“It was destroyed economically and politically”

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Former Blick editor-in-chief René Lüchinger (64) has published a highly regarded biography of Elisabeth Kopp († 86). He is convinced that she never got over her dismissal.

Herr Lüchinger, you have met Elisabeth Kopp again and again. How was she last?
Rene Luchinger: She was ill and suffered from senile leukemia for many years. She was weak and frail. But she was always very level-headed.

Elisabeth Kopp made history as the first woman in the Bundesrat. Did she want the job?
You can’t convince anyone to take on such a position. But she always said she had to do this for women’s breakthrough. By the way, before she applied, she had herself examined by a doctor. That was typical Elisabeth Kopp.

What did the ‘Kopp affair’ mean for Kopps’ relationship?
From what I saw, it must have been a pretty deep love affair on both sides. She always stood by him. At the same time, I felt that Kopp was a character in her own right, not just an appendage to her husband, as some people have accused her.

How bad was the layoff for you?
You have to see that this dismissal has destroyed her economically and politically. I must have interviewed Elisabeth Kopp for 30 to 40 hours. Resignation gnawed at her until the last conversation.

Kopp was acquitted. What did that get her?
Not much. After the dismissal, an offer came from a large Swiss company. She would have loved to. When she was impeached, the president retired. So she was not rehabilitated there. That came 25 years later.

Then she went public again, also on equality.
She was an icon for the women’s movement. It did her good to be able to move back into society. The theme of equality was, of course, high on the agenda. But there were other problems as well: She was a very “green” federal councillor. If the FDP had taken over more, it would not have been bad for the development of the party.

Source:Blick