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It is a happy day for the Basel region. She now heads both the National Council and the Council of States. And she can continue to hope that SP man Beat Jans (59) will soon be able to appoint a federal councilor.
The National Council started its new term from 2023 to 2027 on Monday with speeches, the swearing-in of members and the national anthem. The council elected SP national councilor Eric Nussbaumer (63) from Basel as the new president.
Achieved two very good results
The electrical engineer, who has been active in the National Council since 2007, received 180 of the 192 valid votes, achieving an above-average result. The long-term average for this election is 155 votes. As the “highest Swiss”, Nussbaumer succeeds the Graubünden Center State Councilor Martin Candinas (43).
Nussbaumer based his chairmanship on the motto ‘Crossing borders – broadening horizons’, as he said in a short speech. It is important to question your own seemingly logical and stable position. “Anyone who kicks down their own mental garden gate will also find ways and solutions that are feasible in the political discussion.”
The first vice-chairman of the National Council and therefore expected to be the highest Swiss woman in 2025 is the Aargau liberal Maja Riniker (45). She was elected with 177 of the 195 valid votes. The new second vice-president of the grand chamber is Pierre-André Page (63, SVP) from Freiburg. He received 155 of the 173 valid votes.
Relationship with the EU emphasized
SP state councilor Eva Herzog (61) also achieved a very good result. The Small Chamber elected her as the first woman from Basel to chair the Council of States. With the election of Herzog, the SP has occupied the presidency of the Council of States for the tenth time since 1919. Herzog is the sixth woman to hold this position.
Herzog was elected chairman of the Council of States on Monday with 44 of the 44 valid votes. The number of votes cast by members of the Council of States for Herzog is above average in a long-term comparison. The average number of votes for the election of the President of the Council of States is 42.1. With 45 votes, four presidents of the Council of States were elected unanimously until Eva Herzog was elected. This was recently the case with the last president, Brigitte Häberli-Koller (center/TG).
In her inauguration speech, Herzog focused on Switzerland’s relationship with the EU and its appeal to democratic values. “The EU is first and foremost a guarantee of our basic values and peace, which we also represent,” Herzog said. “Our relations with the EU are good, but we already notice that they are eroding.”
Pfister speaks of a “time of unrest”
The opening meeting of the National Council was opened by Gerhard Pfister (61), centrist national councilor of Zug, as senior president. In a “time of turmoil,” it is up to the Federal Council to ensure that future generations can also experience Switzerland “as we do,” he said in his opening speech.
Pfister advocated tough but fair discussions in the interest of the cause. Cracks “in the palisades of what is taken for granted in Switzerland” represented not only challenges, but also opportunities.
The youngest member elected to the grand chamber for the first time, this year 26-year-old Bernese winemaker Katja Riem (SVP) will also speak during the Constituent Assembly. She brought a vine to the lectern. Just as the vine remains rooted in the ground, it is also the job of parliamentarians to stay connected to the people, the will of the people, she said.
After these speeches, the 200 members of the National Council took an oath to conscientiously discharge the duties of the office. (SDA)
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
