Due to his ‘war madness’ statement, the dispute over Berset’s candidacy escalated

class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 fmXrkB”>

On Thursday, Alfred Heer’s (62) telephone rang. On the wire: Alain Berset (51). What does the bon vivant from French-speaking Switzerland want from the shirt-sleeved SVP politician from Zurich?

Very simple: new situations require new alliances. The newly appointed former federal councilor would like to become secretary general of the Council of Europe, the protective body of the European Convention on Human Rights. Heer, in turn, has just been elected head of the twelve-member Swiss delegation in Strasbourg for a two-year term.

Berset knows that the support of his own countrymen is absolutely necessary if he wants to be elected by the 306 members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in June. So he must first and foremost win over Heer, who immediately assured him of his support after the conversation. Heer has put Berset’s candidacy on the agenda of the Swiss delegation for January 22. The aim is to provide joint support to the Social Democrats in Freiburg.

The opponents have become allies

When asked, National Councilor and Blick columnist Heer said: “For me there is no doubt: if a Swiss has the opportunity to represent the 600 million Europeans in human rights issues, then we support the Swiss, regardless of party register.”

Moreover, the political opponents have become allies, and what’s more, Heer becomes Berset’s main lobbyist for this mission. The time when the SVP targeted the then Minister of Health because of his private escapades seems centuries ago.

Heer will lobby the various factions for the ex-magistrate in the coming weeks and months. Operation Strasbourg, if you want to call it that, can begin.

Binder-Keller doubts Berset’s suitability

The rhetorical salvos fired from other parts of Swiss politics this week, disrupting the new harmony, are all the more explosive: Center councilor Marianne Binder-Keller (65) has publicly expressed his skepticism towards Berset.

She recalled Berset’s controversial statements about the war in Ukraine on the online news portal Nau, when he claimed to have created a “war frenzy” in the West – one of the rare actions that received applause from the SVP. Binder-Keller openly questions Berset’s suitability as operational head of the Council of Europe. She demands that he have to explain this statement in a job interview.

Gerhard Pfister (61) strikes the same note as Binder-Keller. He was “not sure,” said centrist President Binder-Keller, adding that the French clearly feel the wave of war less from Russia, but from those who want to help Ukraine defend their country with weapons.

Spicy: The woman from Aargau is vice-chairman of the Swiss delegation and therefore Heer’s deputy in Strasbourg. The SVP man reacted angrily. “They are spoilers,” he said, “and Ms Binder-Keller should seriously consider whether she is still acceptable as vice-chairman of our delegation with one vote against the Swiss candidate.”

There is no secret agenda behind it

Berset’s chances for the 300,000 euro job are intact: his competitors are the Belgian Didier Reynders (65), EU Commissioner for Justice, and the former Minister of Culture of Estonia, Indrek Saar (50).

Conclusion so far: the dazzling social democrat Berset managed to keep things quiet about himself for only ten days.

He reportedly claims that his application was planned at short notice and was not the result of a secret agenda; he only recently learned that the previous secretary general, Croatian Marija Pejcinovic Buric (60), would not run for the post again. At his announcement, Berset still raised eyebrows – he was gleefully told that he now needed a break from politics.

Sensitive missions would come to Berset

If the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe nominates him and he is elected in June, Berset would bear the highest responsibility for ensuring compliance with the decisions of the Strasbourg plenary. He would have to deal with sensitive human rights missions: trips to Ankara, Baku or Kiev – a party politician who liked to be photographed making risotto in Locarno or with a feather boa and cigar on a love mobile during the street parade.

In any case, SP man Berset has never appeared specifically in connection with the human rights file. But he was always good for surprises.

Source:Blick