The Federal Council flew out this week – in the truest sense of the word. The weekly government meeting took place this Wednesday in the Bündner Val Müstair instead of in the Bundesratzimmer in the Bundeshaus West. It has been a tradition for more than a decade for the Federal Council to travel to another part of the country for its meeting at least once a year. Or just fly.
The state government traveled to the very tip of Switzerland with the army’s Superpuma helicopter. All but one: Federal Councilor Simonetta Sommaruga (62). The environment minister did not take the helicopter, but traveled to Engadin by train and bus the day before, her spokeswoman Annetta Bundi confirmed on request.
Sommaruga likes to take the train
Sommaruga posted photos of the trip on Instagram, including a photo in which she can be seen in the mailbox with Nidwalden Justice and Security Director Karin Kayser-Frutschi (55, centre), who was also apparently on his way over the Ofen Pass.
In Switzerland, Federal Councilor Sommaruga uses the train and postbus in Switzerland as much as possible because of the tight schedule, “because she likes to travel by public transport and she can also work,” says Bundi. Of course, it must also play a role that Sommaruga, as Federal Councilor of the SP and Minister of the Environment, has a certain exemplary function.
Then we continued with the plane
However, we did not go home that environmentally friendly. Because she had to go straight to a meeting of EU energy ministers in Prague, Sommaruga flew by helicopter to Samedan and from there on a Bundesrat jet to the Czech Republic.
The other members of the Federal Council also continued by helicopter or plane. While their colleagues in the Superpuma were flying back to Bern, Finance Minister Ueli Maurer (71) and Economy Minister Guy Parmelin (62) took another plane from the Federal Council. They traveled to Washington for a meeting of G20 finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meeting.
So there was quite a bit of flight operations in the Engadine on Wednesday. Federal Council spokesman André Simonazzi defends the Federal Council’s use of helicopters and aircraft. Only through the use of federal aircraft would the federal councilors be able to fulfill their obligations at home and abroad in tight times such as now. (lha)