The six SP Federal Council candidates begin their Swiss tour
Published: Monday, Nov 6th 2023, 22:30
Updated At: Tuesday, Nov 7th 2023, 00:54
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The six SP candidates to succeed Alain Berset in the Federal Council began their tour of Switzerland in Geneva on Monday evening. It was an opportunity to introduce themselves to the members of their party.
The first meeting in Geneva was filled to capacity, mainly with elected SP representatives and sympathizers of the party, as a journalist from Keystone-SDA reported. The discussions, which were moderated by former National Councillor Maria Bernasconi, took place in a relaxed atmosphere.
Bernese National Councillor Matthias Aebischer, Bernese Government Councillor Evi Allemann, Basel-Stadt Government President Beat Jans, Zurich Councillor of States Daniel Jositsch, Vaud National Councillor Roger Nordmann and the youngest member of the group, Graubünden National Councillor Jon Pult, took turns to take the floor and present their backgrounds and plans.
The 39-year-old Pult played humorously with his "young age" and saw it as an advantage. He thought it would be good if the Federal Council did not only consist of people from one generation. Allemann regretted that she was not bilingual. However, her French was more than correct, even if she sometimes got stuck on words. She described herself as a representative of urban Switzerland.
Another Romand
For his part, the 50-year-old Nordmann had to explain why he was running as a Romand, even though the Latins currently make up the majority in the Federal Council. Switzerland is not doing so badly at the moment with three French-speakers in the government, the Vaud native remarked, and said he could understand if the Federal Assembly considered his candidacy "inappropriate".
Aebischer, the former journalist and presenter on German-language television, introduced himself as a "social democratic child", as both his father and mother were party members. The 55-year-old admitted that he was not a "heavyweight" in federal politics, but refused to be labeled a "lightweight" and opted for the definition of "middleweight".
For his part, Jositsch had to reiterate the reasons for his candidacy to succeed Simonetta Sommaruga last year, which his party did not like at the time. In his opinion, a woman should not necessarily take the place of the outgoing Federal Councillor. "I made mistakes," admitted the 58-year-old.
Atypical career
Jans, at 59 the oldest candidate in the group, spoke about his atypical career, which led him to an apprenticeship as a farmer as a young man. He believes that his life experience can open the doors to the Federal Council for him: "I grew up in a working-class family and socialized with people who didn't go to university; I was always sensitive to the fate of people who were not privileged.
When it comes to Europe, all six candidates have the same vision. They believe it is crucial for Switzerland to have good relations with its neighbors. They advocate a resumption of negotiations with Brussels.
After Geneva, the six candidates will pay a visit to Biel BE, Olten SO and Schaffhausen. The United Federal Assembly will elect Berset's successor on December 13.
©Keystone/SDA
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