Political scientist classifies Will Amherd's decision soon force Cassis to resign?
Viola Amherd is already stepping down as Federal Councillor in March. According to political scientist Sarah Bütikofer, the short notice is putting the centrist party under pressure - and may force Ignazio Cassis to act.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Viola Amherd announced her resignation on Wednesday.
- A replacement is already due to be elected in the spring session in March.
- Political scientist Sarah Bütikofer sees the short-term succession plan as a challenge for the centrist party.
- The decision could also have consequences for any plans by FDP Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis to step down.
Defense Minister Viola Amherd announced her resignation from the Federal Council on Wednesday. At the press conference in Bern, the 62-year-old said that she had "experienced many campaigns and actually survived them well".
There had been speculation in political circles for some time that Amherd would soon be stepping down. However, the decision to step down in the spring comes as a surprise. In previous years, Federal Councillors have usually resigned towards the end of the year, with the elections to replace them usually taking place in the winter session in December. Now a vote on Amherd's successor will take place in the spring session from March 3 to 21.
Sarah Bütikofer, political scientist and project partner at the opinion polling institute Sotomo, is also surprised by the short notice of the resignation: "The center now has to find a successor very quickly," she tells blue News.
"Every party also has a vice-presidency"
Especially as Gerhard Pfister, who has repeatedly been rumored to have ambitions to become a member of the Federal Council, announced just under a week ago that he would only remain in office as party president until the summer.
Sarah Bütikofer finds it "interesting" that the party president announced his resignation relatively far in advance and the Federal Councillor then resigned a week later. "You can certainly speculate as to whether Amherd's timing was intended to prevent someone in particular from succeeding her," says the political scientist.
Amherd herself reassures the press conference: "Every party also has a vice-presidency." Amherd assured that there was no intention to influence the succession in any way behind her decision to step down in the spring.
There is no shortage of centrist candidates
She had informed Gerhard Pfister immediately before publicly announcing her resignation, she said in response to a journalist's question. When asked whether she had a preferred successor, she said: "I am perfectly happy".
Bütikofer does not want to rule out Pfister's election to the Federal Council per se: "In this case, however, the succession to the party presidency would also have to be settled earlier."
The centrist party has many potential candidates in the Council of States and National Council: although Isabelle Chassot has already declined to stand, several male parliamentarians are also likely to consider a candidacy, such as Councillors of States Benedikt Würth (St. Gallen) and Pirmin Bischof (Solothurn) or National Councillors Martin Candinas (Graubünden) and Philipp Matthias Bregy (Valais).
The uncertain gender question
Viola Amherd, one of the three women currently in the Federal Council, is stepping down. A female successor would therefore seem the obvious choice in order not to exacerbate the gender imbalance.
However, the centrists cannot be held responsible in this respect: "The centrists in particular have had their only seat in the Federal Council occupied by a woman for a long time, and Doris Leuthard was in office before Amherd," says Bütikofer. There are therefore good arguments for electing a man to fill this vacancy, particularly as a signal to the party's new generation and the grassroots.
"However, in the case of a male successor, the party concerned would probably be forced to appoint a female successor the next time he steps down from the Federal Council," says Bütikofer.
Will Cassis also resign soon?
It is quite possible that this discussion will soon become an issue in the FDP. There are also persistent rumors that Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will soon be stepping down. 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 centrist party," says Bütikofer.
However, for a possible Cassis replacement election to also take place in March, the Ticino native would have to make a decision about his future very soon. This would be possible, as Bütikofer emphasizes: "Every Federal Councillor has the right to resign from office at short notice without informing anyone beforehand."
