Berner Platt – SonntagsBlick column: character studies in the Federal Council elections

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Before elections to the Federal Council, I study the character traits of the candidates, since this, along with special knowledge, is an important point for a member of the state government.

However, the characters of the parties and their participants are also interesting. You’ll immediately notice how adaptable parties are.
and become parliamentarians when it comes to seats in the Federal Council. For them, it no longer means saying what needs to be said. Better yet, say what others want to hear to preserve future voting opportunities.

The FDP’s starting position is clear; All members of the parliamentary group have to eat chalk so that Federal Councilor Cassis is not excluded from the vote. People throw themselves into the dust in front of the SP faction and hope for their mercy in the second round of voting. The FDP no longer wants to show character. She clings to her second seat on the Federal Council.

The meaning of the middle

The Center Party, as the core and source of the majority, is in a much more convenient position here. She’s as flexible left and right as ever. This is why this party has no backbone, because it would only be a hindrance if it distorted itself.

The center’s raison d’être is to maintain power and occupy positions in the administration. We remember how, before the re-elections in 1999, the CVP quickly replaced its federal councilors Flavio Cotti and Arnold Koller in favor of Joseph Deiss and Ruth Metzler in order to secure their sinecures. They were also involved in the annulment of Christoph Blocher’s 2007 election. They chose Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, who along with former federal councilor Samuel Schmid were certain to receive an invitation to the centrist faction’s dinner as party members this year. De facto, from 2007 to 2015, the center continued to have two federal advisers, Widmer-Schlumpf, and was therefore significantly overrepresented.

SVP DNA

The SVP, as the largest party and the winner of the elections, has always had to fight for seats in the Federal Council in recent years. The cartel of election losers is trying to weaken the SVP wherever possible. Their members must remain strong. Our goal, as one of the few parties, has always been to express our interests for a free, secure and independent Switzerland, which is why we have become the strongest party.

Poestchen’s leering was not in our party’s DNA. However, I wonder if this is what my SVP colleagues who praise the SP ticket really mean, or if they themselves have ambitions for the next SVP vacancy in the Federal Council.

* Alfred Heer (61) is an entrepreneur and member of the National Council of the Zurich Senior Vice President. He writes a biweekly column in SonntagsBlick, alternating with Green Party National Council member Aline Trede.

Source: Blick