Seven cantons will renew their governments and parliaments in 2024
Published: Friday, Dec 29th 2023, 09:10
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General elections will be held in seven cantons in 2024. Voters in Aargau, Basel-Stadt, St. Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Thurgau and Uri will elect new governments and parliaments. The first elections will be held on March 3 in St. Gallen, Uri and Schwyz.
There are two vacancies in the seven-member St. Gallen government due to the resignations of Fredy Fässler (SP) and Stefan Kölliker (SVP). The SVP previously had one seat in the government. The FDP, Center Party and SP each hold two seats. With Danuta Zemp and Cantonal Councillor Christof Hartmann, the SVP is sending two candidates into the race. Their declared aim is to win a second seat at the expense of the SP.
The Social Democrats want to defend their second seat alongside incumbent Laura Bucher with Bettina Surber. The Centre Party and FDP are standing for re-election with their existing candidates. The Greens are also running with Daniel Bosshard. And the GLP is sending Sarah Noger-Engeler into the race. The St. Gallen electorate will also appoint a new cantonal parliament on March 3, 2024.
Only men in government in Uri
Uri is also electing its parliament, the cantonal council, and the cantonal government. In addition to the five incumbents, at least six more people are standing. Among the newcomers are three women: Céline Huber (center), Petra Muheim (FDP) and Luzia Gisler (GLP). The current government is an all-male affair.
In the canton of Schwyz, the seven members of the government, who all belong to the three bourgeois parties SVP, Mitte and FDP, are standing for re-election. The incumbents are André Rüegsegger, Herbert Huwiler, Xaver Schuler (all SVP), Michael Stähli, Sandro Patierno (both Center) as well as Petra Steimen and Damian Meier (FDP). What is known so far is that the SP will try to win back the seat it lost in 2012.
Two new members for the Thurgau government
In Thurgau, two incumbents have already decided not to stand for re-election in the government renewal elections on April 7, 2024. Councillors Cornelia Komposch (SP) and Monika Knill (SVP) will not be standing again.
Sonja Wiesmann (57), the mayor of Wigolting, and Barbara Dättwyler (49), a Frauenfeld city councillor, have registered their interest within the SP as candidates for the cantonal government. The SP will make its nomination decision at the party conference on January 11, 2024. The elections to the cantonal parliament are also scheduled for April 7, 2024.
The five-member government council in the canton of Schaffhausen will be elected on August 18. The SP and SVP currently hold two seats each and the FDP one seat. The general election for the Cantonal Council will take place on September 22.
Bourgeois attack in Basel
On October 20, the general elections for the cantonal government and the Grand Council will take place in Basel-Stadt. There are seven seats to be filled in the executive and 100 seats in parliament. Prior to this, on March 3, the electorate will have already decided on the successor to Federal Councillor Beat Jans.
The SP wants to defend Jans' seat with former National Councillor Mustafa Atici, but is under attack from the Greens, who are running with Grand Councillor Jérôme Thiriet. And the FDP, LDP, Center Party and SVP are joining forces to attack the SP seat. They are standing for the executive with Luca Urgese (FDP)
Only men in Aargau government too
On October 20, the people of Aargau will also determine the composition of the cantonal government and the cantonal parliament after four years. The five-member executive will be made up exclusively of men.
More excitement is on the horizon for the new election of the 140-member, conservative-dominated Aargau Grand Council. The GLP and Greens made gains in the last election. The SP and SVP lost seats. With 43 seats, the SVP is the largest parliamentary group, with the SP in second place with 23 seats.
And elections are also being held in the canton of Glarus: The successor to the government. Last October, voters sent the incumbent cantonal councillor Benjamin Mühlemann (FDP) to the Council of States. His replacement for the cantonal executive will be elected on March 3. The FDP wants to defend the seat with Roger Schneider, but is being challenged by the SVP's Thomas Tschudi.
As every year, the government of Appenzell Innerrhoden (Standeskommission) is elected at the Landsgemeinde in spring. According to the Innerrhoden Council Chancellery, there have been no known resignations from the Standing Committee to date.
In the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, the next general elections for the government and parliament are scheduled for 2027. And in French-speaking Switzerland, no cantonal elections are planned for 2024; according to the authorities, none are expected for Ticino either.
©Keystone/SDA
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