After back and forth about the second FDP seat: the elections for the Federal Council could still be exciting

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Who will succeed Alain Berset (51) in the Federal Council? SP member, that much seems certain. Does the Greens’ attack on an FDP seat have no chance? In all likelihood, yes. And will the center not actually fulfill its claim to the second seat of the Federal Council? This can be assumed. But you don’t really know what’s going on until election day.

On December 13, there were the general elections for the Federal Council, but also the replacement elections for the retiring SP federal councilor Berset. With the exception of Berset, the remaining six members of the government are all running for re-election. The second SP seat is mathematically uncontested. After all, the Comrades are the second strongest party in the country, after the SVP.

With the Graubünden federal councilor Jon Pult (39) and the district president of Basel, Beat Jans (59), the Social Democrats are sending two candidates into the race. If there are no party political games, one of the two will inherit Berset.

Just a footnote?

It would be more exciting if an uncontrollable dynamic emerged before the Berset replacement elections – which will take place at the end of the overall renewal. This could be the case, for example, if the Greens’ attack on an FDP seat – probably that of Ignazio Cassis (62) – was supported by many voters in the United Federal Assembly. Or if an unofficial centrist candidacy suddenly made the seat of FDP Foreign Minister Cassis controversial. Simply: So far, party leaders have said they will not vote out any previous federal council members.

If the members of the major parliamentary groups adhere to this demand, the candidacy of Freiburg Green National Councilor Gerhard Andrey (47) will remain a footnote in history. It would be just another attempt by the Greens to get into the Federal Council.

Jositsch again?

Because the elections are secret, it is not clear who gets votes from whom. This sometimes makes election day unpredictable. Even though most political groups publicly announce their preferences before elections, no one is required to adhere to them.

When it came to choosing the successor of SP federal councilor Simonetta Sommaruga (63) a year ago, Eva Herzog (61) and Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (59) were appointed as official SP candidates. SP state councilor Daniel Jositsch (58) still received 58 votes. This time too, there is speculation that some citizens will express their dissatisfaction with the official SP ticket and write Jositsch on the ticket.

Finally, SVP thought leader Christoph Blocher (83) spoke out in his video series Teleblocher in favor of writing a wild SP candidate on the ballot paper.

Bureau and Jans in the hearings

Only Jans and Pult are invited by the parliamentary groups to hearings as Berset’s successors. And they will appear on Monday before the Conference of Rural Parliamentarians, a committee of key farmers in the Federal Assembly. A year ago, Baume-Schneider reportedly received many votes from representatives close to the farmers – and thus managed to pull off the surprise against Herzog, who appeared rather “cold” during the hearings, as MPs reported.

The first hearings with the factions will follow on Tuesday. Jans and Pult are heard by the SVP, the FDP, the Greens and the Green Liberals. A week later the performance at the center faction follows. Meanwhile, Andrey will only be heard by the GLP on Tuesday and by the SP a week later.

A new chancellor is elected

On election day, December 13, national and state councils will re-elect the “eighth Federal Council”, in addition to the seven-member state government. It is about the successor to Walter Thurnherr (60, center) as Chancellor. The race is very open here.

Three of the four parties of the Federal Council decided in advance not to put themselves forward as candidates. The center, which occupied the chancellor’s office not only with Thurnherr but also with Corina Casanova (67), no longer lays claim to it. In the medium term, the center is aiming for a second seat in the Federal Council.

The two SVP proposals Gabriel Lüchinger (46) and Nathalie Goumaz (58), as well as the GLP candidate and current Vice Chancellor Viktor Rossi (55) are currently in the race for the office of Chancellor. The non-party Lukas Gresch-Brunner, now Secretary General of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (EDI), also wants to succeed Thurnherr.

The parliamentary groups will also hear from these candidates in the next ten days. (SDA/pt)

Source:Blick