Swiss Federal Council election, 2008
In the Federal election 2008 was elected to the Swiss Federal Council on 10 December 2008 in a by-election Ueli Maurer ( SVP) of the United Federal Assembly as successor to the retiring Samuel Schmid. Maurer had been next to Christoph Blocher formally proposed by the Federal House Group SVP and was elected in the third ballot with the exact required for an absolute majority 122 votes. Maurer took over the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport of its predecessor.
The Swiss Federal Council is elected according to the unwritten rules of concordance since 1959, although the exact interpretation of these rules varies. Since the Swiss People's Party ( SVP) their federal councilors Samuel Schmid and Eveline Widmer -Schlumpf after deselection of Christoph Blocher on 12 December 2007 revoked the recognition and went into self-imposed opposition it was no longer represented in the national government.
Prior to the elections, the three parties SP, FDP and CVP known for concordance, saying the SVP the right to representation in the government; has been criticized, however, that with the two proposed candidates Blocher and Maurer exist no proper selection. Especially as the SVP has set out in its statutes that candidates who have not been nominated by the Group will be excluded in the event of acceptance of the election of the party.
Parties / groups
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party already declared shortly after Schmid's resignation, that they will provide a candidate for the succession choice. They attributed this to the concordance, after which it " as the strongest party in parliament has a right to the appropriate office in the state government ." The SVP made but from the beginning the condition, the candidate must " fully and completely " to contribute their ideas to the Federal Council.
Various cantonal parties proposed to the Executive Board prior to their candidates. So nominated the Bernese cantonal party Adrian Amstutz and Andreas Aebi, the Young SVP the Bern City Council Erich Hess and the Zurich Cantonal party the former Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher. The Board designated Christoph Blocher several times as the " most capable man " for the Bundesrat; renowned media, including the St. Galler Tageblatt and the Tages-Anzeiger appreciated his election chances as a low after he was not re-elected at the Federal elections in 2007.
The parliamentary group of the SVP Board recommended on 26 November 2008, the Group, " two ticket
Green Party
As the only party besides the SVP the Green Party of Switzerland had proposed a more candidates ahead of the election: As with the Federal elections in 2007 she went to the Vaudois Senate Luc Recordon.
Prior to the party said she wants to prevent " Christoph Blocher or one of its Adlaten to the Federal Council » back return. However, Luc Recordon imagine another scenario with a more promising candidate, he has testified after the hearing with the Social Democratic Party. He would withdraw his candidacy in such a candidacy of another person.
Social Democratic Party
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SP ) increased by Samuel Schmid's resignation note, and justified this with the fact that Schmid was " systematically torpedoed " by his former party SVP, and it is not surprising that Samuel Schmid " no longer wants longer serve as whipping boy ». Next said the SP in the official statement that they basically stand for concordance, the SVP but " to the core values of Switzerland, about the rule of law, the separation of powers and the obligations under the international treaties " confesses and concordance capable people sets up. After hearing of the Socialist group with the two SVP - Federal candidates, she has decided to support neither Mason nor Blocher with voices. However, they also did not secure the Greens candidate Luc Recordon to the support group would decide on alternatives on Wednesday morning before the Federal election.
"Group 13 "
The group 13 is a grouping of several national and Councillors, which was founded by the Federal Council elections in 2007 from the State Policy Committee of the National Council members. After Andreas Gross, the group was " an open discussion circles ", whose members are convinced that an alternative to the SVP candidate Ueli Maurer and Christoph Blocher was necessary. According to Kurt Fluri the task of the group to define the concordance was new. It raises the question whether the Federal Council seats (mathematical concordance ) should be only after seats in the Federal Assembly, or whether the federal councils to meet programmatic minimum requirements ( substantive concordance ). In addition to large and Fluri include the SP- national councils Roger Nordmann, Andy Tschümperlin, Eric Nussbaumer and Green Party President Ueli Leuenberger to the group; are close to the group were the FDP Councillors Egerszegi and Marty. The number 13 stands for the sum of the digits of the date deselection of Christoph Blocher.
The choice
On the night of the long knives on the eve of the Federal election Hansjörg Walter was traded as disintegrating candidate. The aim was to offer an alternative to the proposed two- Ticket. As represented Walter as President of the Swiss Farmers' Union a significant part of the SVP basis and electorate, it was hoped that the automatic exclusion in the case of an election assumption would be undone by group decision, as Walters have exclusion spin-offs such as after deselection Blocher result could. His vague denial in the media encouraged the belief that they have a viable alternative. Ported Officially Walter but by any faction.
The second joint session of the Federal Assembly in the 2008 winter session was opened by the Secretary General of the Federal Assembly Christoph Lanz, who read the letter of resignation of the Federal Assembly. It was Samuel Schmid reasons " personal, health, but also political " nature as the reason for his resignation. On the reading of that letter the assessment of Samuel Schmid's work was followed by the National Council Chiara Simoneschi - Cortesi. Finally, Samuel Schmid held visibly moved his farewell speech. He criticized the tendency to controversy and polarization in politics, which he did not recognize as the expression of the zeitgeist, as polemic and fundamental polarization in his view, not part of the political culture. After his speech was answered with a standing ovation, the federal councilors left the National Council to track the election of the Federal President room.
Before the actual choice Hansjörg Walter stepped to the lectern and told the United Federal Assembly that he will not stand as a candidate available and would reject a possible choice. He stands for concordance, and said that it was a " very important decision " to include the Swiss People's Party back into government. In this respect, he recommended to the Federal Assembly to choose Ueli Maurer in his place. Despite this declaration, Walter received 109 votes, 67 votes Ueli Maurer and Christoph Blocher 54 votes in the first ballot. He thus missed the absolute majority of 121 votes. How many parliamentarians voted for Luc Recordon is not known, since candidates who receive less than ten votes to be listed " Various " below.
After the first round, first stepped up to the microphone Luc Recordon: he suspended his candidacy and asked instead to vote for Walter. Christoph Blocher reached by 54 votes less than Maurer ( 67). Caspar Baader, Group President of the SVP, moved on behalf of Blocher his candidacy in favor of Mason, with a slip of the tongue, made with respect to the person actually pronounce this prayer for serenity.
In the second ballot, the votes were distributed in the sequence to the two candidates Maurer and Walter. Most votes for Blocher appear to be transferred to Maurer, the most " Different " but on Walter. Thus Walter situation remained Maurer, but with only two votes ahead. Since the Parliament Act provides that, after the second ballot, only candidates who have received more than ten votes in the previous ballot, may be elected, were in the third ballot only and Walter Maurer selectable.
In the third ballot Maurer prevailed by 122 votes and one vote ahead of the absolute majority and Walter. He stepped to the lectern and announced the acceptance of the election. For his swearing in, he chose the traditional oath with God's invocation: " I swear before Almighty God to observe the Constitution and the laws and to fulfill the duties of my office conscientiously. "
Maurer joined after his swearing with his new Federal colleagues to a first informal meeting; shortly thereafter, he announced that he would continue to chair the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports.
Following the election Mason Hans -Rudolf Merz was with 185 votes for President (Various: 24) and Doris Leuthard by 173 votes as Vice-President ( Ueli Maurer: 12 Various: 13) elected for the year 2009.