Overnight reports confirmed Bavarian deputy premier and Free Voters leader Hubert Aiwanger, 55, had been found dead in a Berlin hotel after staff opened his room following a missed appointment. Prosecutors ordered an autopsy, later reporting no indication of foul play. Obituaries portrayed the Bierzelt politician as a free spirit, with tributes from Söder and Merz, followed by questions over the succession and the gap left for the CSU.
Attention then returned to Washington after the Democratic sweep. Outlets described an emerging Republican dispute, with Vance calling for a course correction and positioning himself for 2028 while Trump rejected blame. Coverage profiled new Democratic winners and warned of an aggressive lame-duck phase until year-end.
Domestically, Merz's search for a woman to succeed Steinmeier narrowed to Ilse Aigner, while the Brandmauer dispute cost the CDU a treasurer and a Spandau defection to the BSW.