Samuel Schmid

Samuel Jörg Schmid ( born January 8, 1947 in Ruti Bueren in the canton of Bern, hometown entitled in Attiswil ) is a Swiss politician of the BDP (until 2008 SVP) and former Federal Council.

Political career

Since his entry into politics, he held various political offices:

On December 6, 2000 Samuel Schmid was elected to the Federal Council ( Bundesrat see 2000 election ). He was not an official candidate of his former party, the SVP. He was throughout his tenure Head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS).

His most important project was the Army Army XXI reform, which is to achieve an adaptation of the Swiss Army to the changed threat situation in Europe.

In 2004, he was Vice President and was elected on 8 December 2004 as Federal President for the year 2005. Samuel Schmid motto for the year 2005 was called encounter. His main concern was claims to the vote on the Bilateral II and the strengthening of collegiality in the Bundesrat.

The Federal Council elections 2007 Samuel Schmid was re-elected with 201 votes clear. After this let himself sworn in despite the deselection of Christoph Blocher and thus acted against the opposition strategy of his party, he was not allowed to attend group meetings and has been particularly ignored by the party leadership as SVP representative. The former Party President Ueli Maurer commented in February 2008, for the party members Schmid was " as good as dead as clinically ". An expulsion from the party but he considered " a waste of time ." On June 2, 2008 Schmid told the press his imminent exit from the SVP and announced that he think along with other dissatisfied SVP members on the creation of a new party. On June 21, the BDP Bern was founded, the Schmid joined by means of collective crossing of its local section. In early November 2008 had to be operated on the gall bladder Schmid. Shortly afterwards, on 12 November 2008, Schmid announced the resignation from the Federal Council on 31 December 2008.

Criticism

Schmid was in the criticism of his own party since his election to the Federal Council. Schmid was not an official candidate in the Federal election. He also sat as a loyal partner of the FDP for the implementation of Army XXI, which is why he only partially the support has been withdrawn from the "Zurich wing " of the SVP in 2002. After accidents in the army and because of the appointment of Roland Nef chief of the army was often the problems of the " sit and wait " written.

Samuel Schmid was a colonel and commander of an infantry regiment from 1993 until the end of 1996. Moreover, he was Deputy Commander F Div 3 in 1998 and 1999.

Private life

After graduating high school in Type B Solothurn in 1967, followed by a study of law at the University of Bern with the financial statements as an advocate and notary. In 1978 he opened his own practice.

Schmid lives in Ruti in Buren, is married and father of three sons. He is a member of the fraternity Wengia.

On 4 January 2009 Samuel Schmid was appointed at a major celebration in Ruti in Bueren an honorary citizen of the community in Ruti Buren.

His older brother, Peter, was from 1979 to 1998 Government of the Canton of Bern.