Meret Schneider takes his place Green Bastien Girod resigns from the National Council

The Zurich Green politician is stepping down from the National Council at the end of the fall session. His colleague Meret Schneider, who will not be re-elected in 2023, will take his place.

Zurich Green politician Bastien Girod is stepping down from the National Council after the fall session. After 17 years in politics, he says it is time to work on the economic side to implement ecology and sustainability.

He will be succeeded by Meret Schneider, who will not be re-elected in 2023. Girod was first elected to the National Council in 2007 at the age of 26. He was able to complete many important projects during his time in office, he said in an interview with the online editions of Tamedia newspapers on Saturday evening.

He has neither a crisis nor enough of politics. With a job at the management consultancy firm Deloitte in the area of sustainability and climate, he sees an opportunity to refocus.

Girod explained that 17 years ago there were few jobs in the field of ecology. This is now different and ecological goals are anchored in the population and politics. It was only possible to achieve this politically. He could now use his knowledge to achieve more concrete results in terms of implementation in the economy.

Following the failure of his party in the federal elections in October 2023, Girod believes that the Greens are still a long way from going downhill. In view of the efforts in parliament against environmental protection, the pendulum will swing back.

Girod is relaxed about the Federal Council's plan to lift the ban on the construction of nuclear power plants. As things stand, a new nuclear power plant would not be built any sooner than 20 years from now. By this time, however, the energy transition should already be a reality.

The retiring National Councillor does not see the expansion of renewable energies and the circular economy - Girod's great successes, according to him - as being jeopardized by the Federal Council's plans. His interpretation of the current facts is that there is no need for nuclear power plants.

SDA