Municipal Elections in Thun Set Executive and Parliamentary Seats in Play Again

Voters in Thun are heading to the polls in late November for municipal general elections to select the city’s executive council and parliament. The vote takes place four months after a July by-election triggered by the departure of long-serving Mayor Raphael Lanz, who joined the Bern cantonal government in the spring. Executive Mayor Eveline Salzmann of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), who won the mayoral runoff in July against Green Party candidate Andrea de Meuron, faces no challenger for the presidency. She will be declared elected without a vote provided she retains her seat on the executive council.

A total of 27 candidates, comprising 14 women and 13 men, are competing for the five seats on the executive council, including all five sitting members. The current council consists of two representatives from the Social Democratic Party (SP), two from the SVP, and one from the Green Party. The left-green majority was restored in July when SP member Claudius Domeyer won the vacant seat. The SVP and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) are attempting to reclaim a seat, while a combined list formed by Green Liberal, Evangelical People’s, Federal Democratic Union, Centre, and independent candidates aims to capture one to two executive positions.

Policy debates in the campaign center on local infrastructure and housing supply. Thun currently records a housing vacancy rate of 0.08 percent, the lowest among Swiss cities. Incumbent SP councillor Katharina Ali-Oesch has stated her focus will be on accelerating planned residential building projects, while her party colleague Claudius Domeyer intends to introduce regulations on short-term holiday rentals.

Traffic management remains another major campaign topic due to regular congestion in the city center and along the right bank of Lake Thun. Incumbent SVP councillor Reto Schertenleib has outlined plans to expand cycling infrastructure across the municipality. Green councillor Andrea de Meuron prioritises development projects surrounding the main railway station to address local transport demands.

For the 40-seat city council, all sitting members are standing for re-election across three principal electoral alliances. The right-leaning alliance features the SVP, FDP, and Democratic Alternative, while the SP, Greens, and Young Greens form a second bloc. A third alliance brings together the Green Liberals, The Centre, the list of independents, the Evangelical People's Party, and the Federal Democratic Union.

Written by Thorben Thiede thorben.thiede@alpineweekly.com