Geneva politician Maudet concedes to Green rival

Pierre Maudet speaking to the media after his defeat Keystone / Salvatore Di Nolfi

Pierre Maudet, the Geneva politician found guilty of accepting perks, has lost his bid for election to the Geneva cantonal government.

On Sunday afternoon he congratulated his opponent, Green Party candidate Fabienne Fischer, via an open letter, writing: “I take note of today’s result and the decision of the electorate and congratulate the Green candidate on her election. I sincerely thank the Genevans who have placed their trust in me”. Fischer received 45,198 votes; Maudet got 36,844.

Last month a Geneva court found Maudet guilty of accepting undue financial advantage linked to a visit to Abu Dhabi. It ordered him to pay a fine of CHF120,000 ($133,000) and to refund the costs of the trip, estimated at CHF50,000.

In October, Maudet announced his resignation from the Geneva government amid increasing pressure from his fellow government members and his political party. A former Radical Party member, Maudet ran as an independent candidate in Sunday’s bye-election.

The 43-year-old told reporters on Sunday that he plans to remain politically active. The former mayor of the city of Geneva was elected to the Geneva cantonal government in 2012. He was also a candidate for a seat in the Swiss government in 2017.