Swiss canton elects first woman council chief

Innerrhoden Landsgemeinde elects first woman Landammann Keystone-SDA

The Swiss canton of Appenzell Inner Rhodes has for the first time elected a woman as head of the local government.

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Angela Koller will succeed Roland Inauen as Landammann (equivalent to mayor) and director of education following the council vote on Saturday.

Angela Koller prevailed against three competitors. While two of them received significantly fewer votes, it was closer between Koller and the candidate of the important cantonal trade association. In the end, however, Koller also prevailed against Pius Federer.

She is a lawyer and has been a politician on the cantonal council for several years. Like Inauen, she is a member of the influential Appenzell Employees’ Association. She will initially take over the office of standing mayor.

Roland Dähler (Department of Economic Affairs), who is currently a member of the Ethics Committee, was elected as the governing Landammann. The two cantonal officials alternate every two years as governing Landammann and standing Landammann.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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