The SP faction relies on an all-women ticket with two places. Daniel Jositsch withdraws his candidacy. It could now be uncomfortable for favorite Eva Herzog.
Councilor of States Daniel Jositsch is not allowed to run for the Federal Council.
At the end, the winner and the (foreseeable) loser demonstratively shook hands in front of the media. With his candidacy, Councilor of States Daniel Jositsch opposed men being excluded from the Federal Council elections. SP parliamentary group president Roger Nordmann was jointly responsible for the party leadership’s requirement to rely on an all-women ticket. The decision was clear with 37 votes to 6 (2 abstentions). The parliamentary group relies on a purely women’s ticket.
The SP leadership’s proposal not to allow men to succeed Simonetta Sommaruga triggered heated discussions. There was a lot of criticism, especially from outside the party. But even within the SP, not everyone agreed with the actions of the party leadership. The fixation on a purely women’s ticket is democratic and strategically clumsy, said National Councilor Franziska Roth. She demanded that men should also be admitted to the internal march.
The counter-argument found practically no hearing among the representatives of the SP in the National Council and the Council of States. “The SP is the party of equality,” said Nordmann. One wants to be represented in the Bundesrat by one woman and one man. The faction members also knew, however, that they could not disavow the advance party leadership. The verdict was correspondingly clear after a one-and-a-half hour debate.
Jositsch: “Never personal or hurtful”
Jositsch then spoke to the media about a respectful and factual discussion. He never experienced them as personal or hurtful. He will therefore continue to serve as vice-president of the SP parliamentary group, said the Zurich Council of States. He still thinks the group’s decision was wrong. However, he can understand the party’s considerations and will accept the result. However, Jositsch wants to discuss the topic of gender representation again. It must be possible for a Swiss-German man to become an SP Federal Councillor.
Even if he didn’t say so explicitly, it’s hard to imagine that Jositsch would accept election to the Bundesrat under these circumstances. It is also very unlikely that the Federal Assembly will elect a candidate who is not on the parliamentary group’s official ticket. The other parties of the SP do not want to give this gift a year before the elections.
Group members confirmed that the nice words between Jositsch and the party leadership were not easy for the audience. Discussions were tough, fair and with open cards. But no dishes were broken, said Franziska Roth.
Tactician’s hour
The decision for a two-person ticket was much closer than the gender question. 26 faction members voted for it, 19 wanted a three-ticket. In the end, the party leadership prevailed on this issue as well. According to Nordmann, the fact that three well-qualified candidates with government experience were available spoke in favor of a three-way selection. But the parliamentary group does not want to leave the decision entirely up to the Federal Assembly. With a two-person ticket, she will narrow down the selection according to her taste. Candidates from western Switzerland are explicitly admitted. This means that the Jurassic State Councilor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider can continue to calculate chances.
In the camp of the Basel State Councilor Eva Herzog, this could trigger a certain amount of nervousness. Evi Allemann’s supporters could now be tempted to put Baume-Schneider on the ticket as the second candidate next to her. This is based on the assumption that the Federal Assembly will hardly elect a fourth representative from Latin Switzerland to the Federal Council. This would significantly increase Allemann’s chances. Potential male Federal Council candidates from western Switzerland could make the same considerations. If Allemann is elected, the way is open to them within the party after Alain Berset resigns.
Even if personal ambition plays a role in filling the ticket, there are overriding considerations as well. The parliamentary group should propose the most capable female candidates to Parliament. From this point of view, it would be difficult to justify denying Herzog a seat on the ticket.