Attack on Berset’s seat in the Bundesrat: these are the possible candidates for the Greens

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The hunting season has started and a seat on the Bundesrat has become vacant. As soon as SP federal councilor Alain Berset (51) announced his resignation at the end of the year, it was already the turn of the candidate carousel. Logical with the social democrats. But the Greens are also blowing the hunting horn.

Aline Trede (39), leader of the Greens, hastily announced that the climate party will participate in the next Federal Council elections. All sitting federal councilors must seek re-election in December. And the Greens could try to extort a seat from the FDP or SVP. Or also – Step does not explicitly exclude that – the SP. All scenarios would be explored, she says.

Blick shows which candidates would qualify for a Green candidacy.

Liza Mazzone (35) is young and already well connected and enjoys a great reputation in Bern. Her political career speaks for itself: 2015 youngest member of the National Council, 2019 member of the Council of States. There she represents the canton of Geneva. That would speak for a candidacy, because the big cities are no longer represented in the state government. Language skills are also a must: Mazzone speaks French, impeccable German and understands Italian. However, the Italian background can be a disadvantage, as Latin Switzerland currently has four of the seven federal councilors.

Bernhard Pulver (57) knows how to govern. From 2006 to 2018 he was director of education in the canton of Bern. He is still one of the most popular politicians in the canton. His downside: he has never been in federal parliament – but parliamentarians prefer to vote for one of them. In the autumn he will be a candidate for the Council of States, albeit with varying prospects. But if he’s smart, the candidacy could make him more famous all over Switzerland. But even if he succeeds, Albert Rösti (55) could become an obstacle. Because he already has a Berner on the board.

When it comes to environmental issues, Mathias Zopfi (39) politicizes to the left, but tends to be more middle class when it comes to economic and financial issues. Without this pragmatic attitude, he would never have come to Bern as a Green. Because Zopfi represents the canton of Glarus in the Council of States, a deeply civic place on the Swiss political map. If he gets the Greens ticket, his political leanings could be an asset. He would be more popular with right-wing parties. And they have a decisive weight in parliament.

As a woman, Christine Häsler (60) has a good chance of landing on the Green Party ticket. She also has a lot of experience thanks to a long political career: 2002 member of the Grand Council of Bern, 2006 parliamentary group leader of the canton, from 2015 to 2018 national councilor and since then director of education and culture in the canton of Bern. And she won all these elections in the country. Like Zopfi, she is pragmatic. Although – like powder – she might stumble on hash browns.

Zurich has nothing to report in Bern. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but: the canton is currently not represented in the state government. The Zurich government councilor Martin Neukom (36) would be perfect to make the most populous canton of Bern heard again. As president of the Young Greens of Switzerland, he became involved in politics at a young age. No one expected his election to the governing council in 2019. Neukom is considered a political high flyer. However, he was never part of the national parliament, which is why he has a poor network in Bern.

Source:Blick