Jositsch fights, Pult jokes: the six SP candidates for the Federal Council in the French check

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Daniel Jositsch (58, ZH) keeps his head bowed and his arms folded. The Zurich resident should actually be fighting, here in Geneva, during the first of four public hearings for the candidates for the vacant seat of the SP Federal Council, held by Alain Berset (51).

Jositsch, Matthias Aebischer (56, BE), Jon Pult (39, GR), Roger Nordmann (50, VD), Evi Allemann (45, BE) and Beat Jans (59, BS) appear four times in front of the audience – who are mainly from SP is -Sympathizers exist – just to introduce yourself.

Jositsch fights for his reputation

Jositsch needs no introduction. He lost a lot of support more than a year ago, especially within the SP faction. His ego trip to succeed former federal councilor Simonetta Sommaruga (63) has left its mark. In Geneva he remains pale and seems to be looking for his election chances in his shirtsleeves.

“I almost forgot your question because I didn’t hear it,” the Council of States says to moderator Maria Bernasconi (68), who is leading the evening. It had to be a joke. But it shows that Jositsch is still apologizing after his mistake. This evening he issues another “mea culpa”. Jositsch is still fighting for his reputation at the start of the event.

Others are combative.

The hour has come for Jon Pult from Graubünden. Rhetorically brilliant – even in French – he received repeated applause over the course of the evening and provoked laughter during his opening speech.

It’s enough for Français Federal

Beat Jans has a special role. Started as a favorite, farmers in particular have expressed their doubts in recent weeks. The chairman of Basel’s government appears to be well prepared, he is always sorting his alms and can hardly wait for former country councilor and moderator Maria Bernasconi (68) to give him the floor.

At least five of the six candidates face an additional hurdle: French, which is not their native language. But no one drops out. For Français fédéral – ‘federal French’ – everyone has enough. Swiss-German politicians in particular are among the masters in this field.

And to begin with, the language doesn’t matter anyway: former faction leader Roger Nordmann has a home game, at least linguistically speaking. Even though he traveled from Lausanne – ‘a small town on Lake Geneva’ – to Calvinstadt.

Nordmann speaks just as quickly as the train connects the two cities. “Roger brevement”, “Roger a short answer”. Moderator Bernasconi has her hands full trying to stem the flow of speech from the Vaudois when he talks about the climate, the Credit Suisse-PUK, relations with the EU or whatever.

Pult and Jans as winners

Thematically there are hardly any surprises. In fact, as always on such occasions, politicians meet the base: on the one hand, the public, which formulates its expectations of salvation and asks questions to the field of candidates: what happens now with the EU? How can the halving initiative be prevented and how can health insurance premiums be reduced?

Once the event is over, you hear two names whispered: Pult and Jans. Jon Pult was by far the most convincing, a young listener tells her companion. And she nods confidently. Beat Jans was able to demonstrate his vision well, says another. Whether it is enough to get a ticket will become clear in about two weeks. And maybe by then Daniel Jositsch will find his fighting spirit in his shirt sleeves.

Source:Blick