The function of the Federal Council is very challenging, according to the professor and member of the Council of States. “We have now elected two good federal councilors. I’m a little glad I don’t have all the work,” said SP council member Daniel Jositsch (57) on Thursday evening in the SRF program “Gredig direct”. It is the alpha and omega of his appearance at the same time.
After the resignation of Simonetta Sommaruga, Jositsch fiercely opposed the decision of the SP party leadership that a woman should follow the retiring federal councilor. And immediately made himself available as a candidate for the Bundesrat. However, after the SP party had supported the decision of the top, Jositsch withdrew his candidacy. In the election of the Federal Council, he finally received 58 votes on the first ballot. But he refrained from taking himself out of the race.
popular support
Jositsch says he is not obliged to do anything in such a situation: “In the first round of voting, some parliamentarians wanted to show the parliamentary party that they did not agree with the procedure. Everyone told me that they would no longer vote for me in the second vote. .” So he knew he wouldn’t get elected anyway.
Nevertheless, Jositsch emphasizes that he received a lot of support from the population for his candidacy for the Bundesrat. “Everyone probably thought I could do it. However, a woman was wanted, that’s fine with me,” continued the Zurich Council of States at “Gredig direct”. Of course there was also criticism from the party, but the discussion was conducted objectively.
Will he compete again?
Will Jositsch participate again when Federal Councilor Alain Berset (50) resigns? “I don’t think this will be relevant to me in five years’ time,” says Jositsch about Gredig. Jositsch ends the program with the statement that he is probably a happier person as a member of the Council of States and a university professor than in the role of a member of the Federal Council. (lazy)