Martin Candinas

Martin Candinas (born 20 August 1980[1]) is a politician of The Center (DM) a member of the National Council of Switzerland and since December 2022, its president. He speaks Romansh which he supports as Switzerland's fourth official language.

Martin Candinas
Official portrait, 2019
President of the National Council
Assumed office
28 November 2022
Preceded byIrène Kälin
Member of the National Council of Switzerland
Assumed office
2011
ConstituencyCanton of Grisons
Personal details
Born20 August 1980 (age 42)
Ilanz, Switzerland
Political partyThe Centre
Other political
affiliations		Christian Democratic People's Party (until 2020)

Early life

Candidas was born in Ilanz/Sumvitg and graduated with a Matura from high school in Chur.[2][1]

Career

He worked for health insurance Helsana.[2] In 2006 he was promoted to branch director in Chur.[2] After he was elected to the National Council in 2011, he decreased his pensum to 50%.[3] Until 2017 he was in charge of the sales department at the Helsana branches in Samedan, Chur and Glarus.[3] In 2017 he became a specialist in Partner- and Key account management.[3] In 2016 he assumed the presidencies of the Swiss Helicopter Association and Litra, which provides information on public transport.[3]

Politics

At age 26, the youngest at the time, Candinas entered the Grand Council of Grisons[4] in 2006.[1] In the Federal Elections of 2011, he was elected to the National Council.[4] He was subsequently re-elected in 2015 and 2019.[4] He was considered as an Executive Councilor in Grisons for the elections in 2018, but he declined.[3] In 2021, he assumed the Vice-Presidency of the National Council and elected [5] to the rotating Presidency in November 2022.[4] The Canton of Grisons had not had a President of the National Council for thirty-seven years[6] and his election was celebrated in attendance of the Federal Councilor Viola Amherd in the Disentis Abbey and later Chur.[7]

Political views

Candinas defended the interests of the mountainous cantons. He supported the farmers in their aim to be allowed to hunt wolves and suggested that municipalities with over 20% of vacation homes should be allowed to provide inhabitants with options to enlarge their homes.[4] He opposed gay marriage,[4] because he believes that the possibility to adopt a child should only be possible for a man and a woman.[8] He is one of only three members in the National Council who speak Romansh and as the National Council's Vice-President, he used to begin sessions with a phrase in his native language, which he has stated, he will do as its president.[4]

Personal life

Candinas is married,[1] the father of three children[4]

References
  1. "Ratsmitglied ansehen". www.parlament.ch. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  2. "Martin Candinas". Ilanzer Sommer (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  3. "80 Prozent Politiker – 20 Prozent Versicherungsmann". www.suedostschweiz.ch (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  4. Wattenhofer, Reto (28 November 2022). "Martin Candinas zum höchsten Schweizer gewählt". Aargauer Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  5. "CVP-Nationalrat Candinas soll zweiter Vizepräsident werden". SWI swissinfo.ch (in German). 21 November 2020. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  6. "Bündner Mitte-Politiker Candinas ist neuer Nationalratspräsident". Freiburger Nachrichten (in Swiss High German). 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  7. "Nationalratspräsident Martin Candinas feiert in Disentis". Südostschweiz. 1 December 2022.
  8. "Candinas: "Es ist ein emotionales Thema, das Reaktionen provoziert"". www.davoserzeitung.ch (in Swiss High German). 2017-07-05. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
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