Martin Candinas

Martin Candinas
Official portrait, 2023
Member of the National Council
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 December 2011
Constituency	Grisons
President of the National Council
In office 28 November 2022 – 3 December 2023
Preceded by	Irène Kälin
Succeeded by	Eric Nussbaumer
Personal details
Born	(1980-08-20) 20 August 1980 (age 44) Ilanz, Switzerland
Political party	The Centre (until 2020 CVP)

Martin Candinas (born 20 August 1980[1]) is a politician of The Center (DM) a member of the National Council of Switzerland. He speaks Romansh, Switzerland's fourth official language.

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". Federal Assembly. 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.