In the moments before the vote count was announced, supporters of the left-wing alliance celebrated on the terraces of Château Square in Nyon, unaware that their hopes for a shared leadership model were about to collapse.
When Muriel Cardinaux, president of the communal council, declared Olivier Riesen of the PLR the winner, the atmosphere shifted instantly. The PLR candidate secured 52.01% of the vote, defeating ecologist Pierre Wahlen, who had run as the nominal candidate of the “Le choix du partage” list backed by the Socialist Alexandre Démétriadès, by a margin of 338 votes.
The narrow but decisive outcome reflected voter rejection of a novel power-sharing proposal that, while legally unrecognizable under current cantonal law, had sparked debate about modernizing local governance. Despite finishing second in the internal ranking of the alliance, Wahlen was positioned as the official opponent due to electoral rules that prohibit joint candidacies.
Wahlen and Démétriadès had advocated for a cooperative model in which Wahlen would preside over executive meetings and oversee municipal administration, while Démétriadès would serve as vice-syndic for the full legislative term, with the additional 20% stipend for the syndic role split to give each a 60% workload.
Supporters of the alliance expressed confusion rather than regret, with no elected official from the left using the word “regret” during the aftermath, instead questioning the validity of critiques directed at their proposal.
The election marked the first time voters in the canton were directly asked to approve such a model, though a similar arrangement had existed briefly in Yverdon-les-Bains since 2021 between a Socialist and a Green representative.
Turnout stood at 32.85%, and Nyon remained the only major municipality in the canton without a tacit election following the municipal vote, drawing close attention to the outcome.
Riesen had framed his candidacy as a effort to rebalance power after the centre-right secured a legislative majority, aiming to foster compromise with the communal council. The incoming municipality will include three Socialists, one Green, two PLR representatives, and one member of the Independent Nyon Party.
Both Wahlen and Démétriadès had called for a revision of communal law to permit future debate on shared leadership models, citing their collaboration over years as evidence of the model’s feasibility.
Why did the left-wing alliance nominate Pierre Wahlen as their official candidate despite Alexandre Démétriadès receiving more votes in the primary?
Under cantonal election rules, only one name can appear on the official ballot, so the alliance selected the “minority” partner — Pierre Wahlen — to represent their joint slate, even though Démétriadès had finished ahead of him in the internal vote.
What was the voter turnout in the Nyon municipal election, and how did it compare to recent trends?
The voter turnout was 32.85%, and the election was notable because Nyon was the only major city in the canton that did not have a tacit election following the municipal vote, meaning the race remained competitive and closely watched.