In Sunday’s National Council elections, the urban-rural divide came to light: The SVP emerged as the strongest party in 15 cantons – though it achieved a majority there in only three cantonal capitals. Most are in SP hands.

In Frauenfeld, Herisau and Zug, a majority of eligible voters voted for the SVP, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). The voting behavior of these three main towns is congruent with that at cantonal level.

However, in the nine cities of Aarau, Bern, Chur, Fribourg, Liestal, Schaffhausen, Solothurn, St. Gallen and Zurich, the majority voted for the SP – at cantonal level, the majority there voted for the SVP in each case.

A similar thing happened in the cantons of Schwyz and Glarus: the cantonal majority voted for the SVP, while the main towns voted for the center. In the canton of Obwalden, the SVP also achieved a majority, according to FSO data. The main town of Sarnen, however, voted for the FDP by a majority. In Ticino, a majority voted for the FDP both at the cantonal level and in Bellinzona.

SP holds 15 of 26 main towns

The center party also won a majority in the cantons of Nidwalden, Valais, Uri and Appenzell Innerrhoden – including in their main towns – according to the FSO. The center national council candidate in Appenzell Innerrhoden, however, ran without competition. The majority in the canton of Lucerne also went to the center. In the city of Lucerne, however, most voted for the SP.

With the capitals of Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchâtel and Delsberg, where the SP also won a majority at the cantonal level, 15 of 26 cantonal capitals are in SP hands – but only five cantons. The bourgeois camp holds 16 cantons: 15 for the SVP, one for the FDP. The center achieved a majority in five cantons, according to FSO figures.

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