Marco Chiesa runs for the Federal Council

Marco Chiesa is among the Swiss People's Party candidates to succeed Guy Parmelin on the Federal Council. The Council of States member and Lugano city councillor announced his availability in an interview with Teleticino and Ticinonews, released late Thursday afternoon.

"La Svizzera è la nostra casa e sarebbe un onore poter contribuire a prendersene cura" ("Switzerland is our home, and it would be an honour to help take care of it"), Chiesa said. Asked about the fact that Ticino is already represented in government by Ignazio Cassis, the Council of States member replied that one should think "ad una rappresentatività a medio termine" ("in terms of medium-term representation").

Chiesa has sat in the Council of States since 2019, after four years in the National Council. He was president of the Swiss People's Party from 2020 to 2024.

Two Ticino politicians in government

If elected, Chiesa would become the ninth Federal Councillor from Ticino. With Cassis already on the Federal Council, it would be only the third time in Swiss history that two representatives of the same canton sat in government at the same time. This has only been possible since 1999, when the previous constitutional ban was abolished.

Today the constitution only requires fair representation of the country's regions and linguistic groups. This rule allowed the double Zurich representation of Moritz Leuenberger (SP) and Christoph Blocher (SVP) from 2004 to 2007, and the double Bern representation of Simonetta Sommaruga (SP) and Johann Schneider-Ammann (FDP) from 2010 to 2018.

In a statement released after the interview, the Ticino branch of the Swiss People's Party described the candidacy as an important decision, made with full awareness of the commitment such an office entails. The party noted Chiesa's long-standing public service and his deep knowledge of how Swiss institutions and democracy function.

The Ticino branch pledged its full support to Chiesa in the Swiss People's Party's internal selection process. For the party, the candidacy is a significant moment for Italian-speaking Switzerland: it could help ensure, in the medium term, the continuity of Ticino's presence in government, which it considers important for the country's linguistic and cultural balance.