EDI Secretary General Lukas Gresch runs for chancellor
Published: Saturday, Dec 2nd 2023, 11:40
Updated At: Saturday, Dec 2nd 2023, 11:40
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Lukas Gresch-Brunner, Secretary General of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA), wants to succeed Walter Thurnherr as Federal Chancellor. Gresch, who has no party affiliation, officially submitted his candidacy on Friday.
The candidacy was reported on Saturday by "Schweiz am Wochenende". Gresch confirmed his candidacy at the request of the Keystone-SDA news agency. Gresch added that his candidacy, which is independent of any political party, had been submitted in good time before the start of the winter session. The parliamentary groups could therefore still decide on his hearing.
The fact that the 51-year-old is running is not entirely surprising. Gresch had been touted as a possible candidate. What is more surprising is the late timing of the announcement.
In addition to Gresch, three other candidates are known so far. The GLP has nominated the current Vice-Chancellor Viktor Rossi. Nathalie Goumaz from French-speaking Switzerland and Gabriel Lüchinger from German-speaking Switzerland are running for the SVP.
Three of the four Federal Council parties resign from the office of Federal Chancellor. The United Federal Assembly will elect the new Federal Chancellor on December 13. According to the parliamentary services, anyone can stand for election as Federal Chancellor. Candidacies can still be announced on election day.
Many years of experience in the federal administration
Gresch has worked in the Federal Administration for 14 years. He has been Secretary General of the FDHA since May 2020. Prior to this, he was State Secretary of the Canton of Lucerne for eight years without party affiliation. From 1997 to 2000, Lukas Gresch was Secretary General of the New European Movement Switzerland (NEMS).
In 2001, he moved to the federal government, first as a research assistant in the Integration Office of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the then Federal Department of Economic Affairs (FDEA) for three years, then for a further three years as an advisor to Federal Councillor Joseph Deiss and Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard in the FDEA (now the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research). From 2006 to 2012, he was Deputy Director of the Directorate for European Affairs (DEA).
Lukas Gresch studied International Relations at the University of Geneva and at the Institut Universitaire de Hautes Etudes Internationales (IUHEI) in Geneva. He also holds a Master of European Political and Administrative Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges. He is married and has three children.
©Keystone/SDA
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