- The SP faction in the Federal Palace has decided on the criteria for their Bundesrat ticket.
- Accordingly, the Social Democrats definitely only want to nominate women to succeed Simonetta Sommaruga.
- The by-election for the SP Federal Council seat will take place on December 7th.
The SP parliamentary group told the media that they had opted for a women-only ticket consisting of two candidates. She followed the suggestion of the party leadership. According to SP faction leader Roger Nordmann, the decision was made with a clear majority. “For us as the SP, it is absolutely clear that we want to be represented in the Federal Council by a woman and a man,” he emphasized at the press conference. Anything else is simply unimaginable. “Because we are the party of equality,” said the Vaud National Council.
Nordmann referred to the late introduction of women’s suffrage in international comparison. In matrimonial law, too, women were given the same rights as men only late. In some areas, Switzerland is still lagging behind. The parliamentary group made the decision to nominate only women by 37 votes to 6 with two abstentions, said Nordmann.
According to the SP parliamentary group leader, it would also have been “hypocritical” to allow men to run for office if at the same time it was clearly signaled that a woman was wanted to succeed Federal Councilor Simonetta Sommaruga. The SP leadership communicated “sincerely and honestly”. “We wanted to clearly signal that we want a woman,” said Nordmann. The proposal to allow men after all was discussed in the parliamentary group for 90 minutes.
Jositsch renounces “wild candidacy”
The Zurich Council of States Daniel Jositsch, who had sharply criticized the women-only ticket beforehand, is therefore not allowed to officially run for office. He accepts the clear result of the faction, Jositsch admitted. He had advocated the principle of equal treatment of men and women with regard to the candidacy for the Federal Council elections.
“I am grateful to the party for the factual discussion and can understand the reasons for the decision,” said the SP Council of States. It is important that the SP, as a party for equality, goes into the National Council elections next year. A “wild candidacy” is excluded.
The SP faction will officially decide on names in a week. It has agreed in principle to propose two candidates to the United Federal Assembly. Roger Nordmann said: “It is part of the practice in the Federal Palace to send two people into the race.” This gives the parliamentary group as well as the United Federal Assembly a “certain creative power” in the selection. The parliamentary group voted 26 to 19 for a two-person ticket instead of a three-person ticket.
With the Basel Council of States Eva Herzog, the Bernese Councilor Evi Allemann and the Jura Council of States Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, three women have so far expressed their interest in the Federal Council Office. One of them will have to retire from the race in a week.
These women are candidates for Sommaruga’s successor
