Dana Zemp against her old boss: from the fight against Corona to the government council of St. Gallen

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The annual horoscope of Dana Zemp (53) said something about “professional changes”. Lucky: The SVP politician – zodiac sign Aquarius – wants to move into the governing council of St. Gall on March 3. She reads her horoscope every day. But the horoscope is still not a good omen. “That happens every year,” she says, laughing.

Zemp is a well-known face in the canton of St. Gallen. During the corona pandemic, as a canton doctor she advised the government and took part in media conferences when unpopular measures were announced.

The federal government had decided

If you talk to her about that time today, Zemp feels pushed into the wrong role. “The pandemic period was very difficult for all of us. Fear and anger dominated daily life. A false image of our decision-making power was conveyed – that was always at the political level,” she says. The canton had little room to maneuver, for example when it came to restaurant closures.

Zemp, together with health director Bruno Damann (66), advocated a relatively less drastic course. She needed to hear that she had accepted deaths. Nevertheless, those opposed to the measure protested. Now the people of St. Gall must elect the SVP into the government.

New member wants to become a government councilor

The SVP must defend the vacant seat of outgoing government councilor Stefan Kölliker (53). At the same time, the party wants to obtain a second seat. SP government councilor Fredy Fässler (64) is also resigning. That is why the SVP is porting a second candidate, Christof Hartmann (47). The SP is trying to defend its seat with faction leader Bettina Surber (42).

Given this starting position, it will be difficult for Zemp to get the seat. Moreover, she has only been an SVP member since October. 17 years ago she stood as a candidate for the then CVP for the Zurich canton council. Furthermore, Dana Zemp has no direct political experience: “I have been working closely with politicians for more than twenty years, have reported directly to the government council members for most of the time and know the governance and political processes.”

She says she brought the security policy to the SVP. “This is very important to me and the SVP is more determined here than the center party.” In an earlier interview with the “St. Galler Tagblatt said that she did not rule out that a candidacy for the center party would also have been conceivable.

Grew up in Poland and Libya

The current SVP member grew up in Poland and Libya. She came to Switzerland at the age of eleven. “I want to be an ambassador for inclusion,” she explains. “For me, integration is a form of gratitude towards the country of immigration.” She has never experienced any form of xenophobia in Switzerland. That is why she fears no disadvantages for the SVP voters.

But Zemp is not a typical SVP politician. Two years ago, she told St. Galler Tagblatt” that she was only hiring women in the cantonal doctor’s office. However, she later explained that only women had signed up. Now she no longer wants to comment on the subject. “It was eventually discussed in the canton council and it was still discussed,” she tells Blick.

Worked with Cassis

But how did Zemp end up at the SVP? According to the candidate, they brought SVP personalities such as State Councilor Esther Friedli (46) to the party. But she also knows political celebrities from other parties well. She even worked with FDP Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (62) in the canton of Ticino. But she received no tips for the election campaign. “But he knows about my candidacy and is happy that I want to contribute to democracy in Switzerland.”

Zemp’s success would be a surprise, but not impossible. The SVP must be able to defend the seat of the retiring Kölliker. But her rival Christof Hartmann has been in parliament for a long time and chaired the Finance Committee and is considered well connected. But he recently had to appear in court for allegedly abusing his office when he was deputy mayor of Walenstadt SG. Hartmann was acquitted, but because an appeal has been lodged, the last word has not yet been said.

For the SVP to win two seats, it must either steal the vacant seat from the SP or a former government councilor must be voted out. That’s unlikely. But if there is a vote, health director Bruno Damann – who has been criticized for his hospital policies – could be affected. The man who sat with Zemp at the Corona media conferences.

Source:Blick