Critic of high manager salaries enters Senate
The centre-right Radical Party has lost two seats in a first series of run-off elections to the 46-member Senate.
One seat went to the centre-right Christian Democrats in canton Thurgau, while the other was clinched by a prominent independent candidate, Thomas Minder, in canton Schaffhausen.
The businessman is well-known for launching an initiative opposing high manager salaries.
In canton Vaud, the incumbent representatives from the centre-left Social Democrats and the Greens were re-elected as senators.
Run-off ballots became necessary in 11 out of the 26 cantons as candidates failed to win an absolute majority.
Sunday’s vote run-offs came in the wake of the October 23 parliamentary elections which saw the small centre-right parties winning ground at the expense of the centre-right Radicals and the Christian Democrats as well as the rightwing Swiss People’s Party.
Further votes are scheduled over the next three weekends.
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