Hans Schaffner
Hans Schaffner ( born December 16, 1908 in Interlaken, † 26 November 2004 in Bern; homeland justified in Graenichen and lower lakes) was a Swiss politician ( FDP). When he was head of the Federal Council Federal Department of Economic Affairs (DEA ) and once held the office of president.
Life
After studying law at the University of Bern Schaffner occurred in 1938 in the federal one. In 1941 he became head of the Office for the war economy and was responsible, in cooperation with Friedrich Traugott Wahlen that the population was supplied with enough food and fuel. After the war, Schaffner moved in the trade department, being the subsequent Federal Office for Foreign Economic Affairs ( today merged in the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs). As director of the trade department, he was instrumental in the creation of the European Free Trade Association ( EFTA). 1958, after the founding of the European Economic Community ( EEC ), Switzerland threatened with isolation from the European trade policy. Schaffner organized a meeting with his colleagues from non- EEC countries, where the idea has been worked out of a free trade zone. The term " official conspiracy " was this meeting in the history of the EFTA, and Schaffner was referred to as " the father of the EFTA ."
On 15 June 1961 he was elected to the Federal Council. Because of his hometown Graenichen he was regarded as representative of the Canton of Aargau. During his tenure, he stood in front of the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs (DEA). He was committed to the integration of Switzerland in Europe, and sat down for an active participation of Switzerland in the EFTA one. He was President in 1966 and Vice President in 1965. On December 31, 1969, he resigned for health reasons.
After his retirement from the Federal Council and a longer recovery period, he became involved in various international commissions, including the Group of Experts of the UN on the activities of multinational corporations in the developing world.
Hans Schaffner was only the third Federal Council who was elected to the provincial government, without having first listened to the Federal Assembly or a Cantonal Government.