[1][2] Born on 28 April 1941, Hediger worked as metallurgist and a trade unionist, joining the PdT as a secretary.
[5] He served as mayor of Geneva multiple times from 1990 to 2007 before retiring.
On 22 May 2006, Hediger was charged with abuse of authority over several dozen parking violations.
[6] However, this further tarnished the image of Genevan local politics, which had already suffered over financial affairs.
[7] His colleague, Pierre Muller, was criticized for voting for Hediger over Patrice Mugny [fr], though Mugny had never sought the position of mayor.