Bloechliger has changed his mind

Government councilor Michèle Blöchliger (55, SVP) of Nidwalden wants to know. Despite a rocky start, she has not withdrawn her candidacy for the Federal Council. So far, she is the only female SVP candidate, because apart from Blöchliger, there was no other woman with Federal Council ambitions in her ranks.

It would be a premiere: The SVP has never had a federal councilor before. This is one of the reasons why a woman’s candidacy has been advocated by several parties, for example by former party chairman Toni Brunner (48).

Feminine without feminism

Women’s concerns are not much sought after in the SVP anyway. The party recently caused a stir with two initiatives to regulate abortion more strictly. One wants to ban abortion after the twelfth week without exception, the other wants to give women a day to think about it before having an abortion.

Even Blöchliger, the founder of the Nidwalden SVP section, has not made a name for herself with feminist concerns. On the contrary: after the introduction of the deadline solution in 2002 – also in Nidwalden the approval rate was more than 60 percent – Blöchlinger campaigned in the cantonal parliament to stop the cantonal hospital from performing abortions.

One should not “trample on the fundamental Christian values”, she told the “Nidwaldner Zeitung” at the time. And besides, if a woman from Nidwalden wanted to have an abortion, she wouldn’t go to the local hospital anyway.

“Unnecessary” leave for mothers

When the maternity insurance policy was introduced in 2004, Blöchliger and the entire SVP were on the side of the opponents. The paid maternity leave of 14 weeks for working people was not necessary, she said at the time. The people had a different opinion.

Anyone hoping for a more feminist policy from Blöchliger than from the men in the race will be disappointed. The governing council hardly deviates from the party line. Faced with the old views, she responds with reflection and democratic spirit.

Reflective Councilor of Government

“Two decades have passed since then,” she tells Blick. “That’s a very long time in which you can rethink your views or come to new conclusions.”

And Blöchliger is clear: she has been behind maternity insurance since the vote in 2004. “This regulation is indispensable.” She also supported the referendum of the time on the time-limit solution – especially since a 12-week abortion is only allowed if the mother’s physical or mental health is at risk and is medically justifiable.

She is diplomatic about the two SVP abortion initiatives: “I think it is good for the two current initiatives if the population can comment on them. That is part of a democracy.” But she was quite skeptical about the two concerns. The current rules are sufficient.