There is a rain of rejections: the Greens are desperate for a candidate for the Federal Council

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No one dares to leave cover anymore. No one has yet shown interest after the Greens announced on Saturday that they wanted to attack one of the two FDP seats in the Federal Council elections on December 13 – despite the defeat in the parliamentary elections.

The Greens would not stand as a candidate because they think they have a good chance, but precisely to make it clear “that we have a legitimate claim to a seat in the government,” said party chairman Balthasar Glättli (51). However, he is not available to run for office himself. It is also clear to him that his chances of being elected are minimal. Anyone who runs runs the risk of getting burned out.

“It’s not a good time”

And so it is not surprising that rejection follows rejection. For example, former party chairman Regula Rytz (61), who had to remove the coals from the Federal Council for the Greens in 2019, is resigning. This time it’s different: “No, I’m not available,” Rytz tells Blick.

Rytz was asked by the party a long time ago, but declined. This also has to do with her resignation from parliament in May 2022: “I have reorganized my life and am very happy with it.”

The much-mentioned Genevan state councilor Lisa Mazzone (35) also does not want to know anything about her candidacy at this time. “It’s not a good time,” she explains to Blick. The Green Party vice president not only has small children, she also has to worry about her re-election to the Council of States in Geneva.

“I’m not available”

Baselland councilor Maya Graf (61) is also not standing as a candidate. Just like Irène Kälin (36) from Aargau, who was chairman of the National Council last year. A rejection also comes from State Councilor Greta Gysin (40), who currently wants to fully concentrate on the second round of the elections for the Council of States in Ticino.

Until now, the cantons have also called it “Njet”. Construction director Martin Neukom (37) from Zurich, for example, cancels. He is considered a pragmatic Greens, which would have made him more electable than others. However, Neukom does not want that. “I am not available for a candidacy for the Federal Council,” he told Blick.

Governing councilor Brigit Wyss (63) of Solothurn does not want to run for office again. As a national councilor, she had already challenged the FDP once – in 2010, when it came to the successor of Federal Councilor Hans-Rudolf Merz (80). “I really enjoy being a government councilor,” says Wyss, explaining her resignation.

Candidacy should be announced next week

Time is running out. Those interested in the Green Party only have until Friday to throw their hat into the ring. There isn’t much time left to think about it. A week later, the Bundeshaus faction wants to decide who should be a candidate.

A number of possible candidates have not yet responded. They say nothing other than that they are ‘thinking about it carefully’. Or they are completely silent and stand on a diving station. It is important to avoid mistakes.

Glarus councilor Mathias Zopfi (39) is still in the running. As a green representative of a very bourgeois canton, he is politicizing the right-wing edge of his party: an advantage for a candidacy for the Federal Council. He has not ruled out running for office. Just like Zug councilor Manuela Weichelt (56) or Gerhard Andrey (47) from Freiburg. State councilor Franziska Ryser (32) of St. Gallen has so far kept a low profile. Zurich Federal Councilor Bastien Girod (42) wants to inform about his plans on Thursday.

Of course, they all know that their chances of being chosen are extremely slim. The FDP is not considering voluntarily giving up a seat. And most other parties have no interest in voting out a sitting federal councilor. Even the SP is hesitant not to lose a seat itself. There is currently little evidence of a seat on the Green Federal Council.

Source:Blick