Municipal elections Civic parties win parliamentary elections in three St. Gallen towns

The elections in the three city parliaments of St. Gallen, Gossau and Wil have resulted in gains for the conservative parties. The SVP gained one seat in each of the three towns. The FDP also recorded a positive result. The SP and the Greens lost seats.

In the city of St. Gallen, the FDP emerged as the big winner of the parliamentary elections. The Free Democrats gained four seats. With 15 seats, including one for the Young Party, they are the second strongest force behind the SP. The Social Democrats lost two seats and, together with the Young Party, still have 16 seats. The SVP gained one seat in the cantonal capital.

The rise of the Free Democrats in the canton of St. Gallen was dampened in the city parliament of Wil. The FDP lost two seats there. There were seat shifts in favor of the center. This party gained two additional seats and, together with the SVP (+1 seat), is the strongest force in parliament with ten seats each. The SP and the Greens each lost one seat.

The SVP also gained one seat in the municipal elections in Gossau. This was at the expense of the center.

Across all three municipal parliaments in the canton of St. Gallen, the SVP thus won three additional seats and the FDP two. The positive balance of one seat gain overall was achieved by the center. The situation was different for the left-green party: the SP lost three parliamentary seats in the canton, the Greens two and the Green Liberals one.

Rapperswil-Jona, the second-largest town in the canton of St. Gallen, has no parliament. According to the Swiss Association of Municipalities, it is the largest town in Switzerland with a citizens' assembly.