keystone
No stone is left unturned when it comes to the allocation of management in the newly elected Bern City Council. All directorates will have new management from the beginning of 2025. The deposed mayor Alec von Graffenried moved to the Directorate for Security, Environment and Energy.
The new mayor, Marieke Kruit, takes over the office because of the presidential direction. Von Graffenried is the new vice mayor, as the local council announced on Monday.
Von Graffenried moved to the Directorate for Security, Environment and Energy at the beginning of 2025, succeeding the retiring Reto Nause (center). In the future, von Graffenried's domain will include, among other things, dealing with rallies.
The finance directorate is now in civil hands. GLP local councilor Melanie Mettler will take over the management, as the local council announced on Monday. She succeeds the outgoing SP local councilor Michael Aebersold. Bern's city finances haven't exactly been a bed of roses lately.
Traffic matters remain in SP hands. Local councilor Matthias Aebischer is taking over management of civil engineering, transport and urban greenery from his party colleague Marieke Kruit. Education, in turn, remains a domain of the Green Alliance: Ursina Anderegg is taking over the directorate for education, social affairs and sport from the departing Franziska Teuscher.
Not all wishes fulfilled
The system with different directorates was introduced in the city of Bern in 1888. For the first time since then, all directorates will receive new management at once. Against this background, it was important to the local council to give the process enough time. This is not least because, based on the initial situation, it was clear that not everyone would receive the direction they wanted, as the statement goes on to say.
Alec von Graffenried was said to have ambitions for the transport directorate in the run-up to the director's assignment, while Aebischer and Anderegg are said to have flirted with the social directorate. The fact that Anderegg is now receiving her desired direction can be interpreted as recognition for her good performance in the November elections. She immediately came in second place.
The new local council has met several times in the three weeks since the elections to discuss the allocation of management positions. By mutual agreement, the members agreed on a decision-making method. With the result now available, the local council members can now all prepare for their new areas of responsibility, writes the local council.
Three new ones
In November, the people of Bern reappointed their political authorities. Of the incumbent council members, only von Graffenried and Kruit stood for re-election. Aebersold, Teuscher and Nause are leaving at the end of the year.
Kruit and von Graffenried were re-elected in the local council elections. Anderegg, Aebersold and Mettler were newly elected to the city government. In the election for the city council, Marieke Kruit won against the incumbent “Stapi” from Graffenried.
