The upcoming runoff election in Biel will see either Glenda Gonzalez Bassi or Natasha Pittet become the first female president of Switzerland’s largest bilingual city. In the initial vote, held on September 22, neither candidate secured the required majority. Gonzalez Bassi, of the SP, narrowly missed the absolute majority by just 102 votes, while Pittet garnered 45% of the votes. As the election approaches, both candidates focus on mobilizing their supporters, with political analysts suggesting that Pittet’s outsider status may work in her favor against the backdrop of longstanding Socialist dominance in the city’s leadership.