Vice-Chancellor and Federal Council spokesman Simonazzi dies unexpectedly
Published: Sunday, May 12th 2024, 17:10
Updated At: Sunday, May 12th 2024, 17:10
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Dismay in the Federal Council and in politics at the loss of a humble civil servant: André Simonazzi, the long-serving Federal Council spokesman and Vice-Chancellor, has died unexpectedly. The 55-year-old suddenly collapsed during a hike on Friday, as reported by the Federal Chancellery.
The Valais native died "on one of his beloved hikes", it was reported. Simonazzi liked to relax in the mountains after his top job in the Federal Administration. The chancellery did not provide any information on the place of his death. Simonazzi is survived by his wife and three adult children.
It was initially unclear who would take over his official duties at short notice following his sudden death. The Federal Chancellery informed the Keystone-SDA news agency in response to an inquiry on Saturday that no solution had yet been found that could be announced. Chancellor Viktor Rossi is examining the situation, it said.
The second Vice-Chancellor position is also currently filled on an interim basis. Jörg de Bernardi has taken over temporarily until Rachel Salzmann takes over at the beginning of July. She succeeds Rossi, who only became Federal Chancellor at the beginning of the year.
Tenacious Federal Council spokesperson
Simonazzi was known to the general public primarily as a spokesman for the Federal Council. He was fluent in three national languages, but mostly stayed in the background. During the coronavirus pandemic, he tirelessly chaired the national government's many media conferences. People all over the country followed them live on the internet. Last Wednesday, Simonazzi also moderated three press conferences after the Federal Council meeting in Bern.
Under his leadership, the state government's communication was professionalized and digitalized. Under his aegis, the government increasingly used Twitter, X and Instagram. Simonazzi made communication an integral part of government activities.
He was also known for his tenacity. Even under great pressure, he did not allow himself to be swayed by journalists' questions in individual cases. Sometimes the spokesman remained taciturn.
Simonazzi was appointed Vice-Chancellor and Speaker of the Federal Council in November 2008. From January 1, 2009, he also attended government meetings, took minutes and handled communications. In the Federal Chancellery, he headed several sections and the Presidential Service.
"Much too early"
The Federal Council reacted with shock to the unexpected death. The members of the Federal Council and the Federal Chancellor were shocked by the news, according to the statement. The Federal Council and the Federal Chancellor expressed their deepest condolences to Simonazzi's family and relatives.
Simonazzi was a public servant in the best sense of the word, the Federal Chancellery paid tribute to the Vice-Chancellor. The standard he applied to his work and that of his colleagues was the statutory information mandate.
In an obituary on Sunday, former Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger paid tribute to his SP party colleague and former employee as a contributor to the work of the government. Simonazzi often helped the Federal Council reach consensus and thus helped shape its work. "He anticipated public reactions and understood when a decision could not be communicated because it could not be explained," Leuenberger wrote on the Journal21.ch portal.
Simonazzi often interrupted a member of the Federal Council in good time when they were about to make an awkward remark. Or he was able to correct them afterwards.
Swiss federal politicians also reacted to the news of his death. "Stunned, dismayed and far too soon, we have to say goodbye to André Simonazzi," wrote Samira Marti, Co-President of the SP parliamentary group and National Councillor (BL) on X. "We are losing a wonderful person who was committed to our institutions out of conviction and with great charm."
Simonazzi was "an exceptional personality" and "the pride of our region", wrote FDP Vice President and National Councillor Philippe Nantermod from Valais. Center-President Gerhard Pfister described Simonazzi as a "loyal, reserved and modest public servant".
Journalist and at Caritas
Originally from Monthey, Simonazzi graduated from the University of Geneva with a degree in international relations. He then trained as a journalist at the newspaper "Nouvelliste". From 1995 to 1998, he worked for Caritas Switzerland as press spokesman for French-speaking Switzerland. In 1998, he took over the overall information department.
He then joined the Information Service of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) in 2004. He was initially deputy head of information and press spokesman for French-speaking Switzerland. In 2005, Simonazzi became Head of Information in the department of the then SP Federal Councillor Leuenberger, before becoming Vice-Chancellor.
Last fall, Simonazzi was being touted as a possible successor to Walter Thurnheer, who had resigned as Federal Chancellor. However, Simonazzi declined. He said that his chances of being elected Federal Chancellor were slim if the SP had two representatives in the Federal Council. He therefore did not want to enter into a fight unnecessarily. The election of the Federal Chancellor is also a political election.
When he encountered resistance with his arguments, the Federal Council spokesman with an extremely good memory sometimes resorted to wit and charm. From time to time, Simonazzi did an excellent imitation of his former boss from Zurich, Moritz Leuenberger. According to his own account, he only found out about it from the obituaries. "I regret that I never had to listen to it."
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