Martin Candinas renounces a candidacy for the Federal Council, Christophe Darbellay is thinking about it – rts.ch

Big favorite after several withdrawals, the Graubünden national councilor Martin Candinas announced Monday morning during a LITRA press conference that he would not be a candidate to succeed Viola Amherd. He said he wanted to concentrate on his political and associative mandates.

This announcement follows several other refusals to run as candidates. In addition to Martin Candinas and Gerhard Pfister, two centrist heavyweights whose name was circulating in Bern to replace the Valaisanne, the St. Gallen state councilor Benedikt Würth and the Valais national councilor Philipp Matthias Bregy, have announced that they will not enter the race. The second, currently head of the parliamentary group, would rather aim for the head of the party.

>> To reread about the first avenues for the succession to Viola Amherd: Who to replace Viola Amherd? The first scenarios are circulating in Bern

Two potential candidates

The withdrawals of recent days have reshuffled the cards and boosted certain ambitions. Valais State Councilor and former party president Christophe Darbellay told RTS to think about it and not rule out a candidacy. He has expressed his interest to the national management of the Center and specifies that this is not yet, in his eyes, an official announcement of candidacy.

Christophe Darbellay is considering running as a candidate to succeed Viola Amherd. [KEYSTONE – VALENTIN FLAURAUD]

National advisor since 2018, Philipp Kutter explained that he was considering running for office in the pages of la Sunday newspaper. Aged 49, the Zurich resident became quadriplegic during his mandate following a skiing accident. According to him, this handicap should in no way slow down his aspirations.

“Practical questions arise, especially with regard to travel,” he declares in La Matinale. “That would be a very good signal. My goal is to make it normal in the future for someone in a wheelchair to become a candidate.”

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Philipp Kutter and his wife Anja Kutter in discussion with Matthias Bregy, during the autumn session of the Federal Chambers, Wednesday September 20, 2023 in Bern. [KEYSTONE – PETER KLAUNZER]

The Center’s selection committee must detail the application selection procedure this Monday. The final ticket is expected to be decided on February 21.

Radio topics: Romain Carrupt, Julien Bangerter

Adaptation web: Antoine Michel

Swiss

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