Who is still in the running for the Maurer seat?

Ester Friedli (45) therefore does not want to become a federal councilor. The National Council of St. Gallen wants to succeed Paul Rechsteiner (70, SP) in the Council of States instead of Minister of Finance Ueli Maurer (71).

So the SVP rejects another favourite. But who is actually in the running, who is still thinking and who still needs to be kneeled? Here’s an overview of the successor status:

You want to join the Federal Council

• Albert Rusti (55): Bernese national councilor Albert Rösti announced on Monday after ten days of reflection that he wanted to run. After several conversations and assessment of the situation, he was able to say with a “clear yes” that he had confidence in the office, had a clear idea of ​​how he wanted to serve the country as a federal councilor and that he had the necessary support, Rösti told the media in Berne. The Bernese Oberlander has a PhD in agriculture and is an advisor and mayor of Uetendorf near Thun. He has been a political member of the National Council since 2011 and was chairman of SVP Switzerland from 2016 to 2020.
• Werner Salzmann (59): Berner SVP Councilor Werner Salzmann was the first to enter the race to succeed Ueli Maurer. He had studied the requirements profile and concluded that he met it, he said on Oct. 7. Salzmann is chief expert at the tax office of the canton of Bern. He has been a member of the Council of State since 2019, before that he was a member of the National Council during a term of office. Salzmann was formerly chairman of the cantonal SVP.

you still think

• Thomas Matter (56): According to the Zurich National Council and bankers, talks are currently underway with the cantonal party. The 55-year-old succeeded Christoph Blocher (82) in the National Council in June 2014.
• Michele Bloechliger (55): Nidwalden financial director Michèle Blöchliger has contacted the cantonal party. She had been approached by several people in her area to consider a candidacy. “It would be a very attractive and challenging task, and you only have once in your life to run for such an office,” said the finance director of the “Tages-Anzeiger”. You’ve already had conversations with the family and the party.

You canceled

• Esther Friedli (45): The St. Gallen National Councilor Esther Friedli was one of the favorites for the office – but is now withdrawing from the race. Instead, she wants to become a councilor in her canton of St. Gallen. Friedli, once a political advisor and now a restaurateur, has been in the federal parliament since 2019 and partner of Toni Brunner.
• Natalie Rickli (45): As the top favorite, Zurich Health Director and former National Councilor Natalie Rickli dismissed the SVP’s selection committee. She wants to focus on the government council elections in her canton on February 12, 2023. The former communications advisor was a member of the National Council from 2007 to 2019. In 2019 she was elected a member of the Zurich Governing Council.
• Magdalena Martullo Blocher (53): Magdalena Martullo-Blocher, National Councilor and SVP Vice President of Grisons, is not available for candidacy from the Federal Council. The head of Ems-Chemie-Holding announced that the party had many other outstanding candidates. The daughter of former federal councilor Christoph Blocher has been a member of the National Council since 2015.
• Toni Bruner (48): Former SVP party chairman Toni Brunner from St. Gallen rules out a political comeback as a member of the Bundesrat. “It’s not the time – and it won’t come again. I’m so happy,” he said. As a member of the selection committee, he is not available as a candidate in any case, he says. Brunner was a member of the National Council from 1995 to 2018 and succeeded Ueli Maurer as the head of SVP Switzerland from 2008 to 2016.
• Diana Gutjahr (38): The Thurgau SVP National Councilor and Entrepreneur Diana Gutjahr is currently unavailable for the Federal Council office. New opportunities must always match the current stage of life, she says. “As a fresh mom, this wouldn’t fit my current stage of life.”
• Franz Gruter (59): The national councilor of Lucerne and IT entrepreneur Franz Grüter does not see himself as a federal councilor. He is turning 60 and “is not looking for the office”, according to the chairman of the board of the Swiss internet and data center operator Green.ch and former chairman of the SVP of the Canton of Lucerne. Grüter has been a member of the National Council since 2015.
• Marcel Dettleling (41): A candidacy is also out of the question for Schwyz National Councilor Marcel Dettling. The farmer told Keystone-SDA news agency that he had his job as a campaign manager for the SVP and wanted to complete it successfully. Dettling has been a member of the National Council since 2015.
• Andreas Glarner (60): Andreas Glarner, national councilor and migration expert from Aargau, has turned down a candidacy. The chairman of the cantonal party has in any case never performed as a favorite in the ‘Aargauer Zeitung’ that he is aiming for a seat in the Federal Council now or in the future.
• Pierre Alain Schnegg (59): Bernese health, social and integration director Pierre Alain Schnegg waved it off. The business informatics engineer has been a member of the governing council of Bern since 2016 and made a name for himself at the national level during the pandemic. At the moment, he is not interested in running for office, he said.
• Cornelia Stamm Hurter (59): Government councilor Cornelia Stamm Hurter van Schaffhausen, like her colleagues Rickli from Zurich and her colleague Schnegg from Bern, continues to bet on the cantonal map. She continues to see her role in the cantonal government, as her party announced. Stamm Hurter had not previously ruled out a candidacy from the Federal Council. Her husband, national councilor Thomas Hurter (58), is also unreachable.
• Alex Huerzeler (57): Alex Hürzeler, director of education, culture and sport at Aargau, was another member of the government and withdrew from the race. He had no intention of moving to federal Bern, he told the “Aargauer Zeitung”. His place and work are in Aargau.
• Peter Spühler (62): Thurgau entrepreneur Peter Spuhler was also brought into play as a possible successor to Ueli Maurer. That is not a problem, however, he told Keystone-SDA news agency. Spuhler is CEO of the train construction company Stadler Rail. Out of respect for his company, he resigned as SVP member of the country council at the end of 2012 after 13 years.
• Monika Ruegger (54): Obwaldner SVP National Councilor Monika Rüegger does not want to succeed Ueli Maurer. She was not available for candidacy, she said on Twitter on Thursday evening. Rüegger explained that she wants to continue to represent Obwalden’s interests “with clear bourgeois politics” in Bern. In addition to her work in parliament, she wants to have time for her family.

You’re still talking

• Thomas Aeschi (43): The Zug Nationalrat Thomas Aeschi is practically ex officio one of the favourites, as leader of the SVP group. The management consultant was already an official candidate for the Federal Council in 2015 to succeed Federal Councilor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf (66), but was defeated by his party colleague Guy Parmelin (62). Aeschi has not made any explicit statements so far. He has been a member of the National Council since 2011 and became party leader in 2017.
• Celine Amaudruz (43): The Geneva National Councilor Céline Amaudruz was previously considered a possible candidate for the Federal Council. However, the lawyer and asset manager suspected that she would sooner claim the seat of Guy Parmelin from Vaud. SVP faction leader Marco Chiesa (48) also said that Ueli Maurer’s successor would “certainly” come from German-speaking Switzerland.
• Jean Pierre Gallati (56): Aargau’s health director, Jean-Pierre Gallati, was also mentioned in the media as a possible candidate for the Federal Council. The lawyer was a member of the National Council for a short time, from December 2019 to March 2020. He then took over the seat of the governing council in Aargau from Franziska Roth after she left the party and resigned. Initially, he did not comment on a possible candidacy.
• Gregor Rutz (50): Zurich National Councilor Gregor Rutz has already given up his candidacy. He is not aiming for an executive office, he told “Züri Today”. Despite this, the SVP Zurich continues to talk to him. Of all the Zurich candidates, he would probably be the one with the best odds. Rutz has been a member of the National Council since 2012 and was Secretary General of SVP Switzerland from 2001 to 2008.
• Heinz Tannler (62): Zug’s financial director, Heinz Tännler, would bring a lot for a federal councilor – and is therefore brought into play time and again. Tännler has not yet responded.
• Martin Haab (60): Zurich National Councilor Martin Haab has been mentioned in recent days as a possible Zurich candidate. The master farmer from Mettmenstetten ZH politicized for more than eight years in the cantonal council of Zurich. In June 2019, he replaced Natalie Rickli in the National Council.

(sf/SDA)