Free Voters Freie Wähler | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | FW |
Chairman | Hubert Aiwanger |
Deputy Chairpersons | Manfred Petry Gabi Schmidt Gregor Voht Engin Eroglu Denise Wendt |
Federal Managing Director | Arnold Hansen |
Federal Treasurer | Christa Hudyma |
Founded | 1965 24 January 2009 (as a party) | (as Bundesverband)
Headquarters | Mühlenstraße 13, Ganderkesee, Germany |
Youth wing | Young Free Voters |
Membership (2020) | 6,225[1] |
Ideology | |
Political position | Centre-right[6] |
European affiliation | European Democratic Party |
European Parliament group | Renew Europe |
Colours | Orange Azure |
State parliaments | 44 / 1,889 |
European Parliament | 3 / 96 |
Website | |
www.freiewaehler.eu | |
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.
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.)
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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'.