The new Federal Councilors Elisabeth Baume-Schneier (59) and Albert Rösti (55) are slowly taking up their positions. That means, first of all, that they look for their closest associates. At its center is the position of Secretary-General – this is the magistrate’s right-hand man. He or she ensures that the department is running and is also ready to advise the boss politically.
Nothing is official yet, but Blick knows: the two neofederal councilors are counting on old party friends. Justice Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider brings Stefan Hostettler (53) to her side. Hostettler is currently Deputy Secretary General at the Department of the Environment (UVEK). Simonetta Sommaruga (62), who resigned as a deputy secretary-general at the Ministry of Justice, brought him there.
Long experience in the federal parliament
So Hostettler returns to his former workplace – now simply in a higher position. It is certainly an advantage for Baume-Schneider to have a parliamentary insider on their side. The business economist and communication professional Hostettler has been active in federal politics since 2008, first as a research assistant for the SP parliamentary group, later as deputy general secretary of the SP Switzerland – and then in the federal government.
The new Minister of Environment and Energy Rösti is also counting on a fellow party member. Yves Bichsel (51) will be his general secretary. The Bernese is currently secretary-general of the Bernese government council Pierre-Alain Schnegg (60) and is regarded as the strong man there.
But Bichsel also has the Bundespaleis, albeit from different times. Bichsel began his political career in 2000 at the Secretariat General of the SVP before Christoph Blocher (82) brought him to the Ministry of Justice and also made him Deputy Secretary General.
Choose a formality
After Blocher’s successor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf (66) separated herself from Blocher’s intimate Bichsel, he briefly returned to SVP. However, he left the post of Secretary General after a few months. In 2009, Ueli Maurer (72) brought Bichsel to the Ministry of Defense, where he remained until he moved to the canton. So now his return to the Federal Palace follows.
The Bundesrat has yet to confirm the two personal details, but this is considered a formality. (pt/sf)