Daniel Jositsch leaves the SP after 27 years of party membership

From School Board Member in Stäfa to Council of States Member

The growing distance from the SP had become apparent several times in recent years. As early as 2016, Jositsch founded the "Reformplattform" (Reform Platform) to unite social-liberal forces within the SP. The party leadership at the time, under Christian Levrat, welcomed the group. However, under the co-presidency of Mattea Meyer and Cédric Wermuth – both former members of the Young Socialists – which began in 2020, the internal conflict intensified.

Politically, Jositsch distinguished himself with positions that were controversial within the SP. He advocated for expanded powers for the intelligence service, rejected stricter banking regulations, opposed high corporate taxes, and stood against an inheritance tax initiative. Even in his first election campaign for the National Council, he presented a 12-point plan against youth curfews, which included prison sentences for 14-year-olds.

Jositsch also distanced himself from his own party on socio-political issues. He publicly opposed the revision of the sexual offenses law in 2022, which had been significantly driven by the SP. In the dispute over a resolution critical of Israel, Jositsch stated: "What I have been observing for some time is confirmed: that a majority of the party thinks one-sidedly."

Break with Party Line on Security and Society

The conflict over the succession of SP Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga in 2022 deepened the rift. The SP leadership had decided that only a woman should succeed Sommaruga. Jositsch called this decision "discriminatory" and said it had "nothing to do with equality." When he ran as a surprise candidate in the later succession of Alain Berset, he demonstratively remained seated, even though he received only 4 out of 48 votes from his own parliamentary group.

Finally, Jositsch relinquished the leadership of the SP parliamentary group in the Council of States. He compared the mechanism of electing government members in Switzerland to practices in "certain dictatorships." In an interview, he also stated that he agreed with the SP on 80 percent of issues – and pointed out that the SP parliamentary group votes in line with the party program 98 percent of the time in the Federal Assembly.

Federal Council Debate 2022: The Open Conflict

The weekend before last, Zurich SP delegates denied their incumbent Council of States member the nomination for the next legislative period. The SP has thus effectively pushed Jositsch out of its ranks, according to his circle. The Zurich cantonal party decided not to nominate him again for the Council of States.

For the SP, the resignation means a noticeable loss of Council of States seats: after Jositsch's departure, the parliamentary group in the upper house has only seven members. The party had recently achieved slight gains in the National Council elections, led a successful referendum campaign for the 13th AHV pension, and launched a referendum against highway expansion.

Consequences for the SP Parliamentary Group

Jositsch announced that he intends to run again as an independent in the federal elections in the autumn of 2027. This would make him the first non-affiliated Council of States candidate from Zurich in a long time. The coming months are considered crucial for whether he can mobilize enough bourgeois and bourgeois-leaning voters to defend his seat.

Domestically, the move is also seen as a signal for the social-liberal wing of the SP, which has been moving between the poles of Meyer/Wermuth and the traditional left-wing party base for years. As early as the 2000s, then-National Council member Simonetta Sommaruga helped shape a course towards a lean state and more personal responsibility with the "Gurten Manifesto." Former SP politician Rudolf Strahm also drew attention with critical analyses of European policy and migration.

Former Grenchen mayor and army officer Boris Banga, who also belonged to the SP parliamentary group, is considered another example of an SP politician with a distinctly pragmatic profile. Jositsch's case thus fits into a longer line of SP personalities who have increasingly distanced themselves from the party line over the course of their careers.

Personally, Jositsch looks back on his beginnings in the Stäfa school board. He said in retrospect about this office: "That was one of my best offices." The step out of the SP is not easy for him, according to his circle. At the same time, the Zurich delegates, by not nominating him, have definitively rejected his years of advocating for a constructive culture of debate.

Outlook for the 2027 Elections

The resignation occurs at a politically charged time: the SP is preparing for the election autumn of 2027, while the succession of the incumbent Federal Councillor is at the center of internal party debate. Observers view Jositsch's decision as a consequence of a gradual alienation that began with the rejection of the moderate social democratic course.

It remains unclear whether the Zurich SP can defend the vacated Council of States seat with a candidate from its own ranks. The cantonal party must now present a successor candidate within a short period. Jositsch himself announced that he intends to continue serving his Council of States seat until the end of the current legislative period.

His future political path will likely also depend on whether cross-party alliances in the bourgeois camp pave his way back to the upper house. Observers expect that further personalities from the reform-oriented SP environment will publicly speak out in the coming weeks.

At the same time, the SP faces the question of how to deal with the loss. Internally, Jositsch was valued as a figurehead for rule of law expertise and legal competence. With his departure, the parliamentary group loses a prominent face in security and legal policy.

The event also sheds light on the future direction of social democracy in German-speaking Switzerland. While the French-speaking SP sections sometimes set different thematic priorities, the Zurich cantonal party was considered a stronghold of the party's left wing. The conflict with Jositsch could further exacerbate these lines of tension.

Overall, the case shows how much the SP has changed since the generational shift in party leadership. Jositsch's decision to go his own way without a party marks a break – and at the same time a test case for whether an individual Council of States member can politically survive outside of a parliamentary group in Switzerland.