Fribourg National Councillor Andrey wants to win a seat on the Federal Council for the Greens
Published: Tuesday, Oct 31st 2023, 16:50
Aktualisiert am: Mittwoch, 1. November 2023, 00:55
Zurück zu Live Feed
The Green National Councilor of Fribourg Gerhard Andrey wants to run for the Green Party in the election for the Federal Council. The 47-year-old IT entrepreneur expressed his interest at a media conference of the Green Party of Fribourg on Tuesday.
Andrey said of his candidacy that today a quarter of the population is not represented in the state government. All those who care about climate protection, progressive entrepreneurship and digitalization are missing. The younger generation is also not present in the state government.
In the Federal Council, he would advocate intact nature, living together in solidarity and a circular economy as the basis for a good life today and in the future.
A seat for the Greens in the state government would be much better justified than the second seat for the FDP, Andrey continued. The Greens are running in an overall renewal election. Such an election should not be decided in advance, he said. Otherwise it is not a real election.
Man with many facets
Gerhard Andrey grew up in rural Heitenried in the German-speaking Sense district of Fribourg and now lives in Granges-Paccot, a suburb of the city of Fribourg. Originally, the farmer's son learned to be a carpenter and then trained as a woodworking engineer and IT entrepreneur.
In 2019, he became the first Fribourg Green to be elected to the National Council, where he quickly made a name for himself. In the elections on October 22, he managed to defend the National Council seat he took from the SVP in 2019. In the elections to the Council of States, he came fifth, just behind Alizée Rey (SP).
In 2007, Andrey co-founded Liip, a web software development company that now has over 200 employees at six locations in Switzerland. According to Bruno Marmier, a Green member of the Fribourg cantonal parliament, Andrey would be the first IT entrepreneur in the national government if elected.
Political profile
Andrey has very quickly created a political profile for himself in Bern, said Mirjam Ballmer, Green councillor for the city of Fribourg. He succeeds in creating majorities from a minority position.
With a motion, he got the state E-ID rolling. He also won majorities for his demands for more responsibility in the financial market, even before the CS emergency merger, and for a green financial market.
Andrey is married and has two children. In addition to German, he also speaks French and English as well as Spanish. His children will soon be 13 and 16 years old, so the office of Federal Councilor would be "manageable" as a family, as Andrey said in response to a question.
Four Federal Councillors from Fribourg so far
Last weekend, the Swiss Greens decided to challenge the FDP for a seat on the Federal Council on December 13. Andrey is the first Green to officially declare interest. Green Party President Balthasar Glättli has withdrawn from the race, as have Geneva Council of States member Lisa Mazzone, Ticino National Council member Greta Gysin and Aargau National Council member Irène Kälin.
On Tuesday, Green Bernese government councilor and former National Councilor Christine Häsler and former Green Bernese government councilor Bernhard Pulver also announced their decision not to run for office.
The Greens are accepting nominations until Friday. For example, Manuela Weichelt, a member of the National Council of Zug and a long-time member of the government, is thinking about running. She wants to use the next few days for talks with her family, friends and the party, she told the news agency Keystone-SDA on Tuesday.
According to media reports, Mathias Zopfi, a member of the Council of States from Glarus who was re-elected ten days ago, is also being considered as a candidate. However, the chances of the Greens winning a seat on the Federal Council are considered slim.
Andrey would be the fifth Fribourg federal councilor if elected. This canton would remain seamlessly represented in the national government after the departure of President Alain Berset (SP) at the end of the year. Between 1999 and 2006, Fribourg was represented in the national government by Joseph Deiss (CVP - today center).
©Keystone/SDA
German 
English 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic