Yesterday, many MPs had a long way to go in celebration of the President of the National Council: Disentis GR was the name of the destination of the special train, which left Bern shortly before 10 a.m. And which had many political celebrities on board to celebrate the new President of the National Council, Martin Candinas (center).
“You have an exciting time and a lot of work ahead of you,” said federal councilor Viola Amherd, who was Candina’s neighbor on the National Council for many years. She doubts he can still “chill out” in the Federal Palace. “Chilling”, i.e. “relaxing”, was the answer Candinas’ son once had when asked what the father was actually doing in the Federal Palace.
Candinas thanked Amherd not only for the rock crystal, but also for the patience she had with him in the beginning as a newcomer. “Thanks for all the advice. I even followed some of them,” he said.
Rhaeto-Romanesque in pictures
It can hardly be assumed that the busy resident of Graubünden will “chill” in the coming year. One of his goals was to make Rhaeto-Romance better known in federal Bern. Graubünden district president Marcus Caduff (center) is convinced that Candinas will achieve this. “After his year as president, everyone in Bern should know that Rhaeto-Romance is our fourth national language and not English,” he said.
And everyone would also know that the Romance language consists of more words than capuns, maluns and subventiuns. “Although subsidies are of course important,” says Caduff.
Martullo-Blocher also celebrated
Numerous MPs came to celebrate the new “swiss supreme”, including SVP candidate of the Federal Council Albert Rösti, the former President of the National Council Irène Kälin (Greens) or SVP National Councilor Magdalena Martullo-Blocher.
In the morning, the politicians traveled from Bern via Furka and Oberalp to Surselva in a special train decorated with flowers. Arriving there, after 2 p.m., they marched through the village to the monastery church to fanfare music. After the official part in the church, the population was invited for an aperitif. The guests went to Chur in the evening for dinner. (SDA/sf)