Historic election Angela Koller becomes the first woman Landammann in the Innerrhoden cantonal assembly
On Sunday, the cantonal assembly of Appenzell elected a woman to the office of mayor of Innerrhoden for the first time. The 41-year-old Angela Koller (center) succeeds Landammann and Education Director Roland Inauen (non-party).
27.04.2025, 14:00
27.04.2025, 19:41
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- Angela Koller has become the first woman to be elected as the standing mayor of Appenzell Innerrhoden.
- The 41-year-old centrist politician prevailed against three rivals.
- Koller succeeds Roland Inauen, who is currently the head of education.
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 (AVA). She will initially take over the office of the incumbent Landammann.
Roland Dähler (Department of Economic Affairs, non-partisan), who is currently a member of the Ethics Committee, was elected as the governing Landammann. The two Innerrhoden Landammänner alternate every two years as governing Landammann and standing Landammann.
Previous candidates win re-election easily
Another member of the AVA, 53-year-old Hans Dörig, was newly elected to the seven-member Ethics Committee on Sunday. He also prevailed against a candidate from the cantonal trade association, among others.
Dörig will take over the office of principal, as the head of the building and environment department in Appenzell Innerrhoden is known. The previous principal, Ruedi Ulmann (center), announced his resignation in February at the Landsgemeinde. He had been in office since 2017.
Governor Monika Rüegg Bless (AVA and center), who heads the Health and Social Department, and Treasurer Ruedi Eberle (SVP, Finance Department) were confirmed in office. Jakob Signer (non-party, Justice, Police and Military Department) and Stefan Müller (center, Agriculture and Forestry Department) were also easily re-elected.
Beat Jans as guest of honor
Together with his wife Tracy, SP Federal Councillor Beat Jans watched the Landsgemeinde from the VIP gallery. "In the 'Ring', democracy is direct and concrete - discussions can be tough, but never irreconcilable," wrote the head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police on Platform X about the Landsgemeinde.
In addition to Mr. and Mrs. Jans, several members of the Aargau government and the President of the Council of States Andrea Caroni (FDP, Appenzell Ausserrhoden) also attended the Landsgemeinde. Guests of honor from the military are also always present.
The two items of business at this year's Landsgemeinde were undisputed and passed without any problems. One of these was the partial revision of the Building Act. The aim of the revision is to simplify building procedures and approval processes.