Eric Nussbaumer, European politician from Basel, is the highest-ranking Swiss politician
Published: Monday, Dec 4th 2023, 16:20
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Eric Nussbaumer (SP) from Basel was elected President of the National Council on Monday. The 63-year-old electrical engineer has been a politician in the upper chamber for 16 years. He has made his mark in parliament, particularly in the areas of energy and European policy.
In the National Council elections in October, Nussbaumer was easily re-elected and achieved the best result in the canton of Baselland with almost 34,000 votes. This paved the way for him to become the "highest Swiss citizen". "The nice thing about it is the many external contacts, the exchange with other parliaments and governments - an experience that you don't have in normal political life," said Nussbaumer when asked by the Keystone-SDA news agency.
He already knows how to chair a session. The year before his election to the Federal Parliament, he served as President of the Basel District Council. "It's important to appreciate parliament with all its different characters," said Nussbaumer. "You don't have to think you're a rebuker here - that doesn't go down well. Rather, it's the role of a moderator."
This will be Nussbaumer's last term in office. He does not yet know whether his term as President of the National Council will be his last. But it is certainly a very important point in his political career.
Core issues of renewable energies and the EU
Making progress on Switzerland's rapprochement with the EU and on renewable energies - these two topics are always high on Nussbaumer's agenda. The latter has also accompanied his professional career. He has worked as a managing director and consultant for several companies in the energy sector. This year, he gave up his positions as Chairman of the Board of Directors of an energy cooperative and an electronics company in order to devote himself fully to his new role.
For Nussbaumer, an important milestone in recent years was winning the referendum on the Energy Act in 2017, which enshrined the promotion of renewable energies and the nuclear phase-out.
After the failed framework agreement with the EU, it is particularly important to the member of the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC-N) that Switzerland is not left behind. This year, for example, Nussbaumer succeeded in getting the Federal Council to provide information on the opportunities for participation in EU cooperation programs such as Horizon Europe. As President of the European Movement Switzerland, he argued this year that Switzerland should conclude an agreement with the EU by summer 2024 at the latest.
Sports enthusiast and bridge builder
Nussbaumer began his political career in 1992 on the municipal committee of his then home town of Frenkendorf. He was a member of the Basel cantonal parliament from 1998 and was elected to the National Council in 2007. In 2013, he wanted to join the executive of the canton of Basel, but was defeated by his SVP opponent.
"He's a political fox - he knows politics," says fellow Basel councillor Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter (center) about Nussbaumer. "He is an SP politician who builds bridges and is therefore appreciated far into the conservative camp."
In Parliament, the sports enthusiast Nussbaumer was also known as the captain of the parliamentary football team until 2022. "Just as he led the FC National Council as captain, he will also lead the National Council with aplomb," says SVP National Councillor Thomas de Courten about his colleague from Basel.
Nussbaumer lives in Liestal and has three grown-up children and seven grandchildren. His daughter Melanie Nussbaumer is a politician for the SP in the neighboring canton, in the Basel-Stadt Grand Council. "If you look at his career, this is a very nice next step. He is a very down-to-earth and unifying person, which is certainly valuable for this office."
The National Council President's Festival is held jointly by the Basel region and the neighboring canton. After all, both chambers are under the leadership of the two Basel cantons. Nussbaumer will therefore be honored together with the designated President of the Council of States, Eva Herzog from Basel-Stadt.
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