Gains for SVP and losses for FDP in local elections in Valais
Published: Sunday, Oct 13th 2024, 23:10
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In Sunday's local elections in Valais, the SVP has moved into the executive of two more towns. It now sits in government in Sierre and Martigny. At cantonal level, the FDP lost ground and the center gained ground again.
The cantonal capital of Sion retains its composition with 3 representatives from the FDP, 3 from the center, 1 from the SVP and 1 from the Greens. Stability is also evident in Brig with 3 representatives from the center, 2 SVP, 1 FDP, 1 SP and in Visp with 6 representatives from the center, 1 FDP, 1 SP and 1 SVP.
In Sierre, the SVP enters the executive at the expense of the FDP (1), which loses another seat to the center (4), while the SP (2) and the Greens (1) retain their seats.
In Martigny, the SVP snatched one seat from the center (2), while the FDP retained its 5 seats and the SP its one seat in its stronghold.
In Monthey, the FDP wins a seat at the expense of the center. The town therefore has 4 representatives from the FDP, 2 from the SP, 1 from the center and two elected representatives from the Monthey Demain list, on which the outgoing SVP politician had stood as a candidate. Monthey Demain defines itself as a movement "without political labels or affiliations".
"Goal achieved"
The SVP made gains throughout the canton, particularly in the French-speaking part (+7 seats). It opened its doors to the cities, "our historic goal", and "strengthened its local roots", as the party put it.
The Centre du Valais romand (center), for its part, is "very satisfied" with its gain of 7 seats: "We are winning in municipalities where one would not have expected it, such as in Sierre, Crans-Montana or even Nendaz," explains Vincent Baud, Secretary General of the party. The Centre (ex-PDC) had counted in particular on its new name to regain momentum.
Losses for the FDP and the Left
The FDP has lost 15 seats in the French-speaking part of Valais. However, it remains well anchored in the towns of Martigny and Sion. It also managed to win a seat in Monthey.
"We are quite satisfied because we won seats where we wanted to," says President Vincent Pravato. At city level, the nasty surprise is in Sierre, where the FDP lost a seat. "We will analyze the reasons for this loss," he said.
In Nendaz, the defeat of Sarah Constantin, leader of the parliamentary group in the Grand Council, was a "big surprise", as the president of the SP of French-speaking Valais, Clément Borgeaud, explained.
The Greens keep
The Greens, who made a splash in 2020, held their own (-1). Co-President Philippe Cina is "satisfied" that they were able to "roughly" maintain the number of seats they won four years ago, even if "a more detailed analysis will undoubtedly show a decline in their share of the vote".
He was also "rather concerned" about the gains made by conservative forces, the center and the SVP. "The geopolitical climate is even influencing the municipal elections," he noted. In the end, the Green Liberal Party, the latest newcomer to the political scene in Valais, retained its two seats.
©Keystone/SDA
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