2023 – Elections Canton of Bern – Beaming faces left and right

The SVP and SP win in the canton of Bern. The FDP’s list connection with the SVP did more harm than good.

The two major pole parties, SVP and SP, are among the winners in the National Council elections in the canton of Bern. The SVP can not only replace three resignations, but also gain one seat. Compared to the last elections in 2019, the SP also gained one seat.

The seat gains will most likely come at the expense of the FDP and the Greens. The FDP’s list connection with the larger SVP probably did more harm than good. The Freisinn lost its second seat extremely narrowly.

Long faces at the FDP

That’s why there were long faces for FDP candidate Sandra Hess. This was actually supposed to replace Christa Markwalder, who no longer ran in these elections. If the Nidau ​​​​mayor runs for the Council of States in the second ballot, she still has the opportunity to move from the municipal and cantonal level to the national political stage.

There were also long faces among the SP men in the Bern town hall. The trend of women being elected in the SP continued this time after the 2019 elections. That’s why trade unionist Adrian Wüthrich didn’t make it back to the National Council in these elections either.

SP struck a chord with voters

The current climate of topics has had a significant impact on the elections in the canton of Bern. The SVP reached the electorate because of the wars in Ukraine and Israel, and there was also the pressure in the refugee area. The SP, for its part, struck a chord with voters when prices and health insurance premiums rose with the topic of “strengthening purchasing power”.