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Federal Council electionsWill Eva Herzog become a pawn in order to get Daniel Jositsch into office soon?
The hot phase of the Federal Council election campaign is underway. Tactics are devised and intrigues hatched in Bern, and the tension mounts. Impressions from federal Bern.
Doesn’t need to hide: SVP candidate Hans-Ueli Vogt. Would he take over the Justice Department?
20 minutes/Stefan Lanz
Favorite among the SP candidates: Eva Herzog. Political observers dub her the “candidate of the head”.
20min/Matthias Spicher
That’s what it’s about
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The starting position for the Federal Council elections is exciting.
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Various theories about who has the best chance and why are currently circulating in Bern.
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The distribution of departments also plays a role in the considerations.
The history
It all started on September 30th when Ueli Maurer announced his resignation. It quickly became clear that Albert Rösti is in pole position. But then things got turbulent. With Hans-Ueli Vogt managed to put up a serious candidate, a walk to the Federal Council seat for rösti was off the table. Surprisingly explained shortly afterwards too Simonetta Sommaruga her resignation. This was followed by nuances in the SP’s search for candidates. From the start, the party leadership advocated a women-only ticket, which led to a wanted Candidaturesight led by Daniel Jositsch. Ultimately, the SP presented a surprising Ticket with the Jurassic Elisabeth Baume-Schneider. This is despite the fact that Latin Switzerland would then occupy four out of seven seats in the Federal Council.
Baume-Schneider scores with sympathy
A wide variety of tactical maneuvers are currently being passed around the Federal Palace. Choosing between the SP candidates seems to be about sympathy. And that’s where Elisabeth Baume-Schneider scores against Eva Herzog. A criterion that should not be underestimated by many parliamentarians is the accessibility of a Federal Council. That means: Do I have a chance of getting the Federal Councilor to listen to my concerns, can I perhaps even use her for my cause? Some people think that Baume-Schneider’s door will be much more open than Eva Herzog’s. It remains to be seen whether enough will think that Baume-Schneider will actually be elected in the end. Because the role of favorite is still attributed to Eva Herzog, who scores with her competence. Political observers dub her the “candidate of the head”.
Politicians who have ambitions of becoming a member of the Federal Council at some point also play a role. They consider who will benefit their own plans the most. The rumor persists that some members of parliament will vote for Elisabeth Baume-Schneider to clear the way for a German-Swiss man when it comes to the successor to SP Federal Councilor Alain Berset.
Tacticians think ahead
Such nuances were to be taken from a media release by the FDP: “For the FDP parliamentary group, the seat of Federal Councilor Simonetta Sommaruga basically belongs to a representative from German-speaking Switzerland. “It is clear that the SP parliamentary group must assume its responsibility and, in the event that Councilor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider is elected, must quickly correct the transition phase with a Latin majority,” it said. It is doubtful whether Daniel Jositsch has already completely buried his Federal Council ambitions due to the SP’s all-women ticket.
And then there are by-elections that cast their shadow. This is particularly important for Eva Herzog and Elisabeth Baume-Schneider. Because if there is a vacancy in the Council of States, by-elections are necessary and there is no guarantee that the SP will succeed in defending the vacant seat. In this way, tactically astute politicians from other parties are considering which seat they might be able to wrest from the SP. No by-elections are necessary in the National Council; the best-placed person in the 2019 elections would move up.
Who gets which department?
Who is pulling the levers in which department plays a major role in all considerations, also and precisely because there are big unknowns here. What would Albert Rösti “do” in the Environment and Energy Department? Many leftists ask themselves. And what would be the consequences of a Hans-Ueli Vogt in the Department of Justice responsible for asylum? Could Eva Herzog be “deported” to the army department if Viola Amherd moves to the environment department?
These and many other scenarios occupy strategists left and right. But there will only be an answer on December 9th, two days after the Federal Council elections. The allocation of departments is an internal matter of the Federal Council. Parliament can only exert a certain influence indirectly, namely by electing a Federal Councilor that is “right” from the respective point of view.