The people of Biel elect their first female mayor
Published: Sunday, Oct 27th 2024, 10:40
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On November 24, voters in Biel/Bienne will decide between two French-speaking candidates for the office of mayor. In the first round of voting, social democratic councillor Glenda Gonzalez Bassi outperformed her liberal colleague Natasha Pittet, but narrowly missed out on an absolute majority.
Gonzalez Bassi was just over 100 votes short. The current Director of Education, Culture and Sport received 5348 votes. Gonzalez Bassi is a member of the SP's French-speaking sister party, the Parti socialiste romand (PSR). Her candidacy is also supported by the Greens.
Her opponent Natasha Pittet from the Parti radical romand (PRR) - the French equivalent of the FDP - received 4921 votes. Councillor Pittet heads the Directorate for Social Affairs and Security. She is supported by the civic alliance, which also includes the citizens' movement Avenir Bienne. The Green Liberals also recommend Pittet.
Government majority already decided
In 2025, she will succeed Erich Fehr, the long-serving SP city president, who did not stand for a further term of office. The office has been in left-wing hands for the past 50 years without interruption.
However, the second ballot will not decide the future majority in the city government. Gonzalez Bassi and Pittet have both already secured re-election. The vacant seat on the municipal council was won by SP councillor Anna Tanner, meaning that the city of Biel will be governed by a red-green majority for another four years.
Gonzalez Bassi or Pittet will be the first woman to preside over the city of Biel/Bienne. Moreover, only one French speaker has ever held this office in Switzerland's largest bilingual city: Edouard Baumgartner from 1948 to 1960.
©Keystone/SDA
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