Premiere for the Greens: For the first time, the SVP Federal Council candidates are invited to a hearing. This is confirmed by party leader Aline Trede (39). “We don’t compete because of the power cartel, but we listen to it,” she tells Blick. The Greens had previously considered a battle candidacy, but soon called off the exercise due to a lack of support from other parties and criticized the “power cartel” of the Federal Council parties.
The fact that the Greens now want to hear the SVP candidates amounts to a paradigm shift. The past few decades have been shaped by Green attacks on conservative seats in the Federal Council – especially those of the SVP.
With an official candidacy, the eco-party ran for the first time in 2000 with Lucerne-born Cécile Bühlmann (72), in the election of a replacement for SVP man Adolf Ogi (80, BE). Or there were disruptive and diversionary maneuvers, such as when Blocher was voted out in 2007 with Luc Recordon (67) from Vaud.
It’s about 35 voices
For the first time, the SVP candidates will be able to present themselves to the Greens – and will answer questions from a particularly critical audience. “We want to know what solutions you have to fight global warming and in cooperation with the EU. And what promises we can enforce on them,” says Trede. She would also like to know from SVP crown favorite Albert Rösti (55) how the Bernese would get rid of the ‘entanglements’ associated with his numerous mandates.
After all, there are about 35 votes that the Greens can throw into the balance. It remains to be seen whether the parliamentary party will also come up with official election advice for an SVP candidate. Trede: “We’ll decide that after the hearings.”
SVP accepts the invitation
Even though the SVP and the Greens are rarely green politically, the right-wing party is willing to take the offer. “We adhere to democratic practices in parliament and of course accept the invitation,” said SVP Secretary General Peter Keller (51).
All the more so because the Greens can be shown how important concordance is as a factor of stability for the country. Keller can also imagine that one or the other candidate can score a little more with the Greens, even if the political differences threaten to remain large.
Keller can’t resist a dig: “I’m glad the Greens will at least for once stop their childish behavior in the Federal Council elections.”
Ruedi Studer
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
