Specter of Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, second woman in executive, UDC's return: Grisons elects its government on June 14

Voters in the Swiss canton of Grisons are heading to the polls on June 14 to elect a new member of their government, a position that has become vacant due to constitutional term limits. Jon Domenic Parolini, a centrist who has served since May 2014, must step down, opening the door for a new face in the executive.

While four of the five current government members are seeking re-election and are expected to retain their seats, the contest for the fifth position is generating significant interest. Five candidates are competing for this coveted seat: Valérie Favre Accola of the UDC, Nora Saratz Cazin of the Green Liberals, Aita Zanetti of The Centre, Maurizio Michael of the FDP, and independent Reto Bott.

However, the election's narrative is heavily influenced by the ghost of Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. In 2007, Widmer-Schlumpf, then a State Councillor for Grisons, was unexpectedly elected to the Federal Council, a move that ousted the influential Christoph Blocher. This political upheaval led to the Swiss UDC party expelling its Grisons branch, a decision that spurred the creation of the Burgerlich-Demokratische Partei (BDP), or Swiss Conservative Democratic Party, which attracted many former Grisons UDC members.

The upcoming election in Grisons is thus not just about choosing a new government official but also a reflection of the canton's complex political history and the enduring impact of past power struggles. The outcome will reveal the current political leanings of the Grisons electorate and how they navigate the legacy of figures like Widmer-Schlumpf and the parties that emerged from that era.