Who will be the new SVP president?: Crown favorite Dettling shows interest in succeeding Chiesa

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‘I had an assignment. And we succeeded,” says Marco Chiesa (49), who announces his resignation as SVP party chairman. “The purpose of my term was to win the elections and strengthen the policies and values ​​of the SVP.” That worked, says the Ticino resident. He will not stand for re-election next spring; someone else has to take over. But who could take over?

No one has officially registered their candidacy yet, but the SVP search committee has already begun its work. And yet there are already some interested parties.

Marcel Dettling (42) is considered the crown favorite. The Landraad member and farmer from Oberiberg SZ led the SVP to success as campaign leader in the national elections and is also strongly involved in the party as one of the three vice-presidents. There are voices within the party who say that Dettling has already de facto led the party. Four years ago he was already considered a top favorite to succeed Albert Rösti (56), but ultimately declined. Now he tells Blick: “It is an exciting job, I am looking forward to it and will think carefully about my candidacy.” Unlike four years ago, he can now better estimate what such an agency entails; in fact, he has gained experience in recent years as vice president and especially as campaign manager. The party leadership committee is a great team. “Everyone is on board, as we saw in the election.” His children are also a bit older now, says Dettling. “I will now discuss it with my family and friends and then decide.”

• Céline Amaudruz (44): She is an asset manager, national councilor, chair of the SVP of Geneva and vice-chair of the SVP Switzerland – and since this year also a mother. She will also have good opportunities if she is interested in the presidency. And she knows how to fill vacancies: Amaudruz supported the campaign of Guy Parmelin (64) for the Federal Council in 2015. A little later, Parmelin became a federal councilor.
• Mike Egger (31): The National Council of St. Gallen can imagine a candidacy for the presidency, as he said: “20 minutes”. He sees this as an exciting and demanding task with great appeal. Under the motto ‘Never say never’, he will seriously think about it in the near future.
• Esther Friedli (46): The state councilor from the canton of St. Gallen is said to have good qualifications to take over the party chairmanship. The crucial question, however, is whether she wants to do this. Her partner Toni Brunner (49) held the demanding job between 2008 and 2016. So she knows what to expect. Friedli is also said to have ambitions from the Federal Council.

• Franz Grüter (60): The National Council of Lucerne and IT entrepreneurs are also participating. On “20 Minutes,” he said, “If I were asked, I would definitely think about it.” But not without emphasizing that the position of party chairman is a demanding task. Grüter is a member of the party leadership and the party leadership committee.

• Thomas Aeschi (44): The Zug National Council is one of the most influential SVP politicians in parliament. He has just been confirmed as party leader of the SVP for another two years. In 2015, Aeschi was officially nominated as a candidate for the Federal Council, but Guy Parmelin won the race. When asked by Blick, Aeschi said he was part of the search committee for Chiesa’s successor and largely wanted to remain that way. “We have a broad and good selection of possible candidates,” says Aeschi.
• Christiaan Imark (41): The father of the family is president of the SVP of the Canton of Solothurn and was elected to the National Council in 2015. He also built an SME in the event/tent rental sector. Imark is considered a rhetorical hardliner who often opts for clear words. This is not just a bad thing in his party. And anyone who wants to set the tone as future party chairman will not follow a cuddly course. His rejection shows that he can do something else: “I just watched my children play, I would like to be able to do that in the future,” he says about his negative answer to Blick.

Depending on the SVP’s strategy, other candidates may also be considered. Possible successors can nominate until January 19, 2024. SVP Switzerland delegates will ultimately elect the new president at their regular meeting on March 23, 2024 in Bern.

Source:Blick