Roger Nordmann recommends himself as a bridge builder for the Federal Council
Published: Saturday, Nov 25th 2023, 05:50
Updated At: Saturday, Nov 25th 2023, 05:53
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With his candidacy for the Federal Council, the Vaud SP National Councillor Roger Nordmann is attempting one last political coup. Despite his experience, the Lausanne native, who is happy in Bern, is the only candidate from French-speaking Switzerland with little chance of being elected to succeed Alain Berset.
On December 4, 50-year-old Nordmann will begin his sixth term as a member of the National Council, which he has been a part of since 2004. At the end of the next legislative period in 2027, the political workaholic will have dedicated almost half of his life to his role as a National Councillor.
In order to achieve twice the number of terms of office in Bern permitted by his party's statutes, the Social Democrat had to obtain two exemptions. The last one was granted to him by a hair's breadth in 2022, due to an agreement that cleared the way for his Vaud party colleague Pierre-Yves Maillard to stand for the Council of States, for which he also wanted to run.
Nordmann had already suffered defeat in April 2019, this time as a candidate to succeed retiring Councillor of States Géraldine Savary. He lost to Ada Marra, who then lost the election to the small chamber, by just seven votes within the party.
"Tried, but failed"
Nordmann's ambitions for the Council of States are over. There remains the small hope of becoming a member of the Federal Council in December. But his chances of being elected are extremely slim. Alain Berset's seat will almost certainly go to a German-speaking candidate. "Tried but failed" could be the motto of this experienced and respected politician, who is regarded as a clever strategist and is said to have good metering skills.
The committed National Councillor, who is well versed in energy and social issues, gave up the chairmanship of the Social Democratic parliamentary group in the Federal Parliament in June after eight years. He decided to take part in the parliamentary commission of inquiry (PUK) into Credit Suisse. He had aspired to the chairmanship, but had to make do with merely being a member.
Consensus-oriented
As a green driving force within the SP, Nordmann is currently a member of the Committee for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy (Urek). The Vaud native likes to say that the values of solidarity, the environment, knowledge and openness are what drive him the most. His trademark, as he often emphasizes himself, can be summed up in two key words: "building bridges and finding solutions".
The politician, who describes himself as a "connector", speaks perfect German and is also comfortable in Italian. "I am always open to talking to everyone and have the ability to approach others. I like negotiations, I like compromises, I like finding solutions with the other parties," he said when he announced his candidacy for the Federal Council.
The SP heavyweight's preferred topics include strengthening the education system, the energy and climate transition, financing the healthcare system, access to healthcare and Switzerland's international relations. As a Europhile, he advocates a "renewal" of relations with the European Union (EU).
Experienced politician
Before his career under the Federal Palace dome, Nordmann was briefly a member of the Vaud cantonal parliament from August to November 2004. He left the cantonal parliament after his election to the National Council. From 1998 to 1999, he was a municipal councillor in Lausanne and then a member of the Constitutional Council of the Canton of Vaud until 2002. From March 2004 to March 2008, he also served as Vice President of the Vaud SP.
Nordmann was born in Lausanne on March 23, 1973. His home town is Seuzach ZH. He spent his compulsory schooling in Mézières and Moudon. He completed a Latin-Greek-mathematics baccalaureate before obtaining a degree in political science and economics at the University of Bern. As a student, he spent two semesters at the University of Bologna in Italy.
The politician also enjoys writing and is the author of several books on the topics of energy and climate protection. The Social Democrat is married to Lausanne SP city councillor (executive) Florence Germond. They have two children.
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