Controversy, tension, isolation Why Viola Amherd no longer liked it
Viola Amherd has announced her resignation from the Federal Council. After months of speculation and political pressure, the centrist politician has now drawn the consequences.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Several decisive events led to Viola Amherd's resignation.
- After the resignation of Walter Thurnherr, Amherd felt isolated, especially under the dominance of Karin Keller-Sutter.
- However, her decision has little to do with the demands of the SVP.
After weeks of speculation, it's official: Viola Amherd is stepping down. The centrist politician has made her decision to step down from the Federal Council after one year as President of the Confederation and a turbulent term in office.
The resignation on Wednesday came suddenly, but the pressure on the defense minister had been growing for months. A reconstruction shows that various key moments paved the way for this step.
Isolation after Turnherr's departure
According to theTages-Anzeigernewspaper, Viola Amherd lost an important ally in the Federal Council when Walter Thurnherr stepped down at the end of 2023. The former Federal Chancellor was a confidant and supported Amherd, particularly in difficult discussions with FDP Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter.
After his departure, Amherd entered a phase of isolation. "The time under Keller-Sutter's presidency was extremely stressful for her," is how those close to her described the situation to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper at the time. Critical media reports placed an additional burden on her.
Closest advisor in the spotlight
The collaboration with her longstanding advisor Brigitte Hauser-Süess triggered a heated discussion last year. When Hauser-Süess reached retirement age in 2024, she received a fixed-term consultancy contract with generous conditions. Amherd felt personally affected by the criticism.
The SVP also took up the debate, as "Blick" has reconstructed. "Ms. Amherd obviously can't be without her advisor Hauser-Süess," commented Christoph Blocher in his "Teleblocher" programme.
Denied the spotlight
Amherd's year as President of the Swiss Confederation reached a high point with the successful negotiations with the EU. According to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, some crucial decisions were made during this time.
However, her role was downplayed when the deal was announced. Instead of Amherd, Foreign Minister Cassis, Justice Minister Jans and Economics Minister Parmelin presented the result. "This moment was a low point for her," a confidant told the Tamedia newspapers.
Resignation of the party president
The resignation of Center Party President Gerhard Pfister on 6 January brought new momentum to the discussions about Amherd's future. Pfister's possible ambitions for a seat on the Federal Council revived speculation about Amherd's departure.
However, as the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" knows, the departure was not agreed with Pfister. Sources report that he was surprised. And according to Amherd, he was also only informed shortly before the public.
What does Cassis have to do with it?
Rumors about the imminent resignation of Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis are also persistent. Amherd's decision may now put the FDP under pressure: "It would certainly be easier for the FDP to defend its second seat in the Federal Council if its seat were to be filled at the same time as that of the center," says political scientist Sara Bütikofer in an interview with blue News.
However, according to the NZZ, it is unlikely that Cassis will resign at short notice. However, it remains unclear whether Amherd actually wanted to prevent a double vacancy at the end of the year and therefore resigned.
Decision already at Christmas
The speculation reached its peak when the SVP publicly called on Amherd to resign. What the party did not know: Amherd had already made her decision during the Christmas vacations, as the "Tages-Anzeiger" newspaper knows.
However, she only informed her family about it. Professionally, nobody knew anything about Amherd's withdrawal. Her closest confidants were only informed shortly before the public announcement.
