Graubünden: SVP returns to the cantonal government after 18 years

Historic moment: Two women in the government

The situation for women in Graubünden reaches a historic point with this election: From January 2027, Favre Accola and the confirmed Building Director Carmelia Maissen (Mitte) will sit in the cantonal government together for the first time. Maissen, who was re-elected with 34,519 votes, is the third woman in the canton's history to serve in the executive – after Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, who in 1998 became the first woman to enter the Graubünden government. The proportion of women in the government thus rises to 40 percent.

In the newly constituted 120-member Grand Council, the SVP also significantly expanded its position. The People's Party grew from 25 to 35 seats and became the strongest force in the cantonal parliament for the first time. Its share of the vote is 31 percent. The FDP loses slightly, falling from 27 to 23 seats, making it only the third-strongest faction behind the SVP and the Mitte. The Mitte, for its part, loses from 34 to 28 seats; the SP holds 20 mandates and is thus in fourth place.

Shifts in the Grand Council

There is also a shift on the left flank: The Greens ran separately from the SP for the first time and immediately won 7 seats. Previously, the SP and Greens had run together with a total of 27 mandates. The Green Liberals (GLP) remain stable at 7 seats. The proportion of women in the Grand Council rises from 32.5 to around 40 percent.

Already confirmed in the first round were Martin Bühler (FDP) with the top result of 42,299 votes and Marcus Caduff (Mitte) with 40,153 votes. Peter Peyer (SP) received the weakest result among the incumbents with 32,856 votes – he had made headlines beforehand because of the Misox-Mafia affair. Maissen secured her re-election with 34,519 votes, before Favre Accola took the last open seat as the fifth candidate.

Mitte loses absolute majority

With the SVP's entry into the cantonal government, the Mitte loses its previous absolute majority in the executive: Instead of three seats, it now holds two. The article titled "Elections Canton of Graubünden – The SVP Graubünden takes advantage of the favorable opportunity" points out that in turbulent times with war, economic problems, and environmental crises, voters tend to lean more strongly toward conservative positions. The People's Party has exploited this mood and simultaneously benefited from the fact that the popular vote on the initiative "Keine 10-Mio-Schweiz" (No 10-Million Switzerland) mobilized more people than usual to go to the polls.

According to the article, polarization in the Grand Council is increasing. While the SVP gains seats on the right, the Greens gain ground on the left. The overall relationship between the political blocs, however, remains stable, as the shifts cancel each other out. Seen in this light, little has changed in terms of majority formation in the cantonal parliament – what is new, however, is the balance of power within the blocs.

The background of the SVP coup

The background to the SVP's election victory goes back 18 years: In 2007, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, then the SVP's Governing Council member, was elected to the Federal Council, which the mother party was unwilling to accept. The Swiss SVP subsequently expelled the Graubünden section, Widmer-Schlumpf switched to the BDP, and the vacated Graubünden government seat went to Barbara Janom Steiner. The Mitte Party later emerged from this BDP. With Favre Accola's success, this circle is now partially closing: The SVP is back in the executive, and the Mitte loses its dominant position.

Favre Accola enters with a clear profile: In her campaign, she advocates for a more restrictive immigration policy, rejects new agreements with the EU, and wants to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises as well as tourism. She is also the wife of former ski racer Paul Accola. She has political experience as the President of the municipality of Davos and as the current President of the Standeskommission of the Canton of Graubünden.