Two council seats in the Larochette municipality became vacant following the departure of Nathalie Silva and Liz Heintz. Silva, the former mayor, had to step down from her council role after taking up a position at the Ministry for Home Affairs on 1 March, a post deemed incompatible with holding a municipal mandate. Meanwhile, Heintz moved to another municipality, leaving her council seat open as well.
Mirko Martellini currently serves as mayor in Larochette. Although he received fewer votes than ex-mayor Nathalie Silva in the last local elections, he secured broader support within the council itself, enabling him to assume the mayoral position.
In the by-elections held on Sunday, Annette Feyerstein and Philippe Deischter received the highest number of votes, and will now join the municipal council.
The local council has recently seen tensions over budget issues. In December, deputy mayor Ana Teresa Marques Lima’s protest against the proposed budget caused unrest within the community. At the time, the mayor called for her resignation, following her vote against the budget, which she described as a warning sign. Marques Lima’s main criticism was the council’s rejection of funding for the Initiative Syndicate, an organisation she herself leads. Despite calls for her to step down, Marques Lima has not resigned and remains on the council.
