SVP President Tuena: “We don’t have to sugarcoat this defeat”
The SVP does not have to say goodbye to city politics. SVP President Mauro Tuena is convinced of this. “We now have to make policy for the people who elected us. But we don’t have to sugarcoat this defeat.”
The SVP lost three seats. However, this has nothing to do with the anti-cities campaign of the national SVP. “I think we clearly communicated that we were only criticizing the actions of the municipal parliaments and governments.”
Co-president of the SP does not see an election defeat
The SP only has 37 seats in the city parliament – fewer than in 1901. But SP co-president Oliver Heimgartner doesn’t want to know anything about a defeat. “The SP remains the strongest force and got a vote of confidence with 28 percent of the voters.”
The development in general is not nice, but not the worst possible, according to Heimgartner. The co-president does not believe that this result is now the receipt so that the SP does not become too powerful in the city.
Legend:
SP co-president Oliver Heimgartner (left) follows the elections in the town hall with other candidates and politicians.
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FDP President Burkart: “Complete election success”
Thierry Burkart, President of the FDP Switzerland, is pleased with the result of his party in the Zurich city parliament. The Liberals win an additional seat and provide 22 new municipal councillors
Winterthur: Everything stays the same in the city government
Michael Künzle (Die Mitte) remains the “city father” of Winterthur. The long-standing mayor secured 15,948 votes in today’s general renewal elections and is firmly in the saddle. His challenger and government colleague Kaspar Kopp from the SP lost by 10,980 votes. This means that an attack on Künzle fails again. The left has tried several times in the past to shake his seat – always without success.
Otherwise everything remains the same in the Winterthur city government. The seven previous city councilors were re-elected. In addition to Mayor Michael Künzle, these are Jürg Altwegg from the Greens, Kaspar Bopp, Christa Meier and Nicolas Galladé from the SP, Katrin Cometta from the GLP and Stefan Fritschi from the FDP. The three challengers lost.
Winterthur: Left attack on the city council fails.
AL disappointed in being voted out of city government
The Alternative List is not satisfied with the result of the city council elections. Group leader Andreas Kirstein says: “It was a wrong strategy from the left-green.” Walter Angst has now fallen victim to this policy. Of course, another SP politician is now represented on the city council, says Kirstein. But it was missed to snatch a seat from the FDP.
FDP City Councilor Michael Baumer: “I’m relieved”
The head of the industrial companies experienced an election thriller this afternoon: For a long time it was unclear whether he would manage his re-election. “I admit that I’m relieved after this emotional roller coaster ride,” says Michael Baumer after SRF. “But I’m also grateful that the voters have once again expressed their confidence in me for the next four years.” He is convinced that such important projects for the city of Zurich can be advanced.
Legend:
47-year-old Michael Baumer spent hours worrying about his re-election this afternoon.
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Young greener does not make it – respectable success or disappointment?
At almost 24 years old, Dominik Waser was the youngest candidate. He should win a third seat in the government of the city of Zurich for the Greens. Waser, known as a climate activist, achieved 35,678 votes and came in 11th place. He speaks of a success. “Our campaign did not live on money.”
Legend:
Dominik Waser admits to being a little disappointed: “It would have been nice if it had been enough.”
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Successful re-election despite Corona and Twitter abstinence
The Zurich social director Raphael Golta manages the re-election, but is not on site. The SP city council is in isolation because of its corona infection. Mayor Corine Mauch connected Golta to the smartphone via video call for the flower photo of the freshly elected entire committee. Golta also did not seem to rely on election campaigns via social media: his Twitter account has been orphaned since 2014.
Legend:
The new Zurich City Council is complete. SP city councilor Raphael Golta was connected via video call.
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Rule without consideration? This is how Corine Mauch reacted to the election result
Corine Mauch (SP), who ran without competition from the established parties, remains Mayor of Zurich. She also achieved the best result in the elections for the city government. “I’m extremely happy,” she said shortly after the results of the election for the city council were announced. “It’s a big vote of confidence,” says Mauch.
She is also pleased that her party managed to win back the fourth seat. Corine Mauch does not feel that the left-wing parties can continue to govern without regard for the others. “There have been dedicated discussions in the past – and there will be in the future.”
Great joy for the elected SP city councilor Simone Brander
The Zurich SP politician grabs the vacant seat from Richard Wolff (AL). The SP has thus regained its seat, which it lost to the GLP in the last elections. “It’s a great feeling to be elected,” Brander said shortly after her election. “I’m pleasantly surprised because I never expected sixth place.”
After counting the first constituencies, things looked good for Brander. “I experienced the day very positively – as did the whole election campaign.” With Brander’s election, the AL is no longer represented in the Zurich city government. Simone Brander has been a member of the Zurich City Parliament for the last twelve years.
Historical defeat for the SP in the Zurich municipal council
The Social Democrats are less well represented in the city of Zurich’s parliament than they have been in over 100 years. The SP lost 6 seats in the local council elections and still has 37 seats in the new parliament. The last time the party had fewer seats was in 1901.
The Social Democrats remain by far the party with the most votes. However, in districts 1 and 2, for example, they lose almost 6 percentage points compared to 2018 and still hold a 24.95 percent share of the voters in the old town and the Enge.
In addition, the SP can no longer boast of being number 1 in all constituencies. In constituency 7+8 it still comes to 23.84 percent (minus 3.51 percent). The FDP is now in front of her with a voter share of 26.70 percent.
Left-Green holds the majority in the City of Zurich Parliament
Despite the losses of SP and AL, nothing changes in the majorities in the municipal council of the city of Zurich: Thanks to the gains of the Greens, the left-green side of the council remains dominant – very narrowly.
SP, Greens and AL have held 69 seats so far, and now they have 63 seats. They still have the absolute majority in the 125-strong city parliament – as long as not a single member is absent from a council meeting. This corresponds to the previously published SRF trend analysis.
Red-Green holds the majority in Zurich City Parliament.
Election assessment by Zurich correspondent Anna Wepfer
“There was a big tug of war this afternoon for the ninth seat in the Zurich city government: FDP against AL, Michael Baumer against Walter Angst. It is now certain that Baumer secured the seat for his party and was thus able to prevent the great catastrophe for the proud Zurich free spirit. The previous city council is currently being besieged by the media in the town hall. »
Walter Angst on the AL election defeat: “We have not been able to defend the critical voice in the city council”
The Alternative List (AL) failed to hold the seat of outgoing City Councilman Richard Wolff. Walter Angst, who ran for the party, was not elected. He ended up with around 1200 votes fewer behind FDP City Councilor Michael Baumer.
“We did not succeed in defending the AL seat and thus the critical voice in the city council. However, we will continue to represent our politics clearly and without blah-blah in the municipal council,” Angst wrote on Twitter. He finds it bitter to be elected to the City Council of Zurich with 40,802 votes and an absolute majority, but to be eliminated.
The final result of the Zurich city council elections
All constituencies in the city of Zurich have been counted: the AL loses its only seat on the city council, while the SP is the beneficiary. Corine Mauch (SP), who ran without competition from the established parties, remains mayor.
Simone Brander (SP) took the vacant seat from Richard Wolff (AL). The SP has thus regained its seat, which it lost to the GLP in the last elections. The AL is no longer represented in the Zurich city government.
The FDP had to tremble at times: the previous city councilor Michael Baumer temporarily took 11th place during the counting of the constituencies. The turnout was similar to the last elections at 43.6 percent.
Now live: assessment of the Zurich elections in the stream
How does SRF correspondent Anna Wepfer assess the situation? Follow the assessment from the town hall here in the article in the live stream.
Baumer saves himself over the finish line
Since 1998, no previous city councilor in Zurich has been voted out. And it stays that way: FDP City Councilor Michael Baumer remains in the executive. He prevails just ahead of Walter Angst from the alternative list. SP candidate Simone Brander was confidently elected to the city council. Thus, the SP is again represented with four seats in the government of the city of Zurich.
Greens are now the third strongest force in the Zurich city parliament
The SP remains the strongest party in the Zurich city parliament, followed by the FDP. The Greens are now the third largest party in the municipal council. Balthasar Glättli, President of Green Switzerland and Zurich National Council, congratulates on Twitter.
Left-Green retains a wafer-thin majority in Zurich City Parliament
All constituencies have been counted: The red-green majority in the city parliament remains, but it is very narrow. SRF’s trend calculation shows that SP, Grüne and AL now hold 63 of 125 seats. So you are in the majority with one seat. So far, the left-wing parties have had a majority of 69 seats. The reason for the postponement lies with the Mitte party, which is moving back into the city parliament. She wins six seats at the expense of the left.
Final result will follow shortly
After counting 8 of the 9 constituencies, FDP City Councilor Michael Baumer would win re-election. New to the executive would be Simone Brander from the SP. The final result should be available in less than half an hour.