# Free Voters
**Free Voters** (German: *Freie Wähler*) is a German centrist political party with deep roots in local and regional politics, which grew out of the long-standing tradition of independent "free voter" associations active in towns and municipalities across Germany, citizens engaged in local life beyond the established national parties.[1](https://democrats.eu/parties/freie-wahler/) It developed into an organized political force with a strong presence in regional government, particularly in Bavaria, where it sits in government as a junior coalition partner.[1](https://democrats.eu/parties/freie-wahler/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Grew out of independent "free voter" associations in German towns and municipalities, outside the established national parties[1](https://democrats.eu/parties/freie-wahler/) |
| European affiliation | Joined the European Democratic Party (EDP) in 2015; its MEPs sit with the Renew Europe group[1](https://democrats.eu/parties/freie-wahler/) • [2](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/197430/name/cv) |
| Bavarian stronghold | 15.8% of the vote and 37 of 203 seats in the October 2023 Bavarian state election, second behind the CSU's 37.0%[3](https://mail.rulers.org/2023-10.html) |
| European Parliament | 806,590 votes (2.2%) and 2 seats in the 2019 European election[4](https://old.robert-schuman.eu/en/doc/questions-d-europe/qe-517-en.pdf) |
| Leader | Hubert Aiwanger, also deputy minister president of Bavaria[5](https://www.euractiv.com/news/europes-liberals-face-yet-another-misfit-in-the-ranks/) |
## Character and political placement
The party is an amalgam of regional voting blocs rather than a single ideological current, ranging from left-leaning factions to its leader [Hubert Aiwanger](https://www.edgepedia.org/hubert-aiwanger), who serves as deputy minister president of Bavaria and was previously embroiled in an antisemitism scandal.[5](https://www.euractiv.com/news/europes-liberals-face-yet-another-misfit-in-the-ranks/) Observers describe the party as difficult to place on a conventional left-right scale, generally centrist to center-right, rural-conservative in character, and strongest in Bavaria, where it attracts voters disappointed with the dominant Christian Social Union.[5](https://www.euractiv.com/news/europes-liberals-face-yet-another-misfit-in-the-ranks/)
Within the [European Parliament](https://www.edgepedia.org/european-parliament) the party's voting record cuts across its formal family. The Free Voters sided with the center-right [European People's Party](https://www.edgepedia.org/european-peoples-party) (EPP) 76.8% of the time, nearly matching their alignment with their own Renew group, and voted with the national-conservative European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) in over half of cases.[5](https://www.euractiv.com/news/europes-liberals-face-yet-another-misfit-in-the-ranks/) Euractiv compares the party's electoral figures to those of the Czech ANO movement of former prime minister [Andrej Babiš](https://www.edgepedia.org/andrej-babis), a liberal-turned-populist outfit that left Renew in 2024 to join Patriots for Europe.[5](https://www.euractiv.com/news/europes-liberals-face-yet-another-misfit-in-the-ranks/)
## Bavaria
Bavaria is the party's center of gravity. In the state election of October 2023 the Christian Social Union won 37.0% of the vote (85 of 203 seats) and the Free Voters came second with 15.8% (37 seats), ahead of [Alternative for Germany](https://www.edgepedia.org/alternative-for-germany) at 14.6% and the Greens at 14.4%; turnout was 73.3%.[3](https://mail.rulers.org/2023-10.html)
## European level
The party joined the [European Democratic Party](https://www.edgepedia.org/european-democratic-party), a centrist, pro-integration European party, in October 2015.[1](https://democrats.eu/parties/freie-wahler/) • [6](https://fr.alegsaonline.com/art/36480)
In the 2019 European Parliament election the Free Voters received 806,590 votes, 2.2% of the German total, and won 2 seats, listed with ALDE as their European political affiliation.[4](https://old.robert-schuman.eu/en/doc/questions-d-europe/qe-517-en.pdf) One of its MEPs, Engin Eroglu, sits in the Renew Europe Group; his career record shows a 2012 move from district chair of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen in Schwalm-Eder to membership of the Free Voters, Hesse, and the Free Voters' Registered Association, Hesse.[2](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/197430/name/cv)
## The name elsewhere
"Free Voters" is not unique to the German party. Independent free-voter lists have contested elections in other countries, such as the Free Voters' List that nearly gained the 8% of votes required for parliamentary representation in Liechtenstein's 1989 election.[7](https://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2187_89.htm) A party listing under the name "Free Voters" for Luxembourg also appears in a 2018 [International IDEA](https://www.edgepedia.org/international-idea) compilation of national parties belonging to the ALDE group in the European Parliament.[8](https://www.idea.int/sites/default/files/publications/engaging-young-people-and-women-in-european-parliament-elections.pdf)
## References
1. [Freie Wähler, European Democratic Party (EDP/PDE)](https://democrats.eu/parties/freie-wahler/)
2. [Curriculum vitae, Engin Eroglu, MEP, European Parliament](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/197430/name/cv)
3. [Rulers.org, October 2023 election results archive](https://mail.rulers.org/2023-10.html)
4. [Robert Schuman Foundation, European Issues No. 517, 27 May 2019: 2019 European election results in Germany](https://old.robert-schuman.eu/en/doc/questions-d-europe/qe-517-en.pdf)
5. [Europe's liberals reckon with German misfits in their ranks, Euractiv](https://www.euractiv.com/news/europes-liberals-face-yet-another-misfit-in-the-ranks/)
6. [Électeurs libres, Alegsaonline](https://fr.alegsaonline.com/art/36480)
7. [Liechtenstein: parliamentary elections Landtag, 1989, Inter-Parliamentary Union archive](https://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2187_89.htm)
8. [Engaging Young People and Women in European Parliament Elections, International IDEA](https://www.idea.int/sites/default/files/publications/engaging-young-people-and-women-in-european-parliament-elections.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Politics and government › Political systems and ideas › Political parties and party families › Liberal-democratic parties › Liberal parties of Europe › Minor and regional European liberal parties*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license