"I have to protect myself" Co-President of the Young EPP resigns after threats from within her own ranks

Lea Blattner, Co-President of the Young EPP Switzerland, resigns after massive hostility and threats. The rejection came not only anonymously, but also from within her own party ranks.

On Monday morning, Lea Blattner, Co-President of the Young EPP, announced her resignation. She is not only resigning from the co-presidency, but is also leaving the board of the parent party and the cantonal party EVP Baselland. The reason: rejection, hatred - and specific threats from within her own ranks.

In April 2023, Blattner came out publicly as a lesbian - a step she took deliberately to create visibility. But instead of support, she experienced a wave of hostility. "I experienced a lot of hatred," she tells watson. Particularly painful: the negative reactions came not only anonymously via social media, but also directly from the EPP base. She was shunned at events, greeted with silence or observed whispering.

The young politician speaks openly about the psychological strain: the situation has left her "exhausted and broken in parts". In an emotional statement on social media, she writes: "I owe it to myself to protect myself."

Threatening letters with threats of violence

The low point: two anonymous threatening letters that landed in her letterbox - the second just last week. The content, which watson has obtained, contains not only insults but also explicit threats of violence. Blattner wants to press charges.

While she received support from the board of the Young EPP, the parent party was overwhelmed by the situation. "I would have liked to see the party take action and pursue a zero-tolerance policy," she says.

Not a final farewell

Despite everything, she will remain a member of the EPP for the time being. Her resignation will become official at the general meeting in April. And Blattner is not ruling out a return to office - on one condition: The party would have to deal honestly with the issue of queer hostility.

Her appeal is clear: "The EPP must do better next time so that another queer party member doesn't have to experience the same thing as me."

Juso Switzerland reacts to resignation

JUSO Switzerland has reacted with great dismay to the resignation of Lea Blattner from the co-presidency of the Young Swiss EPP. The departure of the young politician is an alarm signal - far beyond party boundaries.

Since coming out last year, Blattner has been subjected to massive anti-queer hatred within her own party, emphasizes the JUSO. For the JUSO, it is clear that this must not simply be accepted. In a statement, it unequivocally calls on the EVP Switzerland to fully investigate the incidents, to actively combat queer hostility within its own structures and to draw consistent personnel and structural conclusions.