Jon Pult, a gifted rhetorician, wants to join the Federal Council
Published: Wednesday, Dec 13th 2023, 04:50
Updated At: Wednesday, Dec 13th 2023, 04:51
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With the nomination of 39-year-old National Councillor Jon Pult, the SP has opted for by far the youngest party candidate to succeed Federal Councillor Berset. The political early starter is regarded as a gifted rhetorician and one of the Social Democrats' greatest political talents - attributes that have accompanied him throughout his twenty-year political career.
Pult was born in the Lower Engadine as a dual Swiss-Italian citizen. He entered politics at the age of 19 when he was elected to the Chur city parliament in 2004.
He then climbed the political ladder at a rapid pace: at 24, Pult became President of the Graubünden SP, at 26 a member of the Graubünden Grand Council, at 29 President of the Alpine Initiative, at 35 a member of the National Council and at 36 Vice President of the Swiss SP.
By the time he arrived in the Grand Council, at the latest, Pult's political skills and his unerring rhetoric had become apparent in Graubünden. The young parliamentarian argued and tacticked like a veteran without coming across as precocious or a wannabe. Soon people in Graubünden were saying: "He'll be a Federal Councillor one day."
Graubünden's Olympic plans scuppered
Pult probably celebrated his greatest success in his home canton in 2017 when, under his leadership, the SP and Greens scuppered cantonal plans for the Winter Olympics at the ballot box - against the considerable commitment of the other parties and all business associations.
The trained historian achieved national prominence as president of the Alpine Initiative, which campaigns for the transportation of goods by rail. However, Pult only made the leap into the National Council at the third attempt in 2019, when the Graubünden SP seat held by Silva Semadeni - only one at the time - became vacant.
In Bern, Pult's political talent and rhetorical skills once again stood out. Just one year after entering Parliament, the SP made him Vice-President. He now chairs the Committee for Transport and Telecommunications (KVF-N) in the upper chamber.
Not as left-wing as perceived
Christian Wasserfallen, FDP National Councillor and also a member of the KVF-N, told the Keystone-SDA news agency in response to an inquiry. He sees Pult as a very talented politician, "who can represent his clearly left-wing positions both in terms of content and language".
On his homepage, Pult also presents himself as a class warrior: "It's time to stand up to those who demand extra sausages for themselves and their friends and at the same time trample on people who can barely defend themselves," he writes there.
However, Pult is not quite as left-wing as is often perceived. According to the independent online voting tool Smartvote, he is right at the heart of the SP parliamentary group. "He is passionate about his causes: people, a fair society, good coexistence," said Graubünden National Councillor Sandra Locher Benguerel recently about her political companion.
When announcing his Federal Council ambition, Pult described the reform of the healthcare system as well as climate and European policy as the greatest current challenges. In order to achieve the climate targets, he calls for a "policy of outstretched hands" instead of a "finger-wagging policy".
In general, Pult repeatedly emphasizes the importance of coming together. When he started kindergarten, he spoke Romansh and Italian, but not a word of German, he writes on his website. This experience shaped him: "Talking to each other means listening, understanding - and being understandable yourself. That's how you build bridges with each other."
Pult now also describes German as one of his three main languages. He also speaks fluent French - so he has all four national languages in his quiver.
Strengthening Switzerland's cohesion
As Federal Councillor, he wants to strengthen Switzerland's cohesion, said Pult when announcing his candidacy. This is necessary for the country to function in its diversity.
He is concerned with cohesion between the language regions, but also between urban and rural areas and between different realities of life. His time in Zurich as a student and later as a communications consultant shaped him just as much as the cultural area of the Alps. Today he lives with his wife between Chur and Bern.
As a Federal Councillor, the Social Democrat would keep his Italian passport, which he holds alongside his Swiss passport. "I will remain a dual citizen and would be 100% committed to Switzerland as a Federal Councillor," he explained when announcing his candidacy.
The Federal Council aspirant has already expressed his views on Swiss neutrality when he spoke out in favor of allowing third countries to transfer Swiss weapons to Ukraine. In a guest article for the daily newspaper "Südostschweiz" last summer, he wrote: "We must interpret our neutrality correctly so that it serves international law and does not spare the aggressor."
©Keystone/SDA
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