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Was Elisabeth Baume-Schneider’s change of department after just one year premature? Compared to other federal councilors, yes – but she is not the only one who wanted a quick change.
It’s a mini-castling, but one that is worth talking about: Elisabeth Baume-Schneider is leaving the Justice and Police Department (EJPD) after just one year and taking over the Interior Department from Alain Berset. Neo-Federal Councilor Jans will therefore have the task of dealing with asylum issues in the future. The Jura woman’s early move has many people frowning.
From the cultivation battle to the Federal Council
A look at the history books shows that in recent decades, with such a short-term department management, it is certainly an exception – but it is not an isolated case: In 1958, Friedrich Traugott Kulturen, a professor of agriculture and a member of the Farmers’, Trades and Citizens’ Party ( BGB), the predecessor of today’s SVP. One of his best-known achievements up to that point had been the plan for the so-called “cultivation battle” during the Second World War. The popularity he achieved probably helped him get elected to the federal executive 13 years after the end of the war.
Legend:
Federal Councilor Friedrich Traugott elections in 1964 at the “Zibelemärit” in Bern.
Keystone/Photopress Archive/STR
Like Baume-Schneider, he started elections in 1959 in the Justice and Police Department and, like Baume-Schneider, he made a move after just one year – to the Department of Economic Affairs, today’s Federal Department of Economics, Education and Research (WBF). In 1961 there was another change: to the Political Department, today’s Foreign Affairs Department. Elections remained there until his resignation in 1965.
EJPD and DDPS: entry-level departments?
Both the EJPD and the Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (VBS) are secretly considered to be rather inglorious entry-level departments, especially in this millennium.
For the last time, Adolf Ogi, a Federal Councilor, was head of the DDPS who was not recently elected. Both Samuel Schmid (BDP), Ueli Maurer (SVP), Guy Parmelin (SVP) and Viola Amherd (center) began their Federal Council careers with the VBS management, the latter still remains there today.
The “rookie” list at the Justice Department is even longer: Ruth Metzler-Arnold, Christoph Blocher, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, Simonetta Sommaruga, Karin Keller-Sutter and most recently Elisabeth Baume-Schneider began – or spent their entire careers – in the EJPD. Arnold Koller (CVP) last worked as a Federal Councilor in this department during his last ten years (1989 – 1999). The St. Gallen was started – you can almost guess it – in 1987 in the Federal Military Department, the predecessor of the DDPS.
These six Federal Council members started in the EYPD:
The accusation that these two departments would like to be relegated to the newcomers to the state government is probably no coincidence – but what is striking is that many of the above-mentioned members of the Federal Council presided over these departments for several years. Only Guy Parmelin and Karin Keller-Sutter changed after just two years.
Legend:
Both Guy Parmelin (SVP) and Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP) changed departments after two years.
Keystone/Alessandro della Valle