Amherd succession completely open Will an explosive candidate become a Federal Councillor?

Following the surprising resignation of Federal Councillor Viola Amherd at the end of March, the centrist party is looking for a successor. But it's not quite that simple. Is there going to be an explosive candidate?

The search for a successor to DDPS head Viola Amherd(Die Mitte) is proving more difficult than generally assumed.

So far, top candidates have turned down one after the other: Gerhard Pfister(62), Matthias Bregy (46), Benedikt Würth (57), Isabelle Chassot (59), Heidi Z'graggen (58) and the centrist favorite Martin Candinas (44) all do not want to become Federal Councillor.

Does the center have a Federal Councillor problem? "It's no surprise that the rejections come first and only later do the interested candidates come forward. What is more surprising is that several of the top favorites over the years have taken themselves out of the race," says political scientist Sarah Bütikofer to blue News.

Candidate carousel"Thinking seriously about it": Will this familiar face become the new Federal Councillor?

An unpopular department makes the search difficult

Bütikofer suspects that it also has to do with the vacant department. "At the moment, it cannot be assumed that any of the current Federal Councillors will want to change." The tasks in the Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) would be "challenging to impossible to solve" for the new person, she says.

In addition, as a member of parliament, it was possible to experience first-hand how much Amherd was exposed to headwinds and how strongly and hurtfully she was attacked personally. "Of course, that's not an additional source of motivation."

Another reason: the election is already seven weeks away. "It's good for everyone involved if the situation is clear quickly and the parliamentary group can start preparing the nominations," she continues. There is also a lot going on within the party, as the chairmanship also needs to be filled soon.

Controversy, tension, isolationWhy Viola Amherd no longer liked it

Will someone from outside parliament run?

So who could take over from Amherd? According to Bütikofer, one possible candidate would be Andrea Gmür-Schönenberger (60), a member of the Lucerne Council of States. "She meets many of the professional, personal, regional and family requirements." However, Gmür-Schönenberger has not yet made a statement.

But then there are also members of the National Council, such as Markus Ritter or Philipp Kutter, who would be potential candidates. "Some government councillors are apparently also considering whether they want to throw their hat into the ring," says Bütikofer.

In addition, the center is a merger project from the former CVP and BDP parties. "It could even be that someone from the former BDP is interested in standing as a candidate. Or perhaps someone from outside parliament, but with many years of political experience," says Bütikofer.

A bang in BernFederal Councillor Viola Amherd resigns

A centrist Federal Councillor would be a relief

Until now, it looked as if a man would be Amherd's successor, but "now that a number of prominent centrist men have declined, it may well be that a woman ends up winning the race," says Bütikofer. "It wouldn't be the first time that an intrepid female politician has had to pull the coals out of the fire in a difficult situation."

In addition, another centrist Federal Councillor would be a great relief for some parliamentarians and members of other parties: their party would not necessarily have to present a female candidate when the next vacancy arises, which in turn would increase the chances of some men becoming Federal Councillors themselves.