Kurt Furgler

Kurt Furgler (* June 24, 1924 in St. Gallen, † July 23, 2008 ) was a Swiss politician (CVP ) from the canton of St. Gallen. When he was first Federal Department of Justice, then Minister of Economic Affairs and has held thrice the post of President.

Life

Furgler grew up as the son of a textile merchant in St. Gallen. His father lost during the embroidery crisis of the interwar period, the body and subsequently founded the Life Insurance Fund " Familia " to allow his family to earn a living. Kurt Furgler studied law at the Universities of Freiburg, Zurich and Geneva. He received his doctorate in 1948, admitted to the bar and practiced law in St. Gallen. He was Brigadier of the Swiss Army; that was the highest military rank of the Federal Council after the Second World War. Furgler was the founder of the TSV St. Otmar St. Gallen, in whose hand ball department, he was also active as a player and coach.

Home sign in Valens, Kurt Furgler was married in 1950 and had six children. He died of a heart failure at the age of 84 years. At his funeral in the collegiate church of St. Gallen two active and several former members of the government appeared.

Political career

From 1955 to 1971 Furgler was a member of the National Council, since 1963 as President of the CVP Group. In 1964 was employed at his request, the first Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (PUK ). Under his chairmanship examined twenty national and twelve Councillors of the so-called Mirage scandal. The Parliament finally followed the suggested in the final report claims, which provided for a reduction of the order of 100 to 57 aircraft as well as improvements in internal processes.

On December 8, 1971 Furgler was elected to the Federal Council and took over the Justice and Police. A controversial role played Furgler in the spy scandal Brigadier Jean -Louis Jean Maire. From 1983 to Furgler headed the Department of Economic Affairs. On December 31, 1986, he resigned from the Federal Council. Furgler was President in 1977, 1981 and 1985 and Vice President in the years 1976, 1980 and 1984.

Furgler stood up for the constitutional article on the equal rights of men and women, reformed family law and spatial planning, initiated a - later failed - total revision of the Federal Constitution and sat actively promoting the creation of the canton of Jura. He became known in particular by Lex Furgler, a law that restricted the purchase of real estate by foreigners. 1974 Furgler sat in the abortion question about the Federal Council of collegiality away: He asked to be relieved of the Representation of the presentation of the indication solution before Parliament.

Furgler was a member of the Club of Rome and the InterAction Council and an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee. He also received several honorary doctorates, including one in 1987 from the University of St. Gallen.

Election results in the Federal Assembly

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