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The signs for a green Federal Council are bad: a rejection from the center-right, and even the SP has doubts. However, the question of whether the “magic formula” for the composition of the Federal Council needs to be reconsidered in the long term is controversial. Everything is open when it comes to electing the new Chancellor.
As of this week it is clear: the Greens are attacking. In the general elections for the Federal Council on December 13th, they are trying to get a seat in the government in the form of Freiburg National Councilor Gerhard Andrey – at the expense of the FDP, which has two federal councilors. A difficult undertaking, as becomes clear right from the beginning of the discussion in the “Arena”.
Green candidacy facing headwinds
“I laugh at it a bit, to be honest,” said FDP National Councilor Daniela Schneeberger. The Greens would proceed without a strategy, as they did four years ago. At that time, they and former party president Regula Rytz launched an unsuccessful attack on the seat of FDP Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis.
“And what’s more: none of the well-known candidates from the Green Party want it.” Schneeberger alluded to the fact that, in addition to Gerhard Andrey, numerous well-known figureheads of the Green Party had rejected a candidacy at this point in time.
The SP parliamentary group supported the Green candidacy four years ago. The party has not yet taken a position on Andrey’s candidacy.
However, the outgoing SP Council of States member Hans Stöckli was “surprised” by the Greens’ candidacy – and assessed it critically in the “Arena”: “The problem is: You can’t just change the magic formula spontaneously – you have to have the strength to do it gather the middle.”
The magic formula for the composition of the Federal Council says that the three strongest parties (SVP, SP and FDP) are each entitled to two seats in the Federal Council, and the fourth strongest party (Die Mitte) is entitled to one.
Did the magic formula work?
However, Green Party leader Aline Trede was unimpressed. “The point is: over a quarter of voters are not represented in the government.” Because the Greens and the GLP do not sit in the Federal Council, around 75 percent of voters are now in the government. According to Trede, the FDP is also at a historic low: “The FDP is clearly overrepresented with two seats.”
Center National Councilor Nicolò Paganini also believes that the magic formula is outdated. But there is a maxim: “We don’t vote out previous Federal Councilors.” In the long term, however, two Federal Council seats would have to go to the center camp. Paganini also looks at the FDP: “We have more seats in the National Council – and probably soon in the Council of States too.” However, the question only arises if an FDP Federal Council member resigns.
The center doesn’t vote out incumbent federal councilors – that’s laughable
“The center doesn’t vote out incumbent Federal Councilors – that’s laughable,” criticized SVP National Councilor Thomas Matter. “The then CVP was significantly involved in the plot to vote out Federal Councilor Christoph Blocher in 2007.” However, the SVP stands by the magic formula. If the center one day overtakes the FDP, the distribution of seats in the Federal Council will have to be re-evaluated.
Battle for the seat of the “eighth Federal Council”
On December 13th, in addition to the entire Federal Council, the successor to the outgoing Chancellor Walter Thurnherr will be elected. The office of Chief of Staff of the Government and Head of the Federal Chancellery is often referred to as the “eighth Federal Council”.
The GLP was the first to take cover: it nominated its candidate at the beginning of the week. According to GLP National Councilor Beat Flach, the influence of the position is limited: “It is an important job, but not a political job.” The SVP also has a claim to the office – it nominated a two-party ticket today.
Election of the Federal Chancellor, replacement election for the resigning SP Federal Councilor Alain Berset and the Greens’ declaration of war: It’s set for December 13th.