The origin

Dear friends of our constitution

Decisive elections are coming up for our association. A part of the existing board has recommended itself for re-election. On the other hand, there is a large group of members who see the vision of the FdV in danger. Here we present the values and the reasons why our group is standing as an alternative for a new board. We are made up of committed members (some of them founding members), regional leaders (RL) and the “FdV Statutes Working Group”, hence our team name “Statutes Working Group plus”.

Motivation for our candidacy:

We are running as a team that seeks participation with members, regional leaders (RL) and stakeholders and wants to live democracy in the best federal sense also in the association. We reflect on the vision, the charter and the purpose of the association, which we see endangered. We promote transparency and participatory decision-making wherever possible. More than just reuniting the board into a credible and powerful body, we want to lead the association into a next phase of political change. The Corona crisis is not over yet. We will demand from our people’s representatives that they serve the people again and not the other way round. We believe in the power of the FdV and that united we can make a historic contribution to real democracy in Switzerland. If not NOW, when. Many members are unsettled, frustrated and cannot understand how such disruption could have occurred in the current board. Our candidacy as a new board is the result of various initiatives to re-establish a credible and strong association leadership.

Despite all the criticism, we would like to sincerely acknowledge the outstanding achievements of the outgoing board with regard to the demanding and complex work under great political and time pressure, in a very young, only forming association that has grown super fast.

However, in the middle and end of 2021, there was a rift between the board and the grassroots of the association, which massively weakened the relationship of trust and cooperation. The board failed to resolve the internal conflicts in a sustainable way. To restore this connection, to win your trust and to create opportunities for participation from the very beginning, for a new start, for a new association culture, that is what we are campaigning for and we are asking for your vote. We will be happy to show ourselves at events in the regions and also online, to answer your questions, to be audible, visible and touchable for as many of you as possible.

Best wishes and see you soon

The founding members

Andreas Röthlisberger

Adélaïde Charrière

Pablo Hess

Thomas Boerlin

Andrea di Ninno

Stefan Lang

Erwin Weinzinger

Aarau, 22 March 2022