Swiss Politician to Step Down in 2025, Making Way for New Generation
Gerhard Pfister, the 62-year-old Swiss National Council member and President of the centrist party “The Centre”, has announced his resignation, set to take effect in June 2025. After nine years at the helm, he is stepping down to make way for a new generation of leaders. Pfister took the reins of the former Christian Democratic People’s Party (CVP) in 2016, led the merger with the Liberal Democratic Party (BDP) to form the current Centre Party, and stabilized it after years of declining voter support.
The Centre Party, positioning itself as a centrist force between the traditional left and right, focuses on issues such as the middle class, purchasing power, and fairness in taxation and social insurance. Under Pfister’s leadership, the party made a comeback in the 2023 elections, but this success is considered fragile.
Pfister has also earned a reputation for his clear support for Ukraine during the war against Russia, advocating for harsh sanctions against Russia and repeatedly calling for active solidarity with Ukraine.
This stance has elicited mixed reactions from voters prioritizing neutrality.
With his resignation, Pfister leaves behind a party in a phase of stabilization, but also facing the challenge of consolidating past successes and building new leadership figures. The election of his successor will take place on June 28, 2025, in Biel.