Elections: Geneva moves to the right

Over the weekend Geneva’s commune elections took place. These elections select municipal leaders and occur every five years. If a workable majority is not elected in the first round there is a second round vote, this time scheduled for 10 May 2015. According to the Tribune de Genève, 30 first round commune votes were definitive while 15 require a second round vote.

Foreigners who have lived in Switzerland for 8 years are able to vote in these elections. To encourage voting the canton launched a campaign under the slogan: “j’ai 8 ans, je vote dans ma commune” (I’m 8, I vote in my commune).

In the commune Ville de Genève, containing around 40% of the canton’s population, the parties on the left lost two seats to those on the right. Gainers and losers on the right were the PDC (+4) and the UDC (-2), a net gain of 2. Gainers and losers on the left were the Socialists (+3), the Greens (-3) and Ensemble à Gauche (-2), a net loss of 2.

The frontalier flustered party MCG, headed by the colourful Eric Stauffer, who never seems to miss an opportunity to make a fuss about cross-border workers, gained little ground.

The Tribune de Genève gives a full run down of the results by commune.