Franz Josef Pschierer settles accounts: "I won't let myself be chased off the farm like a dog"

Created: 09/29/2022, 18:08

By: Marco Tobisch

Pschierer's move to the FDP caused outrage.

© Office Pschierer

By Angelika Hirschberg, Marco Tobisch and Kai Lorenz

Mindelheim – Franz Josef Pschierer (66), former Bavarian Economics Minister and CSU member of the state parliament for the Kaufbeuren constituency, has surprisingly turned his back on his party.

The trigger for Pschierer's resignation was apparently the CSU district executive meeting in Bad Wörishofen, which was about the candidacy for the upcoming state elections next year.

In Gasthof Adler, an opposing candidate spoke up in Peter Wachler.

Just two days later, Pschierer took a hard stance on the CSU and former party colleagues.

At the same time, he announced his move to the FDP, which unanimously accepted the economic politician into its ranks.

A small tremor went through the halls of the state parliament in Munich when rumors increased that Franz Pschierer would announce his move from the CSU to the FDP in the afternoon.

Which he then did, and not only that. The former Minister of State took the opportunity to settle accounts with his party on a grand scale.

A day later, Pschierer didn't get any quieter in conversation with our newspaper and he said: "I'm fed up with the intrigues." It should be noted that the 66-year-old still has a lot to work out in his relationship with the CSU.

From 1994 until yesterday, that is 28 years, Pschierer sat in the state parliament for the CSU.

But first things first.

Pschierer described to the editors that he would not have made the decision to run for another seat in the state parliament lightly.

In advance, he had spoken to the local associations, mayors and family at the base and initially received support there for a renewed candidacy.

"Even when I asked, I was not told that there were other candidates for the candidacy in the constituency," says Pschierer.

Peter Wachler, Mayor of Markt Wald, only spoke to him about a candidacy “in five years at the earliest”.

Pschierer therefore leaned back – and nevertheless emphasizes: "I'm not sticking to my chair and would have cleared the way for a younger candidate." But: "I won't let myself be chased from the yard like a stray dog.

Because at the most recent CSU district board meeting in Bad Wörishofen last Monday evening, Peter Wachler also introduced himself to the board members as a possible candidate in the run-up to a nomination event.

Thus, in addition to Franz Josef Pschierer, Wachler suddenly also announced his ambitions.

Pschierer sees this "night and fog action" as an affront and complains about the lack of support from local CSU party friends, in particular from Kaufbeuren's mayor Stefan Bosse and CSU member of the Bundestag Stephan Stracke.

He would have expected a clear commitment from both of them for the constituency candidate Pschierer.

Because this did not happen, the relationship of trust has been massively strained since then, at the latest, and he considered it extremely difficult to campaign with the two CSU politicians.

Bosse also told him from Munich that "the Pschierer problem should be solved on site".

He would have faced a competition with Peter Wachler if "you had just played with open cards." And he adds: "Either you want me or you don't want me!"

Reactions from Munich and the Allgäu

For Wachler himself, Pschierer's anger and the decision to switch to the FDP came as a great surprise.

Both know each other very well, sitting together on the district council - Wachler since 2020, Pschierer since 1996. "We have always had a good, cordial relationship and for me it still is," says Wachler.

The two are also politically involved in issues, such as the reactivation of the Staudenbahn a month ago at a joint meeting with Bavaria's Minister of Transport Christian Bernreiter in Ettringen - initiated by Pschierer.

"He stands for a wealth of experience and a broad network," says Wachler.

And from his time as Economics Minister (March to November 2018), the 66-year-old naturally brings a wealth of knowledge with him.

It goes without saying that Pschierer also underlined these advantages in his speech in Bad Wörishofen.

Wachler, on the other hand, emphasized that he stands for a new start and a new form of the CSU – also because of "my way of life" with a partner, as Wachler said in an interview with the weekly KURIER.

The 43-year-old has been mayor of Markt Wald since 2014.

With the experienced ex-minister and the young head of the town hall, the delegates at the nomination event had an exciting choice, says Wachler.

"We are both completely different." He is also of the opinion: "Neither the party nor the district association would have split that."

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On Monday evening there was still no sign of discord, reports several participants in the district board meeting.

According to Wachler, among others, Pschierer, Eppishausen's mayor Susanne Nieberle and himself sat together with a glass of wine.

CSU district chairman Martin Osterrieder was also there.

He also confirms that the atmosphere was "completely relaxed".

Pschierer, on the other hand, sees his resignation from the CSU as a logical consequence and as the result of internal party intrigues against him.

Now even former CSU party colleagues are not sparing with mockery and criticism.

In response to Pschierer's exit from the party, CSU parliamentary group leader Thomas Kreuzer said that Pschierer was solely representing his personal interests and was throwing his political convictions overboard.

"This is not good democratic style." As far as style issues are concerned, Pschierer recommended Kreuzer to sweep your own front door first.

There's enough to do there.

I have no understanding for that, with all love.

CSU district chairman Martin Osterrieder

Not only in Munich, but also locally, there is little understanding for Pschierer's step.

CSU district chairman Martin Osterrieder was also surprised by Pschierer's decision.

Osterrieder made his dissatisfaction public on the Facebook page of the CSU-Unterallgäu on Wednesday evening: "Franz has done a good service for the CSU and for our region for many years," he wrote there.

“I am all the more disappointed that he is now changing sides.

And obviously, despite all the oaths of allegiance, out of pure selfishness, without regard to his previous political homeland.” And “Understanding democracy is probably something different for him.

Opposing candidates who appear to him to be insults to majesty are unacceptable.

I have no understanding for that, with all love.

When asked by our newspaper, Kaufbeuren's Lord Mayor Stefan Bosse confirmed that he had told Franz Pschierer about two months ago that he urgently needed to clarify his relationship with the Prime Minister before running for office again, because otherwise he would not be able to work successfully for his constituency.

And Bosse adds: "Pschierer's move to the FDP surprised me, disappointed me and also makes me sad.

After all, we worked together very successfully for the region for many years.

Since Pschierer had left the cabinet, however, he had also made himself very rare in Kaufbeuren.

That's why I've been bringing concerns from our region to the Bavarian cabinet table for a long time via Health Minister Klaus Holetschek, with whom I have close ties."

The Allgäu member of the Bundestag Stephan Stracke was also personally deeply disappointed.

When asked, Stracke said: "Instead of showing sovereignty in dealing with intra-party competition, Pschierer lashes out wildly and kicks in.

That's pathetic." He accuses him of the "ego trip of a former state minister" and "personally securing mandates, offices and posts".

What's next, Mr. Pschierer?

Pschierer admits that he himself has repeatedly criticized the course of the state government, for example the Corona policy, and has long since found a substantive proximity to the FDP on economic, tax and budget issues.

That's why the change to the Liberals is no surprise for him.

There was neither an offer from the FDP parliamentary group nor a demand on his part, he wants to be quoted as saying.

From now on, Franz Pschierer will sit in the state parliament for the FDP, the same applies to Pschierer's seat in the Unterallgäu district council.

However, the 66-year-old has resigned from his position as chairman of the CSU SME Union.

He was very sorry about that, he says.

He will now join the back of the FDP and try to make a constructive contribution.

It is not yet clear whether he will be running on the FDP list for a seat in the coming state parliament in 2023.

Nevertheless, he awaits the CSU election campaign with curiosity.

Because in Eastern and Lower Allgäu, the field is open to new candidates who want to face the competition.

There's still movement in there.