President of Swiss People’s Party to stand down
Marco Chiesa, president of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, will not stand for re-election at the end of his term of office in March 2024.
“I had a mission. And it has been fulfilled,” said the Ticino native, who was elected party president in 2020.
The People’s Party’s selection committee had already begun its work, Chiesa, 49, said in an interview with CH Media and Corriere del Ticino on Thursday. He was convinced that the time was right for him to step down as party president. “The aim of my term in office was to win the elections and strengthen the politics and values of the People’s Party.” He had succeeded in doing so, he said.
His party gained nine seats in the federal elections in October, achieving the third-best result in its history, Chiesa said. “We still have potential in many areas, but we are in a good position.”
+ Elections 2023: Swiss parliament shifts to the right
Chiesa, who was confirmed as a member of the Senate in Ticino in November, said he would not disappear after his position as party president. “I will open new chapters in my life.” He said he is also the owner of a trust company and has set up a foundation that manages crèches. However, unlike his party colleagues Albert Rösti and Ueli Maurer, he is not drawn to the federal government. “Becoming a Federal Councillor is not a personal goal of mine,” he said.
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