- Peter Riebli has been elected as the new president of the Baselbieter SVP.
- This means that the party is likely to continue on an opposition course, thereby putting civil cooperation at risk.
- Riebli is considered a supporter of Sarah Regez, who is criticized for not clearly distancing herself from right-wing radical positions.
The presidential election was awaited with great excitement. Despite musical entertainment and appropriate food for the occasion, potato salad with SVP sausages, the tension was high. The power struggle has taken a toll on the party in recent weeks.
Riebli now received 180 of a total of 313 votes cast at the meeting in Aesch. Johannes Sutter received 130 votes. Three votes were invalid.
A dispute over direction has been raging in the Baselbieter SVP for months. Since the SVP was kicked out of the cantonal government at the beginning of 2023, the party has had to face the question of whether it wants to continue to support the state or whether it wants to take on the opposition role entirely.
This would also jeopardize the SVP’s long-standing civil cooperation, the dominant political force in the canton.
The dispute over the direction divides Baselbieter SVP into two camps
The dispute over direction was fought between the moderate wing around former party president Dominik Straumann and Johannes Sutter. He ran for the election with the promise of getting everyone back on the same boat.
Legend:
Johannes Sutter, mayor of Arboldswil (BL), emphasizes that he does not belong to any camp.
Keystone/GEORGIOS KEFALAS
The 51-year-old wanted to make Basel’s largest party a reliable partner in the civil alliance again with constructive politics. He also wanted to lead the SVP back into government.
Riebli: Supporter of the controversial strategy chief of the Young SVP Switzerland
The challenger Peter Riebli is one of the leading figures of the right wing of the party. In 2015 he was elected to the cantonal parliament and took over the parliamentary group presidency four years later.
Legend:
After the scandal in the district administrator, the deposed parliamentary group leader Peter Riebli now wants to become president of the Baselbieter SVP.
Keystone/Keystone/GEORGIOS KEFALAS
The deposed parliamentary group leader is considered a supporter of Sarah Regez. The Baselbieter strategy chief of the Junge SVP is criticized because she met with right-wing radicals and then did not explicitly distance herself from their positions.
Party leaders support Riebli
The party’s governing bodies need people who would pursue clear and pointed policy for the good of the population and who would be prepared to occasionally leave their comfort zone to do so, it said in the announcement announcing Riebli’s candidacy. This was written by party greats such as District Administrator Caroline Mall, National Councilor Thomas de Courten, the former National Councilor Caspar Baader and the former government councilor Thomas Weber.
Legend:
Sarah Regez (Young SVP Baselland) is one of the numerous speakers and speaks out in favor of Riebli.
Keystone/Georgios Kefalas
Most of the numerous prominent speakers at the meeting also spoke out in favor of Riebli.