Former Federal Councillor Ruth Metzler celebrates her 60th birthday
Published: Thursday, May 23rd 2024, 07:02
Updated At: Friday, May 24th 2024, 01:59
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Former CVP Federal Councillor Ruth Metzler celebrates her 60th birthday today, Thursday. The lawyer's stellar political career came to an abrupt end when she was voted out of the Federal Council in 2003. She recently stood for the presidency of Swiss Olympic.
Ruth Metzler was actually supposed to take over the presidency of the Federal Council in 2004. However, the second woman to head the Federal Council in the country's history came to nothing. On December 10, 2003, she failed to be re-elected to the Federal Council, where she had headed the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) since her election in 1999. At the time, she was only the third member of the Federal Council not to be re-elected.
Ruth Metzler often held liberal views on socio-political issues. On the key issue of her time in the Federal Council, asylum and immigration policy, she pushed through stricter regulations under pressure from other parties.
Metzler's main downfall was the changing political balance of power. While the CVP increasingly lost voter share, the SVP laid claim to a second seat in the Federal Council following its election success in 2003. Metzler was defeated by Christoph Blocher, who won this second seat in the national government for the SVP.
After being voted out of the Federal Council, Metzler wrote the book "Grissini & Alpenbitter" about her time as a Federal Councillor. The media response was huge and the sales figures exceeded all expectations.
First woman in the Innerrhoden government
Metzler entered politics as a career changer in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden. Born in Lucerne, she actually came to eastern Switzerland by chance - because her husband at the time got a job in an Appenzell law firm.
The lawyer was elected to the district court of Appenzell at the age of 28, three years later to the cantonal court and in 1996 became the first woman to be elected to the Innerrhoden Standeskommission (cantonal government).
After being voted out of the Federal Council, Metzler taught for a short time at the University of St. Gallen (HSG). Between 2005 and 2010, she worked for Novartis in Paris and Basel. Metzler has been the owner of a consulting and communications company since 2010. In recent years, she has also held numerous board of directors and foundation board mandates.
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