Former highest Swiss woman Aargau FDP National Councillor Maja Riniker wants to join the government
Aargau FDP National Councillor Maja Riniker wants to run for the vacant FDP seat on the Aargau cantonal government. The former President of the National Council announced her willingness to stand as a candidate to the FDP. Other politicians had previously declined.
18.05.2026, 08:32
18.05.2026, 09:10
SDA
The almost 48-year-old politician announced her candidacy on the Linkedin portal on Monday. Riniker has been a member of the National Council since 2019. She was elected President of the National Council in December 2024. Councillor of States Thierry Burkart previously decided not to run for the seat of government.
If Riniker were to be elected to the Government Council, her seat in the National Council would become vacant. In the last National Council election in October 2023, the FDP defended both of its seats: Riniker and Matthias Samuel Jauslin were re-elected. However, Jauslin left the FDP in January 2025 and joined the GLP as an environmental politician.
Jauslin had outperformed his internal party rival, Councillor Adrian Schoop, by just 90 votes in 2023. Schoop, from Ostaargau, is on the right fringe of the FDP. He is in first place for the National Council.
Government councillor steps down after 13 years
The replacement election for the vacant seat on the five-member cantonal government council is necessary because Landammann Stephan Attiger (FDP) announced on 6 May that he would be stepping down at the end of December. The government council currently consists of two members of the SVP and one member each from the FDP, Center Party and SP.
It is still unclear when the replacement election for the vacant government seat will take place. The State Chancellery of Aargau has not yet given a date.
