Swiss Federal Council election, 2011

A complete re-election of the Federal Council took place on 14 December 2011, the Federal Council elections 2011 in Switzerland. Consisting of both Houses of Parliament United Federal Assembly elected the Swiss government, the Federal Council for the term 2012-2015 Exceptionally, the elections were conducted under the supervision of the Senate President -. Khol Hansjörg Walter had relinquished the Chair of the United Federal Assembly for the election business, because he ran as a candidate. The seats were ordered individually in the order of the District ages the seat holder. With the exception of Micheline Calmy -Rey, who had given 7 September 2011 her retirement from the Federal Council announced the end of the year, as candidates all previous Federal Council for a new term of office and were confirmed. As the successor Calmy- Rey of the Freiburg Councillor Alain Berset was elected on the second ballot.

  • 3.1 First choice ( home of Doris Leuthard, CVP)
  • 3.2 Second choice ( home of Eveline Widmer -Schlumpf, BDP)
  • 3.3 Third choice ( seat of Ueli Maurer, SVP)
  • 3.4 Fourth ( seat of Didier Burkhalter, FDP)
  • 3.5 Fifth ( seat of Simonetta Sommaruga, SP)
  • 3.6 Sixth choice ( home of Johann Schneider -Ammann, FDP )
  • 3.7 Seventh election ( by-election by Micheline Calmy -Rey, SP)

Starting position

Basically, the results of the Swiss Parliament elections in 2011 with decisive concerning the allocation of seats in the National Assembly and the Council respectively for the election of the Federal Council. the Federal Assembly, so the election body. The changes in the composition of the fractions are decisive.

Of Switzerland All major political parties are committed to concordance, ie representing the main political forces in the Bundesrat. As the concordance to be but arranged in practice is controversial. It 's all about the question of whether the SVP to get a second representative in the Bundesrat and at whose expense. In this discussion, the removal of a FDP representative and the deselection of Eveline Widmer -Schlumpf, who was originally selected as SVP representative. Depending on your interests and political setting is here argued with the content or the arithmetic concordance.

Not yet resolved is the validity of the so-called " exclusion clause " of the SVP Switzerland. According to a change in the party statutes of the SVP Switzerland in December 2008, is a not officially excluded from the SVP Group nominated candidate in an election assumption automatically by the SVP Switzerland. A party exclusion principle for the party, but here leads to de facto situation that the SVP Group selects its own favorite candidate - the United Federal Assembly had these, only to be confirmed. Since the clause indirectly undermines the instruction prohibition and eligibility, the SVP Switzerland is accused of blackmailing the Federal Assembly - even from their own ranks.

Strategies of the fractions

SVP Group

The SVP Group is known in advance of the elections to a " concordance arithmetic ", but only conditionally. Specifically, this hot that the SVP a second Federal seat call - first priority the seat of the BDP. Should pay the other parties concede this, the SVP will also to " arithmetic concordance " stand and support the Federal seats of the SP, CVP and FDP. Otherwise, they were to attack all the seats of the other parties. In particular, the second FDP seat ( Department of Economic Affairs ) and the released SP- seat ( Department of Foreign Affairs ) they have it in their sights.

The SVP Switzerland has their goals with her former Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher as Minister of Justice, inter alia, initially achieved by the restructuring of the Federal Justice and Police Department for Migration (FOM ) and the Federal Office for Migration and the incumbent Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer as defense minister by the decision of the National Council for the army budget and wants to position in the ranking of the department of distribution in advance - with a Federal Council in Department of Foreign Affairs they could implement their isolationist course at the highest level. It is therefore expected that the SVP is already attacking the seat of the CVP - as they had contributed to the election of Widmer -Schlumpf also in the sense of punishment.

The participation of the SVP in the Bundesrat is currently uncontested, a second seat is the SVP granted only limited by various sides. You will not be able to fill these without compromise - candidates from the "Zurich wings " are no longer supported in the bourgeois camp of the FDP. Here, the SVP Switzerland, however, has also set itself the " exclusion clause " obstacles in the way.

SP Group

SP Group: The involvement of SP in the Bundesrat with two seats is currently undisputed. The SP will try by all means to keep their second seat in the Federal Council.

CVP / EPP Group

CVP / EPP Group: The participation of the CVP in the Federal Council with a seat is currently undisputed. Had the CVP gained in the parliamentary elections of 2011 and brought more votes than the FDP, they would reclaim as the third strongest party their second seat, what you did not succeed. But you see the " claim " on " common two mandates " ( along with the other "center parties " BDP, glp, EPP) as justified.

FDP

FDP: The involvement of the FDP in the Federal Council with a seat is currently undisputed. The FDP will try by all means to keep their second seat in the Federal Council.

BDP Group

BDP Group: The BDP relies as a small party on the support of at least two of the major governing parties in order to keep their seat can. She expects in particular with the CVP and calls the SP to to support their Federal Councillor. These parties were decisive role in the election of Widmer -Schlumpf in the Bundesrat.

Green Group

Green Group: As in past years, where the Greens claim to a seat in the Federal Council. With reference to the " arithmetic concordance " they stress that they are already in the last legislative ( and 14.3 % votes per seat Federal Council ) would be entitled to a seat. Next, they stressed, however, that they did not want to conquer at the expense of the SP headquarters and demanded in return also support from the SP - the Greens are not ready to support the SP « free ». After the Greens suffered in the parliamentary elections in 2011, however bitter loss of votes and 5 of their 20 National Council mandates lost, this requirement with the other parties are unlikely to meet with open ears.

Glp Group

Glp Group: Although the Green Liberal Party has emerged as the winner of the elections of the 2011 parliamentary elections, it presents as a small party still no claim to a seat in the Federal Council. Originally, the group was loud statements by party president Martin Bäumle of the opinion that as a voter strongest party, the SVP was entitled to two seats and one must therefore either give up her seat to the BDP or any of the FDP seats. After the withdrawal of the SVP candidate Bruno Zuppiger and the last-minute candidacy of Hansjörg Walter completed Bäumle and glp- fraction, however, a U-turn and support the claim of the SVP to two seats no more.

First choice ( home of Doris Leuthard, CVP)

Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard (CVP ) is since 2010 Head of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications ( UVEK).

As first, the longest-serving Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard presented for election.

Second choice ( home of Eveline Widmer -Schlumpf, BDP)

Federal Councillor Eveline Widmer -Schlumpf (BDP ) is since 2010 Head of the Federal Department of Finance ( FDF).

With Widmer -Schlumpf a woman's SVP for Federal Councillor was elected in the general elections of the Federal Council in 2007 for the first time. This surprisingly instead of Christoph Blocher, which led to the founding of the BDP. As a Federal Councillor Widmer -Schlumpf, however competence attesting as Department Head of the Department of Finance.

The SVP announced to attack the headquarters of the BDP. As a candidate they initially suggested Jean -François Rime and Bruno Zuppiger ago. A few days before the election, the candidate Zuppigers was withdrawn after the journalist Urs Paul Engeler had revealed to the world week possible illegal activities in a matter entrusted to him inheritance. As a replacement for Zuppiger the SVP party line certain short term the National Farmers Union President and Hansjörg Walter.

Third choice ( seat of Ueli Maurer, SVP)

Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer ( SVP) is since 2009 Head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS).

Fourth ( seat of Didier Burkhalter, FDP)

Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter (FDP) has since his election in 2009 Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (DHA).

After the election of Didier Burkhalter said Caspar Baader, Group President of the SVP, due to the willful breach of the concordance through the center and left-wing parties and parts of the FDP was the SVP in turn, no longer bound to the concordance and will in the following elections with Jean -François Rime compete against all the other candidates. The SP Group President Ursula Wyss and the FDP faction President Gabi Huber criticized this approach by the SVP Group as inconsistent.

Fifth ( seat of Simonetta Sommaruga, SP)

Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga (SP) since its 2010 election head of the Federal Justice and Police Department for Migration (FOM ).

Sixth choice ( home of Johann Schneider -Ammann, FDP )

Federal Councillor Johann Schneider -Ammann (FDP) has since his election in 2010 Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs (DEA).

Seventh election ( by-election by Micheline Calmy -Rey, SP)

Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy -Rey (SP) since its election in 2002, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Finally, the election to replace the retiring Federal Councillor took place. Calmy -Rey had announced her resignation at the end of the current year on September 7, 2011. As a candidate, the SP certain the Vaud State Pierre -Yves Maillard and the Freiburg Senate Alain Berset. Berset was finally elected on the second ballot with 126 votes.

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