He is leaving at the peak of his political career: Thomas Hefti (62), a liberal from Glarus, will chair the Council of States this year – until the end of November. It is one of the most influential roles in the country. But at the same time, Hefti is on the brink of his political end – thanks to his father.
Only in the canton of Glarus there is an old age guillotine for government councilors or state councilors at the age of 65. Those who have reached retirement age should take off their hats. And just a few days after the election, Hefti turns 64. The line goes back to the “Lex Hefti” of all things. The reason for this was Hefti’s father Peter Hefti.
Landammann must follow
The board of the Glarner FDP proposes Benjamin Mühlemann as his successor, said in a statement Monday. Mühlemann is the acting governor and head of the finance and health department. For almost nine years he worked as a government councilor for a progressive canton. According to the announcement, the nomination will take place at the next FDP delegate meeting in January 2023.
Hefti can look back on a long and successful political career.
In 1998 he was elected to the city council of Schwanden. From 2006 to 2010 he was the last mayor of Schwanden and from 2011 he was the first mayor of Glarus Süd. From 2008 to 2020, Hefti politicized in the Glarner district administration.
Most conservative of all Liberal councillors
The 62-year-old lawyer Hefti was elected to the Council of States to replace the late Pankraz Freitag. Since then he has been re-elected twice, each time with the clear best result of all Glarner federal parliamentarians.
According to the online voting aid Smartvote, the Glarner is the most conservative of all Liberal councillors. He is considered a “silent worker” but operating successfully in the background. (SDA/dba)