Delegates have decided: Filippo Leutenegger is the new FDP president of Zurich

class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 fmXrkB”>

Filippo Leutenegger, former federal councilor and current FDP municipal councilor of Zurich, should get the cantonal FDP out of the valley of tears. The delegates elected the almost 71-year-old as the new president on Tuesday. But he will not hold office alone.

The deputies elected Leutenegger together with the FDP canton councilor Raffaela Fehr and Matthias Müller, the president of the Young Liberals of Switzerland. In the future, the Zurich Freisinn will be led by a trio. The transfer of office will take place in December. The previous president, Hans-Jakob Boesch, led the FDP since 2016.

The decision for “Team Filippo” was extremely clear: it received 171 votes. However, the rival team consisting of former Avenir Suisse boss Peter Grünenfelder and Thalwil city councilor Thomas Henauer received only 63 votes.

“Now you have to get up and work”

Leutenegger submitted his candidacy shortly after the elections. “We are in a valley of tears, we have lost,” he said. “Now you have to get up and work.” But he did not want to take over the presidency alone, so he asked Fehr and Müller. Now he is “the silverback who takes two cubs.”

There are currently many construction sites in Zurich’s free spirit: the list connection with the SVP caused a deep rift within the party. Leutenegger described this list connection on Tuesday as “not happy”. That yielded nothing at the ballot box. It has also not been worn internally.

Zurich’s FDP has lacked success for a long time. The most recent defeat was the loss of the seat of the Council of States, which the FDP had occupied continuously for forty years.

FDP candidate Regine Sauter withdrew after the first round of voting in favor of SVP candidate Gregor Rutz. With hardliner Rutz, the SVP only captured the SVP electorate. GLP national councilor Tiana Angelina Moser was ultimately elected.

(SDA)

Source:Blick