Cantonal Elections in Basel: A Tipping Point or Just a Stumble? Let’s Dive In!
Well folks, it’s that time again—when the good people of Basel-Stadt get to flex their civic muscles and make some big decisions. But here’s the kicker: is the undeniably left-leaning Basel about to trip over itself and tumble to the right? Or are we all just overthinking it as per usual? Let’s chew on this, shall we?
First up, mark your calendars—this Sunday, October 20th, the Grand Council, the Government Council, and those oh-so-important Regional Council seats are being reshuffled like a deck of cards after a bad poker game. Seven seats in the city government and a sprawling one hundred in the Grand Council are up for grabs, because who doesn’t love a little competitive drama in politics?
Now, before you start dreaming about milestones in civic engagement—take a gander at that 45.5% voter turnout as of Friday! Last time, that number was barely creeping along. It’s like a retirement home sprinting for ice cream on a summer day! So, will that enthusiasm translate into something more than just waving around their voting cards?
One question is on everyone’s lips: Could it be that the illustrious right-wing SVP is no longer just the grimacing villain, but a contender ready to swoop in and take advantage of this fervent electorate? They’re clearly doubling down on the security policy, but whether that trickle-down charisma can actually win them seats? Now that’s a tension-filled thriller waiting to unfold!
The left-green coalition—zen and collective—has pledged to regain that seat they tossed away like an old sock back in 2020. They’re bringing back old favorites like Kaspar Sutter (SP) and Tanja Soland (SP), and let’s not forget newcomer Mustafa Atici (SP), who has only recently been approved for public service without any background checks! They’ll be up against the Bourgeois, who seem to channel their inner Avengers with their newly cooked-up alliance featuring SVP. It’s almost like a political episode of ‘Survivor’—they either work together or get voted off the island! Ah, the sweet, sweet drama of it all!
Interestingly, we have the GLP—the Switzerland of politics, you see—treading lightly as Esther Keller, the lone ranger of the GLP, isn’t tied to any of these partisan shenanigans. She’s running unencumbered, while everyone else seems to be vying for alliances as if they’ve just been cast in a high school play. “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, and what party are you in?” Let’s hope there’s not dramatic irony at this very crucial juncture!
And let’s talk numbers! A spectacularly impressive 870 candidates are clamoring for those shiny Grand Council seats—up 9.3% from 2020—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. With 48 seats in their pocket, the Left-Greens might be looking a bit too comfortable on their Saturday night couch. But don’t count them in; the Bourgeois aren’t far behind with 43! Smooth sailing or turbulent waters, it all hinges on what happens in that GLP-dominated gray area—a veritable ‘political blender’ of ambiguity!
What will this new “separate but equal” tactic amongst the left-wing parties yield? For the first time in 20 years, they’re running separately after playing nice as the Green-Alternative Alliance. Will it help them rise from the ashes or just leave them gasping for air in the electoral fishbowl? Who knows? But one thing’s for sure—this little political experiment is about to be the most exhilarating soap opera of 2024!
As the candidates go all out with mailers, door-to-door campaigns, sunflower handouts, and telemarketing that would make any call center weep with envy—one can only wonder: will all this hustle pay off? We’ll have to keep our eyes peeled come 12 noon on Sunday to see those interim results, and then until 9 PM for the full cinematic experience of electoral results. Buckle up, politics lovers—it’s going to be a wild ride!
Published19. October 2024, 05:03
Cantonal elections: High voter turnout, is left-wing Basel tipping to the right?
There will be elections in Basel-Stadt on Sunday. Both the Left-Green Party and the Citizens want to gain a majority in the government. The GLP can put a stop to this.
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On Sunday, October 20th, the Grand Council, the Government Council and the Regional Council will be re-elected in Basel-Stadt.
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Seven seats in the Basel city government and 100 seats in the Grand Council are up for grabs.
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The voter turnout of 45.5 percent on the Friday before the elections suggests a high turnout on election Sunday.
In Basel-Stadt it is election day on Sunday: the 100 seats in the Grand Council will be redistributed, the seven government councilors and the regional council will be re-elected. And interest among Basel’s voting population appears to be high: on the Friday before the elections, 45.5 percent of those eligible to vote had already voted. That is five percent more than in the elections at the same time four years ago.
Is there a shift to the right in left-wing Basel? This is not the first time that the SVP is fully committed to security policy. Is the European trend of the strengthened right continuing in Basel? Or is it still the case that the left benefits from high voter turnout because it is traditionally better at mobilizing its electorate.
Voter turnout is already above average in Basel-Stadt on the Friday before the elections.
Canton of Basel-Stadt
The great interest is surprising, as the initial situation promises little excitement. All previous government councilors are running again and their re-election is generally expected, so that “Regional Journal” from SRF. Nevertheless, both political camps are fighting for the majority: the left-green parties SP, Greens and BastA (Basel’s strong alternative) want to win back the seat they lost to the GLP in 2020. They are running with the previous candidates Kaspar Sutter (SP), Tanja Soland (SP) and Mustafa Atici (SP), who was only elected this spring, as well as Oliver Bolliger (BastA) and Anina Ineichen (Greens).
The commoners are pursuing the same plan. This year they decided on a joint ticket with the SVP – in the last elections they decided against working with the right-wing party. They are running with the previous government councilors Lukas Engelberger (the center), Stephanie Eymann (LDP), Conradin Cramer (LDP) as well as the new candidates Eva Biland (FDP) and Stefan Suter (SVP).
The previous GLP government councilor, Esther Keller, is the only one running without an alliance. Keller doesn’t have to worry too much, the challengers from the left and right remained pale in the election campaign.
This year, around 870 candidates are running for the 100 seats in the Grand Council, which is 9.3 percent more than in 2020. At the moment, the Left-Greens hold 48 seats, the Bourgeois 43. Here, too, there is still no majority both political camps. Again, it is the GLP in the middle that is decisive in the match. If the GLP succeeds in stealing votes from the SP, the strongest party with 30 seats, parliament could become more civil, concludes the “Basler Zeitung” (paid article) in its analysis.
It will only become clear on Sunday what the renewal of the distribution of lists among the left means for their seats: the two left-wing parties, the Greens and BastA, are running with separate lists this year for the first time in 20 years. So far they have run together as a Green-Alternative Alliance in Basel.
Reach your goal with full commitment
But what is already clear is that the commitment in the election campaign was great from all political camps. Mailboxes were flooded with party programs, stand campaigns were held, sunflowers were distributed to passers-by, and phone calls were made ad infinitum. So it remains to be seen for whom the effort will pay off.
The interim results will be announced on Sunday, October 20th at twelve o’clock, the final results at 9 p.m. A possible second round of voting for the government council will take place on November 24th.
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