Friedli candidacy could cost Romandie a second cabinet seat
Friday 9th October 2026 on 06:01 in
Switzerland
A possible bid by St. Gallen senator Esther Friedli for a seat in Switzerland’s Federal Council could put eastern Switzerland in competition with Romandie, SRF reports. If elected, Friedli would leave the French-speaking region with one seat instead of two.
Friedli has not said whether she will run to succeed Guy Parmelin. On Thursday, as the OLMA, an agricultural fair in eastern Switzerland, opened in St. Gallen, she said she would focus on the event and its 11 days of activities. She and her husband, Toni Brunner, run a restaurant at the fair.
St. Gallen SVP president and National Council member Walter Gartmann said Friedli’s candidacy was being discussed with her and the cantonal party. The party plans to nominate a candidate on October 21.
If elected, Friedli would serve alongside fellow St. Gallen politician Karin Keller-Sutter, a member of the Federal Council for the FDP. Political scientist Adrian Vatter of the University of Bern said that would pose a potential challenge: the Federal Council has previously had two representatives from the large cantons of Bern and Zurich, but never from a medium-sized canton.
Geneva’s Céline Amaudruz, vice-president of the national SVP and a director at a private asset manager, is considered the strongest SVP prospect from Romandie. The region has had two Federal Council members since 1970. Kevin Grangier, the SVP’s coordinator for French-speaking Switzerland, argues that this reflects its share of the population: about 25 per cent, corresponding to two seats.
Vatter said language was more important than canton of origin in assessing regional representation. Mobility has increased, he said, while identification with individual cantons has declined.
SRF political correspondent Andy Müller noted that some German-speaking parliamentarians believe Romandie’s representation could instead be addressed if Ticino Federal Council member Ignazio Cassis steps down. They expect Cassis to leave after his presidential year in 2027, potentially making way for a French-speaking successor. The FDP has urged the SVP to include candidates from Romandie on its ticket, as a German-speaking successor to Parmelin could make it difficult for the FDP to avoid choosing a French-speaking successor to Cassis.