“Humility was not in my nature”

Pierre Maudet (44) wants to know again. The former Geneva state adviser, who was doomed to failure by a trip to Abu Dhabi, will face the “Libertés et Justice sociale” list in the elections next spring. His chances of being elected are considered intact. And this despite the criminal proceedings against him, which are still pending.

Maudet is accused of abuse in connection with the luxury trip to the emirate. He was acquitted at second instance, but the prosecutor appealed the verdict to the federal court. But even a conviction wouldn’t change his political ambitions, Maudet said.

In an interview with Blick, the former FDP politician, who was the official Federal candidate for the Liberals in 2017, now talks about his political ambitions.

Blick: Why are you returning to politics? Do you need it so much?
Pierre Maudet: There really is no “return” because I’ve never stopped being involved publicly. In the past two years I have met many Genevans. They told me about their problems and expectations. Today it’s about their needs, not mine.

And what do you think are their problems and expectations?
In short, people want the wealth of this city to benefit them. Today, inequality is increasing at the expense of a dwindling middle class. In a rich canton, this means that resources are not distributed fairly. We rely too much on what we have already achieved. This development is therefore logical. Now we have to play our trumps.

Pierre Maudet, the man of the hour?
Not at all. I’m not the only one, I’m mostly surrounded by citizens I’ve gotten to know over the past two years. People with skills and the will to make a difference.

But you admit that in the past you have felt that everything revolves around you?
What is certain is that power insulates. I served in the city and canton government for 14 years. The fact that under the known circumstances I abruptly left service is changing. It forces you to deal with certain realities in a new way. And above all, it forces me to great humility.

Which wasn’t exactly your forte.

That was perhaps not in my nature, I must admit, yes.

Has your time at Wisekey not convinced you of the benefits of the private sector? You can achieve great things in a company, right?
I still work at Wisekey and would like to continue to gain experience within a cybersecurity company. But one should not idealize the private sector and play it off against the public sector.

Let’s talk about politics. A glance at your website shows that you are still doing some scanning. That doesn’t look at all like Maudet, the structured daredevil.
The four pillars of our movement “Libertés et Justice Social” are clearly defined: health, housing, work and education. It is not about making promises that no one believes anymore, but about proposing measurable and achievable projects. We will gradually announce more about this.

Your application for basic insurance has already been submitted. A leftist demand!
This is no longer, as you say, a matter of pragmatism. For me, this puts the state back in the spotlight and in that sense it’s part of the liberal tradition. Because when it comes to healthcare and its costs, which affect everyone, you need a solid state that creates transparency. That is not the case at all today. For citizens, there is a total lack of transparency about costs. Geneva should start a pilot project. The basic insurance is the guarantee for transparency and better cost control. For some families in Geneva, the premiums are higher than their rent. This is no longer acceptable.

If we want to turn the system upside down, wouldn’t a unified health insurance fund be the right solution?
Well, you have to start somewhere to get out of a standstill.

The people rejected the idea of ​​a unified fund eight years ago. Why do you believe in it?
Eight years ago, the reservations were mainly of an ideological nature. Today, more and more players in the healthcare sector agree that public health insurance would be a way out of the deadlock — without having to raise taxes.

So far, all attempts to change the system have failed. Why tackle the impossible?
When I, as Councilor of State, launched Operation Papyrus, which regularized undocumented migrants, I was told this was impossible – although the problem had been known for a long time. We continued with it because everyone saw that it met a need and put an end to a hypocritical policy. The needs should be the starting point. As far as health insurance is concerned, the needs are clear: some people cannot do without medical care because the premiums are too high.

Granted, health affects everyone, but is Libertés et Justice social left or right?
Placing yourself in this left-right spectrum will keep you in these traditional schemes. However, with our list we want to break through the party political blockades and build bridges.

So you are the new Mouvement Citoyens Genevois? Neither left nor right?
That’s not the point, it’s not the same. We say that we must break with this policy of the politicians and initiate projects that can bridge the gaps. This is a constructive approach, not an anti-objective approach. Ideas are everywhere, good and bad. Left and right.

So the new Maudet is a populist.
If populism means humanism, being close to the people and finding concrete answers to the problems people face, then I like that label.

You may have been away from politics for two years, but you won’t soon forget that. Aren’t you afraid people will get tired of you?
It’s not about me! These elections are about getting answers to the questions that concern Genevans about employment, housing, education and health. For this reason, the list “Libertés et Justice Social” was created. That is why citizens have the courage to join me on my side. And in the end, the people will decide.