Aargau National Council switches from the FDP to the GLP

National Councilor Matthias Jauslin is changing parties, as he announced on Thursday. The Aargauer is now politicizing for the GLP instead of the FDP. The decision took a long time to mature, writes Jauslin in a statement. There has been repeated friction with the parliamentary group in the Federal Parliament for a long time. At the beginning of the current legislative period, Jauslin was kicked out of the environmental commission by his party colleagues.

In an interview with CH Media, Jauslin suspected the reasons for the forced transfer were that he deviated too much from the party line on energy and environmental issues. “My commitment to landscape protection and biodiversity was criticized,” said Jauslin at the time.

It is precisely on these issues that he now sees the fault line with the party: “For Jauslin, the environment, climate, spatial planning and renewable energies are not fashionable topics. From his point of view, they should not be located on the left-right axis, but should be approached progressively. He no longer sees the willingness to do this in the FDP. Jauslin writes that he wants to put “public spirit, i.e. the common good, at the center of his political work.”

Member of the National Council since 2015

Jauslin has been a member of the National Council since 2015. In addition to Jauslin, the Aargau FDP is also represented by the current National Council President Maja Riniker. Beat Flach sits in the big chamber for the Green Liberals. His departure is consistent and will hopefully take place “in mutual respect,” as he writes. On a human level, the exchange in the group was always friendly. He informed all key figures in the party in writing, says Jauslin.

There is joy among the Green Liberals. “We share the same attitudes and values,” said group leader Corina Gredig, welcoming him. With “his know-how and his level-headed nature” he is a reinforcement for the party. “We are pleased that a liberal spirit and responsible politician like him is finding his new home in the GLP,” adds party president Jürg Grossen.

The FDP is not particularly surprised. Jauslin repeatedly voted differently than the rest of the group. “We would have welcomed it if Jauslin had consistently taken this step before the federal elections around a year ago,” writes the FDP on “X”. At the same time, they wish him “all the best” for his “political and private future.”

The Green Liberals now have 11 seats in the National Council, while the FDP loses one of its previous 28 seats. It is not the first party change during a current legislature. Jauslin includes further examples in his message. For example, Luzi Stamm moved from the FDP to the SVP and Daniel Frei from the SP to the GLP.

Jauslin’s daughter Livia has also turned her back on the FDP

Interesting: Jauslin’s daughter Livia Aeschbach has also left the FDP, as she explained in a joint AZ interview with her father in the summer of 2023.

The reason: “I no longer agreed with everything. Or rather my values ​​have changed to some extent.” According to Livia Aeschbach, this has to do with being a mother. She remains close to the FDP and thinks personal responsibility is very important. However, economic issues are too dominant in the FDP and school education is not given enough focus.

When asked about joining the GLP, as her father is doing now, she replied at the time: “No! I don’t want to subordinate my opinion to a party program.” In her opinion, this party politics takes place too much on a meta level. She is more interested in people’s perspectives.

Update follows…