No confirmation of candidacy for Green Party presidency yet
Published: Friday, Jan 19th 2024, 12:10
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Following the announcement of the departure of Green Party President Balthasar Glättli, there is speculation about a possible successor. The closing date for candidates is February 4. An official confirmation is still missing, but there have been a few rejections and replies are still pending:
Still open answer:
LISA MAZZONE: The 35-year-old former member of the Council of States from Geneva had a stellar political career before being voted out of office in October and is considered the most promising candidate for the party presidency. She herself has not yet commented on her intentions, but according to party colleagues, Mazzone is aiming for the party leadership. If she were to run, it would be a U-turn, as the Geneva native with a bachelor's degree in literature announced the end of her political career immediately after being voted out.
SIBEL ARSLAN: The Basel National Councillor is interested in a co-presidency. However, the 43-year-old lawyer and Swiss-Turkish dual citizen told the Keystone-SDA news agency that she wanted to think about it carefully. She could imagine holding the office together with Lisa Mazzone.
IRENE KÄLIN: The 36-year-old National Councillor from Aargau does not want to rule out her participation in a co-chairmanship of the party, but prefers to let others take the lead. The religious studies graduate and former President of the National Council believes that younger people, including men, would be more suitable for a two-person party leadership. She would be convinced by a co-presidency with Lisa Mazzone from Geneva.
MARIONNA SCHLATTER: Zurich National Councillor Marionna Schlatter has also spoken out in favor of a renewal of the party leadership. According to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, she said in mid-November that everyone in the parliamentary group should consider whether they would be a candidate. She herself apparently wants to communicate her decision by mid-January. Marionna Schlatter has been a member of the National Council since 2019, is President of the Green Party of the Canton of Zurich and a member of the National Council's Security Policy Committee and Transport and Telecommunications Committee.
Cancellations
GRETA GYSIN: National Councillor Greta Gysin from Ticino "thought long and hard" before making her decision, she told Keystone-SDA in mid-January. The office of President had appealed to her. In the end, she decided against it because she wanted to focus her energies on other tasks, such as the office of President of the National Council's Political Institutions Committee (SPK). She also decided against it for personal and professional reasons.
GERHARD ANDREY: After his candidacy for the Federal Council in December 2023, Gerhard Andrey from Fribourg was highly regarded as a possible party president of the Greens. However, he announced his withdrawal in mid-January. He announced that he wanted to devote his energy and time to his role as a member of the National Council and as a member of the board of directors of the software company Liip. The 48-year-old was elected to the National Council in 2019.
FLORENCE BRENZIKOFER: The 48-year-old Vice-President of the Swiss Green Party and recently re-elected National Councillor for Basel has decided not to run for the party presidency because she wants to devote herself primarily to her work as a member of parliament. In addition, the secondary school teacher would like to have more time for her commitment in the Basel region and in transport policy, as she explained to the Keystone-SDA news agency.
ALINE TREDE: The 40-year-old leader of the Green parliamentary group in the Swiss parliament initially expressed an interest in the party presidency or co-presidency, but decided against it by mid-January. The Bernese environmental scientist and Swiss-German dual citizen was directly elected to the National Council for the first time in October 2019 after standing twice for the Greens - and was re-elected last fall.
FABIEN FIVAZ: The Neuchâtel National Councillor has decided not to stand as a candidate. He had seriously considered running as a co-president, he announced on request. After careful consideration, he decided to concentrate on his parliamentary mandate. He did not want to give up his work in two committees and the Vice-Presidency of the parliamentary group, he explained. He also had paternal duties.
FRANZISKA RYSER: The 32-year-old St. Gallen National Councillor, who was re-elected in October, is also not interested in the presidency of the Swiss Green Party. She holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from ETH Zurich and has "other professional priorities at the moment", as she told Keystone-SDA.
MATHIAS ZOPFI: He is not available, the 35-year-old member of the Council of States from Glarus told the Tamedia newspapers and "Blick". He is probably not the ideal candidate for the party presidency. Representing his canton is his top priority. In addition, he is already very busy as a lawyer.
©Keystone/SDA
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