Longing for the Zurich establishment

He is silent about his candidacy, but he gets involved politically. His criticism of Switzerland’s Russia policy could have come from an SVP politician. What drives Philipp Hildebrand and is he a good choice?

Ambitious socialite: Philipp Hildebrand, photographed in Davos on January 24, 2019.

Gian Ehrenzeller / Keystone

Philipp Hildebrand has gained some practice in being a candidate. Since he announced his resignation as President of the Swiss National Bank in 2012, his name has repeatedly cropped up when prestigious offices and posts have to be filled. That speaks for his ambition and for the fact that he is expected to do a lot. At the same time, it suggests that the deputy chairman of wealth manager Blackrock is still missing something crucial: a post that promises not only money but also recognition, and that in Switzerland.

In 2021, Hildebrand withdrew his candidacy for the presidency of the OECD after realizing that he lacked the necessary support. Something similar can no longer happen to him: he is the only candidate for the office of President of the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, the sponsoring association of the Kunsthaus. Proposed by the board of the association. There will be no other candidates, the registration period expired on April 11th. Hildebrand has never publicly expressed his ambitions. He forwarded an interview request from the NZZ to the Kunsthaus communications office. It seems a bit as if Hildebrand is already using the department as his press office.

Hildebrand criticizes “legal arbitrariness”

Two days after it became clear that there would be no opponents, the “Handelzeitung” published an interview with Hildebrand. It wasn’t about art, it was about business and politics. He does not presume to recommend anything to Switzerland, said Hildebrand. However, he did make a few critical comments on Russia policy: “Indeed, neutrality was undermined very quickly, and this without changing the constitution and without a clear basis.” He wonders what this means for the financial center if Switzerland is suddenly no longer seen as a neutral location. Or for Swiss diplomacy, if you want to offer good offices, but these are no longer in demand because you are no longer “in a really neutral situation”.

The “legal arbitrariness” with which one had proceeded in part, worried him. But obviously not only him. It would not surprise him, Hildebrand explained, if customers of Swiss banks were very concerned “because they have relied on the stability, legal certainty and long-term nature of Switzerland for years”.

The interview read more like an application for the Swiss People’s Party (SVP). The “Weltwoche” publisher Roger Köppel also celebrated in his newspaper: “Bravo, Philipp Hildebrand.” The substantive camaraderie is also remarkable because it was Federal Councilor Christoph Blocher and the SVP who exerted the pressure that ultimately led to Hildebrand’s resignation as President of the Swiss National Bank. At the time, Blocher had received a tip about possibly questionable financial transactions from the Hildebrand family and was the first to get the affair rolling. The accusation was made that Hildebrand’s wife at the time had speculated with insider knowledge. Even later, the couple could not be proven to have committed a crime, but Hildebrand’s resignation was still inevitable. A suspicion is enough in this highly sensitive profession to end a career.

The system of different hats

The timing of the interview in the “Handelzeitung” may have been chosen wisely, because at the time of publication, a blast candidacy was already ruled out. At the same time, however, the conversation shows that Hildebrand’s communication is quite clumsy. He is running for an important, semi-public office in Zurich without wanting to publicly justify his motivation. Instead, he uses the moment of attention to convey to the newspaper the concerns of Russian bank customers in view of the Swiss sanctions policy. His statements seem like completing an order for his employer.

Even today, successful men with many offices often still believe in the system of different hats. They think they can put on a certain hat and then make statements that are unique to that particular role. These men think they might speak as a Blackrock man for once; then again as an art lover; almost as if man is not one and the same person. The fact is that these distinctions are never made in public. You are always everything you represent at the same time. The art of socialites is to go around wearing many hats at once without looking comical. Credibility is enjoyed by those who bring their roles together to form a coherent whole.

About talking and silence

Hildebrand did not succeed in this case. Where he should speak, he is silent. Where he could be silent, he speaks. No wonder his candidacy is not met with goodwill in the media. The Tamedia newspapers write of a “candidacy in the manner of a landlord”. The bank and bank gossip specialist Lukas Hässig headlines “Inside Paradeplatz”: “Hildebrand challenge cup – now Kunsthaus President”. Some newspapers complain that Hildebrand is not sufficiently trained in art history. Above all, however, one finds the oddity of an election in which the approximately 22,000 members of the art society can only vote for one candidate.

So Hildebrand is elected, as good as elected, for three years. The result will be announced on May 31st. But is he a good choice? In many ways, yes. The Kunsthaus should benefit from Hildebrand’s excellent international network. He is familiar with the customs of the world, has a confident demeanor; is in crisis and still there. The notion that the president of the art society must be a proven art expert is nonsense. The management of the Kunsthaus is responsible for this. The connections and the experience of being able to mediate between public and private institutions are much more important. Hildebrand is predestined for this with his previous position at the head of the Swiss National Bank and as deputy chairman at Blackrock. After all, Hildebrand has also been a trustee on the board of directors of the British Museum in London since 2019. The museum grapples with questions about how to deal with colonial art and demands for its return. In Zurich, Hildebrand is already awaiting restitution issues relating to the controversial Bührle Collection.

Man for the “robust phase”

On the other hand, Hildebrand has to improve in public relations. The long discussions in Zurich about the integration of the arms dealer’s collection into the Kunsthaus were also strongly influenced by the lack of communication skills on the part of the Bührle Foundation, the Zurich City Council and the Kunsthaus. Hildebrand’s task is therefore also to strengthen public trust in the institution.

At the beginning of May, the members of the art society will actually still be reading from Philipp Hildebrand. Hildebrand is quoted as saying in the prepared letter to the members of the Kunstgesellschaft that he wants to further develop the Zurich Kunsthaus as a “locally anchored and at the same time globally respected museum, but also as a socio-political meeting place”. At the same time, it is important to “materially strengthen” the Kunsthaus and thus initiate the next “robust phase” in its history. This is Hildebrand’s core business.

At the end of the statement, the candidate even gives a tiny glimpse into his motive: He considers the office of President of the Kunstgesellschaft to be an “honourable, exciting and socially valuable task”. In short: it is the perfect position for someone who wants to establish himself as a distinguished socialite in Zurich.

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