associations (Freie Wählergemeinschaften), associations of people which participate in an election without having the status of a registered party. These associations are usually locally-organised groups of voters in the form of a registered association (eV). In most cases, Free Voters campaign only at local government level, standing for city councils and for mayoralties. Free Voters tend to achieve their most successful electoral results in rural areas of southern Germany, appealing most to conservative voters who prefer local decisions to party politics. Free Voter groups are active in all of the states of Germany.

Free Voters
Freie Wähler
AbbreviationFW
ChairmanHubert Aiwanger
Deputy ChairpersonsManfred Petry
Gabi Schmidt
Gregor Voht
Engin Eroglu
Denise Wendt
Federal Managing DirectorArnold Hansen
Federal TreasurerChrista Hudyma
Founded1965; 59 years ago (1965) (as Bundesverband)
24 January 2009 (2009-01-24) (as a party)
HeadquartersMühlenstraße 13, Ganderkesee, Germany
Youth wingYoung Free Voters
Membership (2020)6,225[1]
Ideology
Political positionCentre-right[6]
European affiliationEuropean Democratic Party
European Parliament groupRenew Europe
Colours  Orange
  Azure
State parliaments
44 / 1,889
European Parliament
3 / 96
Website
www.freiewaehler.eu

History

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In the 2003 Bavaria state election, the FW association received 4.0% of the vote (411,306 votes), barely missing the 5% threshold required to enter the state Landtag. [7]

In the 2008 Bavaria state election, the FW association received 10.2% of the vote and gained their first 20 seats in the Landtag of Bavaria. FW may have been helped by the presence in its list of Gabriele Pauli, a former member of the Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU).[8][9] The party also reached its best performance yet in raw votes, receiving 1,085,896 votes. [10]

In the 2009 federal election, the Free Voters received 0.03% of the national vote (11,243 votes in total). [11]

In the 2013 Bavarian state election, the Free Voters repeated their success, gaining 19 seats albeit at 9.0% of the vote.[12]

In the 2013 federal election, the Free Voters received 1.0% of the national vote (423,977 votes in total). [13]

In the 2014 European parliament elections in Germany, the Free Voters list received 1.46% of the national vote and returned a single MEP, Ulrike Müller,[14] who sits with the ALDE Group.[15] The federal Free Voters association joined the European Democratic Party in October 2015.[16]

In June 2017, Arne Gericke, who sits with European Parliament's European Conservatives and Reformists group and was elected in 2014 on the Family Party of Germany list, joined the federal association.[17] Gericke left it 15 months afterward for Alliance C – Christians for Germany.

In the 2017 federal election, the Free Voters received 1.0% of the national vote (463,292 votes in total).[18]

In the 2018 Bavarian state election, the Free Voters won a record 27 seats with 11.6% of the vote, entering into a coalition government as junior partner to the CSU. [19]

Following the 2019 European Parliament election in Germany, the Free Voters sit in the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament with two MEPs.[20][21]

In the European Committee of the Regions, the Free Voters sit in the Renew Europe CoR group with one alternate member for the 2020–2025 mandate.[22]

In the 2021 Rhineland-Palatinate state election, the Free Voters entered the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate for the first time, amassing 5.4% of the vote and six seats.[23]

In the 2021 federal election, the Free Voters received 2.4% of the national vote (1,125,667 votes in total), winning roughly half of those votes from the state of Bavaria, where it received 7.5% (566,880 votes) of the vote and came 5th. The Free Voters hence became the most voted for party that failed to receive Bundestag seats. [24][25]

In the 2024 European Parliament election in Germany, the Free Voters won 2.7% of the vote and three seats, electing Christine Singer, Joachim Streit and Engin Eroglu to the European Parliament. [26]

In the 2024 Saxony state election, the Free Voters entered the Landtag of Saxony for the first time. Despite failing to reach the 5% threshold with only 2.3% of the vote, the party won a direct mandate in the Leipzig Land III constituency, electing Matthias Berger to the Landtag of Saxony. [27]

Ideology, platform and policies

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The Free Voters are a conservative party,[28] supporting devolving more power to the local level.[29] As of 2019, the party was in opposition to the European Union's financial policies.[30] In 2024, the party was described by Euractiv as including both liberals and conservatives.[31]

Ideologically, on the political spectrum, it has been described by some sources as being between the Free Democratic Party and the Party of Bible-abiding Christians (now merged into Alliance C - Christians for Germany),[30] and by others as between the Christian Social Union and the Alternative for Germany (AfD).[32] Europe Elects has described it as centrist.[33] Politico has described the party as conservative and right-wing, noting the similarities between their rhetoric and the statements of the AfD (such as opposition to mandatory vaccination and other COVID issues).[34]

Law and Order

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The Free Voters believe in immediate action toward organized crime, and support the "maximum use of the penal framework". They support more power to the police and judiciary system. [35]

Immigration

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The Free Voters support an immigration policy based off the Canadian model. [36] They demand a limit on family reunification for asylum seekers and want to create return assistance. [37]

Family, Youth and Welfare

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The Free Voters support laws that ensure age-appropriate use of the internet and media and promote the expansion of addiction and violence prevention, and want to expand intergenerational care networks. [35]

Foreign Policy

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On the European Union, the Free Voters oppose the accession of Turkey, while supporting the Union's enlargement by including more Western Balkan states into the Union.[38] [39] The party supports Ukraine in the Russian invasion of Ukraine and believes that Ukraine should have its full, pre-war territory restored. [40] The party also supports recognizing Taiwan as an independent nation. [41]

Regional Autonomy

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The Free Voters believe that local self-government should be strengthened, and demands that the European Committee of the Regions should be given a permanent position in the EU Parliament.[42] Furthermore, the party supports broader online access to official information for voters to make more informed decisions. [35]

State associations

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Election results

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Federal parliament

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Election Leader Constituency Party list Seats +/– Government
Votes % Votes %
2009 Manfred Ehlert 11,243 0.0 (#22)
0 / 622
 Extra-parliamentary
2013 Hubert Aiwanger 431,640 1.0 (#10) 423,977 1.0 (#10)
0 / 631
   0 Extra-parliamentary
2017 589,056 1.3 (#8) 463,292 1.0 (#8)
0 / 709
   0 Extra-parliamentary
2021 1,334,093 2.9 (#8) 1,127,171 2.4 (#8)
0 / 735
   0 Extra-parliamentary

State Parliaments (Länder)

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In light orange are the regions where FW is represented in the state parliament, in dark orange are the regions where FW is in the state government. (2023)

The Free Voters do not contest state elections in Brandenburg due to the close cooperation with the BVB/Free Voters, who only compete in the state elections in Brandenburg.

State parliament Election Votes % Seats +/– Government
Baden-Württemberg 2021 146,259 3.0 (#6)
0 / 154
   0 Extra-parliamentary
Bavaria 2023 2,163,353 15.8 (#2)
37 / 205
   10 CSU–FW
Berlin [a] 2023 3,923 0.26 (#16)
0 / 160
   0 Extra-parliamentary
Bremen 2019 14,205 1.0 (#9)
0 / 84
   0 Extra-parliamentary
Hamburg 2020 16,357 0.4 (#?)
0 / 123
   0 Extra-parliamentary
Hesse 2018 85,465 3.0 (#6)
0 / 137
   0 Extra-parliamentary
Lower Saxony 2022 30,453 0.8 (#10)
0 / 137
   0 Extra-parliamentary
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern [b] 2021 10,075 1.1 (#9)
0 / 71
   0 Extra-parliamentary
North Rhine-Westphalia 2022 49,985 0.7 (#10)
0 / 199
   0 Extra-parliamentary
Rhineland-Palatinate 2021 103,619 5.4 (#6)
6 / 101
   6 Opposition
Saarland 2022 7,636 1.7 (#9)
0 / 51
   0 Extra-parliamentary
Saxony [c] 2024 53,008 2.3(#7)
1 / 120
   1 TBD
Saxony-Anhalt [d] 2021 33,288 3.1 (#7)
0 / 97
   0 Extra-parliamentary
Schleswig-Holstein 2022 8,190 0.6 (#11)
0 / 73
   0 Extra-parliamentary
Thuringia [e] 2019 n/a -
0 / 90
   0 Extra-parliamentary

European Parliament

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Election List leader Votes % Seats +/– EP Group
2009 Gabriele Pauli 442,579 1.68 (#7)
0 / 99
 New –
2014 Ulrike Müller 428,800 1.46 (#8)
1 / 96
   1 ALDE
2019 806,703 2.16 (#9)
2 / 96
   1 RE
2024 Christine Singer 1,062,132 2.67 (#9)
3 / 96
   1

Notes

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  1. ^ (formerly part of East Germany)
  2. ^ (formerly part of East Germany)
  3. ^ (formerly part of East Germany)
  4. ^ (formerly part of East Germany)
  5. ^ (formerly part of East Germany)

References

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  1. ^ "Unterrichtung durch die Präsidentin des Deutschen Bundestages" (PDF). Deutscher Bundestag. 15 June 2022. p. 19. Am 31. Dezember des Rechnungsjahres waren 6.225 Personen Mitglieder der Partei. (On 31 December of the financial year, 6,225 people were members of the party.)
  2. ^ Lisa Peyer, Jörg Hebenstreit, Dr. Tim Niendorfer (15 August 2022). "FREIE WÄHLER" (in German). Retrieved 7 February 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Sylvia Kritzinger; Carolina Plescia; SKolja Raube; James Wilhelm; Jan Wouters, eds. (2020). Assessing the 2019 European Parliament Elections. Taylor & Francis. p. 263. ISBN 9781000057263. As in 2014, seven minor parties with vote shares below 5 per cent gained seats in the European Parliament, ranging from single-issue parties like the Animal Protection Party (one seat) or the Family Party (one seat) to the satirical 'Die Partei' (two seats) or the liberal-conservative 'Free Voters'.
  4. ^ "Free Voters — What you need to know". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  5. ^ [3][4]
  6. ^ Eric Langenbacher (2022). The German Polity: Twelfth Edition. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 315. ISBN 978-1-53-814661-3.
  7. ^ "Wahl zum Bayerischen Landtag am 21. September 2003". web.archive.org. 17 September 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  8. ^ s. "Freie Wähler – Sicher nicht Frau Pauli – Bayern – sueddeutsche.de". Archived from the original on 3 August 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  9. ^ "Landtagswahl in Bayern: Ist Gabriele Pauli schuld am Erdrutsch-Verlust der CSU". 28 September 2008. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008.
  10. ^ "Ergebnisse Landtagswahl Bayern 2008". Archived from the original on 30 September 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. ^ "Bundestag election 2009 - The Federal Returning Officer". www.bundeswahlleiterin.de. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  12. ^ "Landtagswahl in Bayern am 15. September 2013". Wahlrecht.de (in German). Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  13. ^ "Results Germany - The Federal Returning Officer". www.bundeswahlleiterin.de. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  14. ^ "Übersicht". Archived from the original on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  15. ^ "Ulrike MÜLLER – VoteWatch Europe". Votewatch.eu. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  16. ^ "Presse-Detail – FREIE WÄHLER Bundesvereinigung". Freiewaehler.eu. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  17. ^ Online, FOCUS. "Schwerin: Gericke von der Familienpartei wechselt zu Freien Wählern". FOCUS Online (in German). Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  18. ^ "Results Germany - The Federal Returning Officer". www.bundeswahlleiterin.de. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  19. ^ "Landtagswahl - Ergebnisse in der Tabellenansicht für Bayern". web.archive.org. 8 December 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  20. ^ "Home | Ulrike MÜLLER | MEPs | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 7 December 1962. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  21. ^ "Home | Engin EROGLU | MEPs | European Parliament". europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  22. ^ "CoR Members Page".
  23. ^ Osterloh, Maren (15 March 2021). "Alle Wahlkreise, alle Ergebnisse, alle Sieger in Rheinland-Pfalz". Die Welt. Axel Springer SE. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  24. ^ "Results Germany - The Federal Returning Officer". www.bundeswahlleiterin.de. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  25. ^ "Results Bayern - The Federal Returning Officer". www.bundeswahlleiterin.de. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  26. ^ "Ergebnisse Deutschland - Die Bundeswahlleiterin". www.bundeswahlleiterin.de. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  27. ^ Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Referat Kommunikation und. "Wahlergebnisse - Wahlen - sachsen.de". www.wahlen.sachsen.de (in German). Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  28. ^ "Bavaria's Free Voters — What you need to know – DW – 10/15/2018". dw.com. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  29. ^ Judy Dempsey (28 September 2008). "As Bavaria goes, so too all of Germany?". The New York Times. The Free Voters, who won 10 percent, want more power to be devolved to the local level. They may be sought as a coalition partner, though their positions on many issues are unclear.
  30. ^ a b Andranik Tangian (2019). "14: Visualizing the Political Spectrum of Germany by Contiguously Ordering the Party Policy Profiles". In Christos H. Skiadas & James R. Bozeman (ed.). Data Analysis and Applications 2: Utilization of Results in Europe and Other Topics. Vol. 3. Wiley. ISBN 9781119579533. FREIE WAHLER (Free Voters) founded in 2009, a party of opposition the EU financial policy;
  31. ^ Alipour, Nick (21 June 2024). "Small German parties have become a power factor in new EU parliament". Euractiv. Retrieved 12 September 2024. His party, which is headed by a former farmer and includes liberals and conservatives, is a case in point.
  32. ^ Laurenz Gehrke (27 August 2021). "The thorn in conservative Germany's side". Politico.
  33. ^ EU Elections in Germany: which minor parties will make it?, Europe Elects, May 11, 2019.
  34. ^ "The thorn in conservative Germany's side". POLITICO. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  35. ^ a b c Oldenburg, Agentur77-Bremen. "Grundsatzprogramm | Freie Wähler". www.freiewaehler.eu (in German). Retrieved 30 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  36. ^ "Aiwanger: "Immigration based on the Canadian model is desirable." – Bayerischer Rundfunk". br.de (in German). Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  37. ^ "He annoys Söder – and can save him." – Spiegel Online". spiegel.de (in German). Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  38. ^ Oldenburg, Agentur77-Bremen. "Europawahlprogramm 2024 | Freie Wähler". www.freiewaehler.eu (in German). Retrieved 13 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  39. ^ Oldenburg, Agentur77-Bremen. "Europawahlprogramm 2024 | Freie Wähler". www.freiewaehler.eu (in German). Retrieved 13 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  40. ^ Oldenburg, Agentur77-Bremen. "Europawahlprogramm 2024 | Freie Wähler". www.freiewaehler.eu (in German). Retrieved 13 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  41. ^ Oldenburg, Agentur77-Bremen. "Europawahlprogramm 2024 | Freie Wähler". www.freiewaehler.eu (in German). Retrieved 13 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  42. ^ Schminke, Tobias Gerhard; Schminke, Tobias Gerhard (13 November 2024). "Einzelkämpfer im EU-Parlament: Ulrike Müller (Freie Wähler)". treffpunkteuropa.de (in German). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
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