Marcel Dobler to leave National Council after 11 years

Swiss Liberal Democrat Marcel Dobler will leave the National Council after its December session, ending 11 years in federal politics, SRF reported on Friday. The St Gallen politician said he plans to pursue a new professional direction.

“The December session will be my last as a member of the National Council,” Dobler wrote on X. He said he would remain interested in politics but would follow future sessions “from the sidelines”. He has already informed the leadership of the St Gallen branch of the FDP, Switzerland’s Liberal Democratic Party, of his decision.

Dobler, 46, was elected in 2015 and said his original goal had been to serve for 10 years. He told Keystone-SDA that the time to leave had now come, though he would still be able to work on several matters before his departure. He has not yet settled on his next career move.

During his time in parliament, Dobler focused on digitalisation, security and health policy, the FDP St Gallen said. In 2017, he called for the introduction of an electronic identity card through a motion and also advocated measures to curb healthcare costs.

Andrea Abderhalden, the current president of the St Gallen cantonal parliament, will take his seat. The first-ranked substitute, Christof Züger, declined to take over for professional reasons. Abderhalden is expected to continue in her cantonal role until summer 2027.

Dobler is also known as a co-founder of Swiss online retailer Digitec, which later became Digitec Galaxus.