The Federal Council’s strategy of the secret election winner in the middle: wait and strike

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Center leader Gerhard Pfister (61) seized the opportunity: “The FDP was of the opinion exactly twenty years ago that my party, with exactly the same voter share as the FDP now has, is only entitled to one seat.” to read about in the history books,” he said during the presidential round on Swiss television SRF.

FDP leader Thierry Burkart (48) naturally denied that the SVP had made strong gains at the time and confirmed this several times. But the Pfister threat is still there. Although he previously assured that his party would not vote out a sitting federal councilor.

Strike when the opportunity is there

The plan is to wait and strike when the opportunity is real. And perhaps help a little in the emergence of such an opportunity. Not anymore. The Greens, who were punished by the voters, were completely different. Probably also because of their opposition to the solar offensive in the Alps.

Still stunned by their clear defeat, the party leadership still believes they can score points with a completely hopeless candidacy for the Federal Council. It would be clearer that Balthasar Glättli (51), leader of the Green Party, thinks about his own future at the head of the Green Party, rather than a Green Federal Council.

Pfister is in a much more comfortable position: the center has made gains and is on par with the FDP in terms of voter share for the first time. The center party, which emerged from the BDP and the CVP, probably has one more mandate for the National Council than the Freethinkers.

Winner in a draw

Pfister always went low and was satisfied with the result that the CVP and BDP achieved in 2019, namely 13.8 percent. He – and his fellow party members – are therefore extremely satisfied with 14.6 percent (at the time of going to press).

Burkart, who had declared that he wanted to replace the SP as the second strongest party, suffered a defeat with losses and a voter share of 14.6 percent. The FDP is almost three percentage points behind the Social Democrats.

Since Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (59) has been in the state government on behalf of the SP, Ignazio Cassis (62) can be happy that he is no longer in last place on the Federal Council’s rankings. But the liberal knows his seat in government remains the shaky one. He cannot rest on his seat in the Federal Council.

Then the middle hour strikes

FDP leader Burkart is probably jealous when he looks at his own party: SVP federal councilor Albert Rösti (56) is about to become a second Adolf Ogi (81) in terms of popularity. And even if Guy Parmelin (63) did nothing at all – which many expect from a Minister of Economy – the population still trusts him more in surveys than Cassis, who can never please the people.

On December 13, 2023, the Federal Assembly will appoint an official candidate from the SP ticket for the Federal Council and re-elect the other government members. But Cassis, who will celebrate his 63rd birthday four months later, will no longer remain in office forever. When it comes to his successor, the centrist party’s hour has come.

Source:Blick