Brave departure, beer idea, faux pas: these newcomers to the Federal Palace had already been noticed

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A fresh wind is blowing through the Federal Palace. More than fifty newly elected National Council members made their debut in parliament in December. Who stood out? And who has already managed to drive in the first pins? Blick listened and looked attentively in the Federal Palace.

Newly elected people are normally cautious during their first few weeks in parliament. Ultimately, it is important to understand the operation somewhat before becoming politically active yourself.

Solothurn SP national councilor Farah Rumy (31) steps on the gas. In her first session, the trained nurse submitted two proposals that revolved around healthcare. Her Solothurn colleague Rémy Wyssmann (53) from the SVP is also very busy. From traffic jams on the A1 to IV reports to the tank deal: during question time, in which the National Councils have the opportunity to target the Federal Councils, he already asked eight questions. The lawyer has also already submitted a parliamentary initiative.

Neo-state councilor Fabio Regazzi (61) also persevered – and will probably regret it. The unwritten law in the Council of States is that new members must remain silent during their first session. The centrist politician dared to oppose this. Finally, the Council of States considered a proposal submitted by the Ticino resident as national councilor. And remain silent about his own demands? That’s not possible, he thought. However, some old residents of the Stöckli saw things differently. Regazzi’s proposal was rejected. There are rumors in the Federal Palace that it was a punishment for Regazzi who did not adhere to the obligation of silence.

The same happened to Regazzi’s middle colleague Marianne Binder from Aargau. De Stöckli also rejected her demand for a ban on Nazi symbols – after she dared to speak out about it as a newcomer.

On the other hand, she was allowed to speak, and officially: as the youngest member of the council, Berner SVP Council Member Katja Riem (26) had the task of giving an opening speech on the first day of the session.

The winemaker addressed her 199 senior colleagues in all four national languages ​​and, using a grapevine, explained the principles by which Parliament should be guided: solidarity with citizens, independence but also innovation and further development. Riem received much praise for her stateswoman-like speech. And big applause.

The loudest are not the most powerful in parliament. Much more important than submitting proposals and giving rousing speeches – but also much more demanding – is the work in the committees where new laws are introduced. The Economic Commission is considered particularly powerful and therefore sought after. With the Zurich farmer Martin Hübscher (54) and the Ticino tax advisor Paolo Pamini (46), two SVP newcomers have managed to be included in the illustrious circle.

For SP state councilor Anna Rosenwasser (33) from Zurich it was a jump into icy water. The influencer and LBTGQ activist had never held political office before her surprise election to parliament. On Instagram she is disarmingly honest about how overwhelmed she sometimes is – and she takes her followers through her first steps as a Kingdom Council member.

However, at the end of the session she made an embarrassing mistake. “Today we elect the judicial committee,” Rosenwasser wrote on Instagram. SVP faction leader Thomas Aeschi (44) then publicly informed her that no committee was chosen, but members of the federal courts. Ouch.

As a farmer, few dare to rebel against the powerful farmers’ association. The debut of Bernese SVP member Hans Jörg Rüegsegger (53) as a country councilor is therefore remarkable. The farmer from Gantrian dared to lobby against cheap grain from abroad and to abstain from voting. In doing so, he not only went against the election advice of the association, but also against the election advice of his own party. A courageous step for a neo-National Council.

In the meantime, Reto Nause (52) takes care of the really important matters. The Center National Council, still security director of the city of Bern, is concerned about security around the Federal Palace.

As he reported to ‘Capital’, he has an unconventional suggestion. He wants to lobby parliament to allow a pop-up bar behind the Federal Palace. This is intended to ban young people who disturb local residents with noise and waste during the weekend.

Source:Blick