Only the election of Berset’s successor is likely to be really exciting
Published: Sunday, Dec 3rd 2023, 14:20
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Who will succeed Alain Berset? Will the Greens' attack on an FDP seat stand no chance? And will the centrists really not be able to assert their claim to the second seat in the Federal Council? These questions will be answered over the next ten days.
The general election of the Federal Council is due on December 13. Apart from Berset, the other six members of the government are standing for re-election. The second SP seat is not mathematically contested. The Social Democrats are putting forward two candidates in the form of Graubünden National Councillor Jon Pult and Basel Government President Beat Jans. If everything goes normally and there are no party political games, one of the two will succeed Berset.
It will be exciting if an uncontrollable dynamic develops before the election to replace Berset - which will take place at the end of the overall renewal. This could be the case, for example, if the Greens' attack on an FDP seat is supported by many. Or if an unofficial centrist candidate suddenly contests the seat of FDP Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.
So far, all Federal Council parties have expressed the view that all incumbent members of government should be re-elected. If the members of the large parliamentary groups adhere to this credo, the candidacy of Fribourg Green National Councillor Gerhard Andrey will have no chance. It would be the second unsuccessful attempt by the Greens to become a member of the Federal Council - after Regula Rytz failed four years ago.
Votes for ticket lots not excluded
Because the elections are secret, it is not clear who is receiving votes from whom. This makes election day unpredictable at times. Even though most political groups announce their preferences publicly before the elections, nobody has to stick to them.
A year ago, Eva Herzog and Elisabeth Baume-Schneider were the official candidates to succeed SP Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga. Councillor of States Daniel Jositsch nevertheless received 58 votes. This time too, there is speculation that some members of the middle classes will express their dissatisfaction with the official SP ticket and put Jositsch on the slate.
However, only Jans and Pult will be invited to hearings as Berset's successors. They will appear before the Conference of Farmers' Parliamentarians, an important body with around forty members, on Monday (tomorrow). Baume-Schneider reportedly won many votes last year, especially from representatives close to farmers - and thus pulled off the surprise against Herzog.
The first hearings with the parliamentary groups will follow on Tuesday, December 5. Jans and Pult will be heard by the SVP, the FDP, the Greens and the Green Liberals. A week later, they will appear before the centrist parliamentary group. Meanwhile, Andrey will only be heard by the GLP (December 5) and the SP (December 12).
Open race to succeed Thurnherr
In addition to the seven-member government body, the "eighth Federal Council" will also be newly elected on December 13. At stake is the successor to Walter Thurnherr as Federal Chancellor. The race is currently wide open.
Three of the four Federal Council parties decided not to stand as candidates in advance. The Center Party, which has held the office of Federal Chancellor since 2008 with Thurnherr and previously Corina Casanova, is also no longer laying claim to it. In the medium term, the Center Party is aiming for a second seat in the Federal Council.
The two SVP candidates Gabriel Lüchinger (SG) and Nathalie Goumaz (VD) as well as the GLP candidate and current Vice-Chancellor Viktor Rossi (BE) are currently in the running for the office of Chancellor. Lukas Gresch-Brunner (non-party), currently Secretary General of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA), also wants to succeed Thurnherr.
The parliamentary groups will also hear these candidates over the next ten days.
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