Schaffhausen political affair surrounding Simon Stocker Thomas Minder decides against a comeback - his shadow remains
Following a decision by the Federal Supreme Court, Schaffhausen must repeat the Council of States election. Thomas Minder, known for his "rip-off" initiative, will not run again.
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- Because he was presumably not resident in the canton of Schaffhausen at the time of the election, SP politician Simon Stocker has been removed as a member of the Council of States.
- Stocker will run again in the new election on June 29, while the FDP is sending cantonal councillor Severin Brüngger into the race.
- Former member of the Council of States Thomas Minder is not running again, but is in the spotlight due to suspected links to the complaint against Stocker.
At the end of March, a political earthquake shook Bern: the Federal Supreme Court annulled the election of Schaffhausen SP politician Simon Stocker to the Council of States. The reason: at the time of his election, the 43-year-old was said to have lived mainly in Zurich and not in the canton of Schaffhausen.
A new election for the Council of States is now due to be held in Schaffhausen on June 29. It has been clear since last week that the SP will run again with Stocker, who claims to have resolved his legal residency problems in the meantime.
Stocker's nomination by the party should be a formality. As in 2023, he can probably count on broad support from the left-green camp.
Report: Minder renounces candidacy
The conservative parties are also joining forces in the election campaign. The FDP is running with 46-year-old pilot and cantonal councillor Severin Brüngger. The SVP supports his election and is not sending anyone into the race itself, especially as Hannes Germann, an SVP representative from Schaffhausen, is already a member of the Council of States.
Until now, the big unknown in Schaffhausen has been Thomas Minder. The father of the rip-off initiative surprisingly lost the 2023 election to Stocker and has since withdrawn from the public eye. He has now decided not to run again, as "Blick" reports, citing several sources. Minder himself has not yet responded to inquiries.
Trail leads to election loser
Explosive: the complainant who initiated Stocker's dismissal was a sympathizer and campaign supporter of Thomas Minder. Research by "SonntagsBlick" has also revealed that the legal fees for the proceedings went to Claudio Kuster, a close confidant of Minder.
Kuster denies any connection to the invoices, which amount to around CHF 20,000. However, the revelations fuel the suspicion that the complainant is merely a front man. It is also unclear whether there is a connection with the media coverage and Minder's decision not to stand for election. Either way, it seems that Thomas Minder will not be making a political comeback in Bern.
