Hubert Aiwanger found dead in Berlin hotel

German politician Hubert Aiwanger was found dead in a Berlin hotel room on Wednesday, police said.

The cause of death of Aiwanger, 55, was not immediately clear. Berlin police and prosecutors opened an investigation to determine the cause and circumstances of his death and to rule out any possible involvement of third parties.

Police said Aiwanger was found in his hotel room in the Berlin-Mitte district.

Aiwanger headed the populist Free Voters party and was Bavarian economy minister. Bild reported that he was in Berlin for the opening of a party office but missed the event because he was feeling unwell.

Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder called the death an “absolute tragedy” and said his thoughts were with Aiwanger's family and children.

The Free Voters are junior partners in Bavaria's regional government, led by Soeder's Christian Social Union. Aiwanger had led the Bavarian branch of the Free Voters since 2006, and the party entered the state government for the first time in 2018.