Reason for losing the vote Herisau SVP president triggers scandal with 5G and vaccination statements

The electorate in Herisau AR is being influenced by the effects of vaccinations and 5G radiation - at least if the local SVP president has his way. He attributes his comments to satire.

On Sunday, voters in Herisau rejected the financial referendum at the ballot box. An unspectacular decision in Appenzell local politics, were it not for the reaction of the president of the local SVP, Reto Sonderegger.

Sonderegger sent an e-mail to the "Herisauer Nachrichten" newspaper with a statement on the result of the vote: Parts of the population would suffer from the so-called sleeping sheep syndrome caused by side effects of the corona vaccination and the ongoing and increasing exposure to 5G.

Some people would also find it clever to vote to their own disadvantage. The urge for freedom and self-determination is giving way to a tendency towards submission. He also does not rule out the possibility of an error when counting the votes.

But that's not all of the possible reasons for the defeat: according to Sonderegger, the result could also have been influenced by the fact that there are fewer and fewer original democrats.

Party reacts with irritation

Reto Sonderegger is no stranger to Herisau: he has been president of the local SVP party since this year, was a cantonal councillor from 2015 until he was voted out in 2023 and a Herisau resident councillor from 2021 to 2024.

On Thursday afternoon, the SVP Herisau board issued a statement to the public, as reported by the St. Galler Tagblatt newspaper. Sonderegger's comments were neither agreed with the board nor do they reflect the party's official position.

Sonderegger explained that his statement was satire. Nevertheless, the party makes it clear: "The theses expressed in it are unfounded and unacceptable."

Reto Sonderegger has not yet published a statement despite media requests. However, the statement from the Executive Board was agreed with him.