General elections in four cantons in the coming year
Published: Friday, Dec 27th 2024, 10:50
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Four cantons will appoint new cantonal governments and cantonal parliaments in the coming year: Valais, Neuchâtel, Solothurn and Jura. In Switzerland's youngest canton, there will be a premiere due to the change of canton for the town of Moutier.
It all starts in Valais, where the government and cantonal parliament will be re-elected on March 2. Two of the five current state councillors will not be standing again. The Upper Valais Center is sending party president and Grand Councillor Franziska Biner into the race.
A vacancy in Valais
Biner has a good chance of replacing Roberto Schmidt in the government. The German-speaking politician from the Neo - Die sozialliberale Mitte party, the former CSP Oberwallis, is not standing for re-election after eight years in office.
The same applies to FDP candidate Frédéric Favre. In 2017, the Liberal Democrat won the seat vacated by Oskar Freysinger (SVP). Favre will be the new CEO of the Switzerland 2038 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Association.
The three state councillors Christophe Darbellay (center), Mathias Reynard (SP) and Franz Ruppen (SVP) will run again. Four years ago, the CVP lost its third seat and thus its majority in the Valais government. After a four-year absence, the SVP returned to the Valais State Council with Ruppen. Reynard replaced the resigning SP health director Esther Waeber-Kalbermatten four years ago.
SVP wants into Solothurn government
Just one week after Valais, the canton of Solothurn is following suit: on March 9, the people of Solothurn will elect a new cantonal government and cantonal parliament. Three current members of the cantonal council from the FDP, Center Party and SP are standing for re-election. The FDP and the Greens want to defend their respective vacant seats.
As the party with the most voters, the SVP is hoping to win a seat on the five-member government council for the first time. It is sending cantonal councillor Sibylle Jeker into the race. The SP wants to win a second seat.
In the 100-member cantonal council, the SVP could become the largest parliamentary group in the election. The FDP has only had one more seat than the SVP since 2021.
Member of the Council of States running in Neuchâtel
On March 23, voters in the canton of Neuchâtel will elect a new government and a new parliament. Both the left-wing parties and the bourgeoisie have formed alliances for the State Council elections. The aim of the united left (SP, Greens, Labor Party) is to regain the majority in the five-member cantonal government lost in the last elections. To this end, the SP is sending the two incumbents Florence Nater and Frédéric Mairy into the race.
The Greens are relying on Céline Vara, a member of the Council of States, as a driving force. Her party colleague Christine Ammann Tschopp and Sarah Blum from the Party of Labor complete the list.
The two incumbents Laurent Favre and Crystel Graf from the FDP are on the election ticket for the conservative alliance. The list also includes the leader of the FDP parliamentary group in the Grand Council, Quentin Di Meo, Thierry Brechbühler from the SVP and Manon Freitag from the center. The Green Liberals are putting forward Maxime Rognon and Jessica Muriset for election.
Moutier votes with
The residents of Moutier are experiencing an unusual situation on October 19. Although the town will not officially become part of the canton of Jura until January 1, 2026, they, like the people of Jura, are called upon to take part in the election of the five members of the Jura cantonal government and parliament. Moutier forms its own constituency and is entitled to 7 of the 60 seats in the cantonal parliament.
There are currently two members each from the SP and the Center Party and one representative of the Christian Social Party on the State Council. The FDP and SVP would like to win one seat each, while the SP and the Center Party would like to retain their two seats.
By-elections in Glarus and Ausserrhoden
In Appenzell Innerrhoden, all members of the government have to stand for re-election every year at the Landsgemeinde at the end of April. One vacancy is known so far. The non-party member of the cantonal government Roland Inauen is not standing for re-election.
There are by-elections in Ausserrhoden and Glarus: on February 9, a vacant seat in the Ausserrhoden government will be filled. Barbara Giger-Hauser (non-party) and Susann Metzger (PU) are running to replace Alfred Stricker from the Association of Party Independents (PU).
On the same day, voters in the canton of Glarus will decide on Andrea Bettiga's successor. Due to the age limit in Glarus, the FDP politician will have to relinquish his office at the cantonal assembly in May. The Free Democrats are proposing Christian Marti, the former mayor of Glarus, as his successor.
©Keystone/SDA
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