Christoph Blocher
Christoph Blocher tungsten ( born October 11, 1940 in Schaffhausen, home justified in miles, Zurich, Schattenhalb and Val Müstair, formerly Lü GR ) is a Swiss entrepreneur and politician (SVP ).
Family
Christoph Blocher grew up the seventh of eleven children of the parish family tungsten and Ida Blocher - Baur in running ZH. He is married to the former primary school teacher Silvia Blocher born emperor. Blocher lives in Herrliberg and Castle Rhazuns and has three daughters and a son.
Great-great grandfather Johann Georg Blocher (1811-1899) who immigrated as a Pietist preacher from the Kingdom of Württemberg, and was naturalized in 1861 in the canton of Bern. Also Blocher's father and two of his siblings were active in pastoral ministry. The father was parish priest from 1933 to 1959 in Laufen ZH and was then voted out. Brother Gerhard Blocher officiated until his retirement as pastor in Hallau ( Canton of Schaffhausen ). With his harsh statements ( and others, on Swiss television ) to the political opponents of his brother, he made repeated sensation.
Sister Sophie Blocher was a nurse, midwife, school principal, member and later president of the Basel Mission and pastor in Muttenz; they also built a home for the homeless and used her mother in their last years of life.
Brother Andrew Blocher was a historian and high school teacher; he has published an essay about his brother Christopher.
The oldest sister Judith Giovannelli Blocher was a social worker and now lives in Biel. In her autobiographical novel The Frozen Sea, it describes the common childhood in the rectory of running ZH.
A great-uncle, Eugen Blocher, was also active in politics; He was a member of the Basel SP.
Profession
After attending primary and secondary school in Uhwiesen graduated Christoph Blocher 1956-1958 agricultural teachings in Ossingen, which he finished with a final exam at Strickhof Zurich. He then visited 1958/59 agricultural winter school and completed three internships in the Irschel book, Pampigny and Knonau. In 1961, he prepared himself for the Swiss Federal Matura. He graduated in 1963, tests for Matura Type C and 1964 an additional examination in Latin. From 1964 to 1969 he studied law at the Universities of Zurich, Montpellier and the Sorbonne. In 1969, he completed this with a degree in 1971 followed by his promotion.
1969 Blocher joined (formerly Emser Werke ), where he rose 1973 Agency chairman in the legal department of EMS - Chemie AG. Died in 1979 the company owner Werner Oswald. The Company has previously advised because of delayed range adjustments and the poor economic difficulties in what 1981/82 the dividend has been deleted. This prompted the heirs for sale. The two sons Oswald charged with the sale Blocher bought the company finally even after no buyer had to be found, which would have continued it without massive job cuts. After that, the company quickly recovered. This, together with the favorable price, which corresponded to only about a quarter of the intrinsic value of the company, as well as the secrecy of the true identity of the buyer before the other members of the Heritage family led to the suspicion Blocher had the company takes possession thanks to his trust relationship secretly and inexpensive. In corporate portrait Lüönd and in various biographies however shown, Blocher was given its limited assets at that time and the uncertain economic took a big risk and have therefore struggled before buying visible with it. Christoph Oswald, son of the founder and spokesman for the family, at the time of the sale Secretary General of the EMS group and president of Oswald Holding AG, which held the shares of the Group justifies the secrecy of Blocher as a buyer so that the acquisition of a majority of the voting rights should not be compromised. The consideration paid by Blocher sale price was " the dearest buyer " was at the same time preserving jobs and Blocher so for the family of the then highest possible revenue.
The river was the first customer of Martin Ebner's BZ Bank and found almost every year a new tool to remove the company profit tax-free to the owners. Blocher came to a personal fortune of an estimated two to three billion Swiss francs, which is presumed that the majority of these revenues came from outside winning the Ems-Chemie, but from financial transactions with Martin Ebner. Alone for his VR Bureau in Ebners Pharma Vision (which is a huge depot at Roche shares held ) he was referring to the years 1991 to 1996 a salary of 67 million francs ( more than 1 million per session). Such bonuses were previously not common in Switzerland. This Blocher was one of the richest Swiss.
After his election to the Federal Council in late 2003 Blocher cut all formal ties with the company. The management took over his eldest daughter Magdalena Martullo - Blocher. The majority of shares handed Blocher his children, partly as a gift and partly by sale.
Policy
As a student Blocher was co-founder of the bourgeois student group students ring at the University of Zurich. He also was president of the student council and legal member of the Great student council during his student days. From 1974 to 1978 he was a member of the municipal council of miles from 1975 to 1980 he was a member of the Zurich Cantonal Council.
From 1977 to 2003, President Christoph Blocher of the Swiss People 's Party ( SVP) of the Canton of Zurich and from 1979 to 2003 the National Council. He politicized the right of the political spectrum. Blocher was in 1986 co-founded the Campaign for an Independent and Neutral Switzerland ( AUNS ), which had emerged from the Action Committee Against the UN membership, and stood her to 2003 as president before.
In 1982, Blocher, the Working Group Southern Africa (ASA ), which he chaired until 1990 as president. The ASA saw in South Africa an economically and geopolitically important outpost of the West and sought to influence the coverage of the Swiss media. They supported the view of the ruling white minority and justified partly apartheid. Blocher EMS Patvag did in the 1980s transactions with the government South African arms company Armscor and sold him a license to construct military ignition systems.
1987 failed Christoph Blocher as a Senate candidate for the Canton of Zurich in the country by a contestant Monika Weber Ring of Independents.
As a speaker and panelist and financial contributions he contributed substantially to the success of the SVP in the cantons and the federal government in. Blocher has been the driving force in the repositioning of the party. He made a predominantly German-speaking Swiss, Protestant and industrial- farming a party in Switzerland quite active civic force. Got the SVP at the general election in 1975 as the smallest of the four governing parties or 9.9 percent of the vote, it was in 2007 with 28.9 percent of the party with the largest share of the vote.
Major achievements of his career as a National include:
On 10 December 2003 Christoph Blocher was elected with 121 votes out of 237 scarce ( at an absolute More by 119 votes and 5 votes lead over the incumbent Ruth Metzler ) in the Federal Council. With this election, the SVP received a second Federal seat and blew up the so-called magic formula. It was only the third time in the history of Confederation that is beaten for re-election Federal Council was not re-elected ( previously this was only at Ulrich Ochsenbein in 1854 and Jean -Jacques Challet - Venel in 1872 done). The election took place at the expense of the CVP, which has since been represented with only one seat. On 1 January 2004 Blocher took over from Ruth Metzler, the Federal Justice and Police Department. Contrary to the method prescribed in the federal constitution of collective responsibility, are endorsed by the government decisions against the outside of all members of the government, Blocher joined at the same time as member of the government as well as opposition leader in appearance. This unusual double feature was "our party leaders ' circumscribed by SVP Group chairman Caspar Baader during a party with food. She presented at the same time represents a core aspect of the criticism of Blocher's behavior ( see below).
The complete re-election of the Federal Council on 12 December 2007 Christoph Blocher was not re-elected. He was defeated in the second round of his SVP party colleague Eveline Widmer -Schlumpf (115 against 125 votes, at an absolute More from 122 votes). When, after a one-day cooling-off period Widmer- Schlumpf said the acceptance of the election, was Blocher's retirement from the Federal Council on 31 December 2007, as finally adopted. This was the fourth time in the history of Switzerland that a Federal Council was not re-elected by the parliament.
On 1 March 2008 Blocher was elected to one of several vice-president of the SVP. As such, it was up to the Vice President elections in May 2012, responsible for the research, strategy, campaigns. After the abolition of fixed departments under the Vice President in May 2012 Blocher is no longer responsible for the strategic direction of the party, he remains in the vice-presidency.
On 27 November, the SVP Group Christoph Blocher nominated alongside Ueli Maurer again as a candidate for the vacant by the resignation of Samuel Schmid Federal Council seat. Blocher was not elected to the Federal Council elections of 10 December 2008.
In the parliamentary elections in 2011, he applied in the canton of Zurich, both for a seat in the Senate as well as the National Council. Blocher was elected to the National Assembly, the Senate seat he missed in the first and second round in third place.
Criticism
Friends and enemies Blocher consistently confess him to extraordinary rhetorical skills and great political widespread impact; not infrequently he was therefore called tribune. He polarizes like no other Swiss politician. While his commitment to the integration of Switzerland in supranational organizations and for a tightening of the asylum law is understood by his followers as a legitimate response to undemocratic power claims and criminal activities, demagogic style, populism and xenophobia accuse him of his opponents and the majority of the media. Since his election to the Federal Council, it comes increasingly to discussions about the meaning and content of collegiality and the separation of powers. The day after his non- reelection the other groups made his lack of respect for the institutions, its already mentioned dual role as opposition leader and member of the government and therefore the disregard of collegiality, as well as operated by his supporters personality cult, as the main reasons for the rejection of a re-election claims.
Official complaints
On 19 March 1994, the Lucerne Latest News revealed that Christoph Blocher had pressed their voting button in the absence of his seatmate Lisbeth Fehr (SVP / ZH) in the National Council and voted so twice. Therefore, the National Council Gret Haller gave him a reference.
With report of 10 July 2006 criticized the Control Committee of the Council of States Christoph Blocher, as he had referred to the Albisgüetlitagung on 20 January of the same year, two Albanian refugees as criminals. As unacceptable the GPK designated continue the fact that Christoph Blocher, the facts attempted to illustrate different in parliament and the untruth said.
In an article published on 5 September 2007 report of the Sub-Commission EJPD / BK of the Control Commission of the processes in the disposal of the Federal Prosecutor Valentin Roschacher Blocher the federal prosecutor was accused of improper instructions regarding media information in the current process issued and to have granted severance pay without legal basis. This is " a constitutional point of problematic ". The Federal distanced himself from GPK report and stood behind Blocher. At the presentation of GPK report imputed Lucrezia Meier-Schatz, president of the sub-committee responsible, beyond Blocher 's participation in a conspiracy against Roschacher ( Roschacher affair). The allegations proved to be false shortly afterwards, whereupon the SVP turn the SP and CVP accused of intrigue. The heavily criticized Lucrezia Meier-Schatz withdrew in the following legislative session from the GPK.
As a result of this confrontation became the evaluation of Blocher's achievements as a member of the government to the dominant topic of discussion with regard to the parliamentary elections of 21 October 2007 in which the SVP was finally able to further increase its share of votes.
Political opinions of family members
The public statements of family members to Christoph Blocher's policy to keep the agreement and disagreement scale. During the mentioned essay by Brother Andrew and various statements by Sister Judith in books and mass media criticize the policies Blocher, Gerhard Blocher strongly supports his brother's policies. A broadcast in December 2007, shortly before the Federal election report on Swiss television on and Gerhard Christoph Blocher has been very controversial, mainly due to the martial rhetoric of the two brothers. Silvia Blocher presented in 2005 in a television interview unconditionally behind her husband. Even in our own word messages on current issues they pursued a similar line.
Hildebrand affair
Blocher plays a key role in the " Hildebrand Affair ", in which Philipp Hildebrand after insider trading allegations subsequently resigned as President of the Board of the Swiss National Bank.
In January 2012, Blocher, was questioned by the prosecutor Zurich as so-called respondent, which is a position between the accused and witnesses in the Criminal Procedure Code. In March 2012, the Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case against Zurich Blocher for offenses committed against the Bank Act and had his villa in Herrliberg as well as the offices of his Robinvest AG Search in neighboring Männedorf. Subject of the proceedings is the examination of criminal involvement of Blocher on the disclosure of stolen bank data by the IT staff of the Bank Sarasin. Blocher refers to his parliamentary immunity, which is controversial. The audit was conducted on 25 April 2012 by the National Council's immunity Commission. The Commission decided that Blocher despite election to the National Council for his actions before he was sworn in to the National Council on 5 December 2011, can not invoke immunity. For actions after his swearing in, he should be covered, however, by the will of the Commission from the scope of immunity. On 31 May 2012 the Law Commission convened the Council of States over Blocher's immunity. The Commission was in a point of the same opinion that Blocher enjoyed no immunity to the National Council before his swearing. In addition, however, the Commission also decided for the time after Blocher's swearing that he is not entitled to immunity. The business then went to the back of differences in the National Council Committee and then back to the Law Commission of States. If only one of the two bodies does not occur in this second pass on the immunity application, one denied Blocher entirely immunity. Since the Council of States Rights Commission on 31 May 2012, is clearly not occurred with ten votes to three at the request of Blocher, may be assumed that the prosecutor can pursue all allegations against Blocher. On 7 June 2012, the immunity Commission of the National Council held on to their view on 25 April 2012. Blocher interpreted the Act of Parliament other than the previously continuous reading mode, it assumes that the decision of the Commission of the National Council of the immunity case was entirely completed and to be able to determine the application of the prosecution against him was " definitely rejected ". The Council of States Rights Commission should " not decide ". On June 11, 2012 convened the Council of States Rights Commission and decided the same as at May 31, 2012, that Blocher has no immunity. Blocher's legal interpretation are not followed, the committees of both Councils. The decision to immunity is not contestable.
Miscellaneous
Christoph Blocher has built up a significant art collection, which comprises mainly the works of the Swiss painter Ferdinand Hodler and Albert Anker. He owns the largest private collection anchor. At CHF 20 million from his personal fortune he supports a project to set up on the monastery island Rheinau a music center for young people.
Since 2007, says, " Personally, " chief editor Matthias Ackeret once a week for around 20 minutes by Blocher about the current topics of the week. The conversation is usually recorded on Friday and aired on Teleblocher.ch and in Schaffhausen television.
In 2009, Blocher attended the Bilderberg conference.
Christoph Blocher was in the Swiss army colonel in the air defense troops and regimental commander.
Of the four children of the couple Blocher are so far three have also become entrepreneurs. Magdalena Martullo - Blocher directs the Ems-Chemie ( manufacture of plastics ). Markus Blocher took over the fine chemicals division Dottikon ES. Miriam Blocher bought the holding company Dalasta and thus became head of the traditional Basler confectionery company Läckerli -Huus.
Once in December 2011, Moritz Suter resigned as chairman and publisher in the Basler Zeitung and had sold his shares to Christoph Blocher's daughter Rachel, media saw this as proof that Christoph Blocher has long been the newspaper controlled, despite his denials in the past. This was confirmed by Tito Tettamanti, whose media diversity Holding had bought the shares of Rahel Blocher in an interview with the Tages-Anzeiger, by pointing out that Christoph Blocher have contacted him on 13 October 2011. In the same interview he said also that Christoph Blocher have issued a guarantee for " possible loss ", " might arise in connection with a reorganization of the industrial part "; In addition, have the " Blocher family " nothing more to do with the BaZ.
2013 Christoph Blocher was nominated along with four other persons as a possible winner of the Arosa Humor shovel, a jury prize of the Arosa Humour Festival.
Documentary
- Hans Jürg Zumstein: The deselection - The secret operation against Christoph Blocher. In: Swiss television, DOK dated 6 March 2008 (50 minutes)
- Jean -Stéphane Bron: L' Expérience Blocher. CH / FR, 2013, 100 minutes. Premiere at the International Film Festival of Locarno 2013.
Publications
Blocher has published numerous speeches and political location decisions, which were sent partly as direct mail in the Swiss households. Earlier publications:
- Rolf Wunderer (ed.): Middle management - conducting or suffering? Papers of a conference (contribution). Publisher Industrial Organization, Zurich 1990, ISBN 3-85743-943-2.
- Rupper Peter (ed.): Corporate Logistics. A manual for introduction and expansion of the logistics enterprise ( collaboration). Publisher Industrial Organization, Zurich, 1987; 3 ext. A. Orell Füssli, Zurich 1991, ISBN 3-85743-953- X.
- Ways out of unemployment ( contribution). Andrews, Zurich 1995, ISBN 3-908688-10-8.