At that time, the world was still in order: At the New Year's reception of the Free Voters 2019, Anton Speer, Lilian Edenhofer and Florian Streibl met (from left). © PETER KORNATZ Archive
Free voters reveal why it came to the break with Lilian Edenhofer
Garmisch-Partenkirchen – The chapter of Lilian Edenhofer and the Free Voters is history. After all the dispute with his colleagues in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen local association, the separation from the parliamentary group and now most recently the merger with Martin Sielmann (FDP), Edenhofer himself drew the line. Last week, the local councillor resigned from the party. In doing so, she pre-empted the Free Voters, who had initiated an exclusion procedure against the 55-year-old, which had already been submitted to the Federal Legal Counsel in Berlin. Edenhofer's attitude of changing political fronts in this way goes too far for those responsible in the local association. After years of silence, they put their cards on the table, revealing why there was a break with the former mayoral candidate.
The anger in the ranks of the political association is great. Actually, he was glad that Edenhofer had now left the party, says Daniel Schimmer, the chairman of the parliamentary group in the municipal council. "It's definitely a relief." But: "Again, there is only one tactic behind it." Because the formation of a faction with Sielmann alone does not bring the duo any gain at the moment. That's why the local chairman of the Hotel and Restaurant Association is not happy. Rather, resentment prevails at what "she pulled off with us."
Long list of allegations against Lilian Edenhofer
At this point, Iris Grassl, Edenhofer's successor in office as local chairwoman, also swings in. "I was allowed to work through things for over two years, so much flew around my ears. I felt like a female Sherlock Holmes," says the Garmisch-Partenkirchen native. The list of accusations is long: On the one hand, there are administrative offenses. For example, Edenhofer had not convened any meetings before Corona, which she would have had to do by the statutes. In addition, there was the refusal to cooperate in the municipal council. "Solution-oriented work was not possible with it," says Grassl. In addition, at the end of September 2020, she had already declared her departure from the municipal council in writing to successor Chester Fabricius, including an e-mail to the mayor, then confronted him with a demand for money, which she followed, and later rebuffed him.
Iris Grassl, local chairwoman of the Free Voters in Garmisch-Partenkirchen © Marc Gilsdorf
But the crucial point that is blamed on her: "Financial discrepancies," says Grassl cautiously. "Because she's very quick with ads." Schimmer does not fall short of cover on this point. "We have evidence of everything," he announces. Edenhofer "has withdrawn funds from the old parliamentary group and cleared the club's account." In May 2020, the board members had taken notice when e-mails surfaced that there were outstanding invoices that could no longer be paid. Edenhofer's suggestion: Members should transfer the following year's contributions ahead of schedule. That's when Schimmer and Co. noticed: "There was no more money!" In total, a five-digit amount had disappeared. "It's all verifiable." When they confronted Edenhofer with the situation, she referred to a barge at home. That's where she kept the money. "But why couldn't she pay a bill anymore?" asks Schimmer. In the fall, the incident with the audit office of the town hall followed. At that time it became known that the parliamentary group funds ended up in Edenhofer's private account. It was only when these inconsistencies came to light that the money gradually reappeared. "In the end, everything was there, that's right," assures Schimmer. But for him one thing is certain: "This is not just mismanagement."
Daniel Schimmer is at the head of the Free Voters parliamentary group. © FOTOPRESS THOMAS SEHR
Edenhofer himself speaks of "sloppy accounting"
Because that's what Edenhofer's version looks like. When she took over the helm in 2018, she found chaos. "During this time, there was no longer a functioning board of directors and, in particular, no treasurer." In her short time at the helm alone – she was voted out of office in February 2021 – she had experienced three financial managers. "For example, I also had to handle all the campaign costs completely on my own, an activity that I don't like at all and that I don't like at all," she admits. "But no one cared." Today, she herself speaks of "sloppy accounting", but distances herself from the fact that monetary damage is said to have occurred. "No money has disappeared. I didn't take anything and went on holiday with it," she says indignantly. All irregularities are a thing of the past. "The difference, which ultimately resulted after expert accounting by a tax advisor, has long since been corrected and compensated." The fact that her former colleagues are now coming up with it, she finds "indecent and harmful to the FWG".
Schimmer emphasizes that they have tried several times to help the colleague and build bridges. "But she wasn't ready to change anything. When you learn such details, you have to act!" The fact that Edenhofer presents himself in this way does not surprise the club representatives. "She always looks for faults in others, never in herself," comments Grassl. The current boss, however, felt the effects. "We even had an external audit by the tax office, which is no coincidence at a small club like ours." In addition, Edenhofer has not yet been exonerated for her three years in office as chairwoman.
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A central question remains: Why was there never a complaint in the matter? Schimmer saw the responsibility for this with the tax office. "That could have led to a complaint. In the end, however, that didn't happen because in the end all the money was there again."
MP Florian Streibl can understand the anger of the local association
The whole process is also very regrettable from Florian Streibl's point of view. "I can understand the anger of my colleagues in the local association," says the Oberammergauer, chairman of the party's parliamentary group in the state parliament. He was one of those who enthroned Edenhofer. "She was a beacon of hope," he confirms. "She has done a good job in the past, contributed." She helped to rebuild the local chapter. In November 2019, the journalist was even presented as a candidate for mayor. The break came for the constituency deputy, who has a little more distance, with the start of work in the municipal council. "Opinions on the collaboration with Elisabeth Koch immediately diverged greatly." This is confirmed by Schimmer. "We had made it our mission to work together to advance issues, we wanted to sit down at the same table with everyone." This was not possible with Edenhofer. "Basically, she's just Elisabeth Koch's archenemy," says Grassl, who follows many sessions as a spectator.
Streibl can't get used to that either. "You always have to be able to talk to each other. Local politics as a whole thrives on making compromises. A fundamental opposition is not acceptable." In the case of Edenhofer, he sees "a limit has been reached. Leaving the parliamentary group is one thing, but taking a path against one's own people no longer fits." In addition, he also expressly rates the relationship with Sielmann as "bad".
Edenhofer can live well with her new situation. For her, the resignation was "a logical consequence after all the unspeakable bickering". It no longer has anything in common with the current local association. "The Free Voters are making themselves vassals, as we saw in this referendum. And on a human level, it didn't fit anymore either."
