Petra Gössi Wins Swiss Council of States Seat, Replacing Waadtländer Representative
Published: Sunday, Oct 22nd 2023, 17:01
Back to Live Feed
In the Swiss canton of Schwyz, the former FDP party president Petra Gössi (FDP) was elected as the first female Ständerätin. She beat out the incumbent Othmar Reichmuth (Mitte). In the canton of Waadt, the SP gained a Ständeratssitz. So far, 20 cantons have been counted and 27 seats have been assigned. In addition to Petra Gössi, Nationalrat Pirmin Schwander (SVP) also moved to the small chamber, successfully defending the seat of the retiring Schwyzer SVP-Ständerats Alex Kuprecht. In the canton of Waadt, the Social Democrat Pierre-Yves Maillard was elected as the new Ständerat in the first round of voting, with FDP-man Pascal Broulis coming in second and having to go to a second round of voting on November 12th. In the canton of Neuenburg, the FDP lost a seat to the SP, with Baptiste Hurni (SP) taking the seat from Philippe Bauer (FDP). Bauer had been a Ständerat since 2019 and a member of the parliamentary investigation commission (PUK) for the CS-Notfusion. Céline Vara of the Greens, also elected in 2019, was re-elected. The races in Freiburg and the Valais are still open. Isabelle Chassot (Mitte/FR), president of the PUK for the CS-Notfusion, and Johanna Gapany (FDP/FR) must go to a second round of voting, as do the Valaisans Beat Rieder and Marianne Maret (both Mitte). The non-partisan Thomas Minder (SH), who has been politically active in the SVP faction for twelve years, is also hoping for re-election. The businessman, known as the "father of the Abzockerinitiative", came in behind the SP candidate and must go to a runoff. Hannes Germann (SVP/SH) was re-elected on the first try. In the canton of Aargau, FDP party president Thierry Burkart was re-elected. The seat of the retiring Hansjörg Knecht (SVP) has not yet been assigned. Benjamin Giezendanner (SVP) and Gabriela Suter (SP) are in the lead, with Marianne Binder-Keller (Mitte) in fourth place. In the canton of Solothurn, Pirmin Bischoff (Mitte) remains Ständerat. The second seat will be assigned later. SP National Councilor Franziska Roth is in the pole position, followed by Christian Imark of the SVP. Roberto Zanetti (SP) is no longer running. After the count in 20 cantons, the FDP and the Mitte party are neck and neck - both have nine seats secured. The FDP gained a mandate at the expense of the Mitte party. The SVP has four secured seats so far, the SP two and the Greens three. Eight Ständeratsmitglieder did not run for re-election. One seat is vacant: that of Marina Carobbio Guscetti (SP), who has been in the Ticino cantonal government since spring. On Sunday, 44 of the 46 Ständeratssitze were up for grabs, as Daniel Fässler (Mitte/AI) and Erich Ettlin (Mitte/OW) had already been elected. The second rounds of voting will take place between November 12th and 26th. Currently, the Mitte holds 14 seats in the Ständerat, the FDP 12, the SVP 7, the SP 6 and the Greens 5. Thomas Minder (SH) is non-partisan and politically active in the SVP faction.
©Keystone/SDA
English 
German 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic