2009 Swiss Federal Council election

none 2009 Swiss Federal Council election Switzerland presidential no 2008 Swiss Federal Council election 2008 2010 Swiss Federal Council election 2010 16 September 2009 100px Didier Burkhalter Free Democratic Party of Switzerland 129 100px Urs Schwaller Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland 106 100px Christian Lüscher Free Democratic Party of Switzerland 4 Federal Councillor Pascal Couchepin Free Democratic Party of Switzerland Didier Burkhalter Free Democratic Party of Switzerland A by-election to the Swiss Federal Council was held in Switzerland on 16 September 2009,https://www.nzz.ch/gefaehrlicher_flirt_mit_der_mitte-1.2788440 Gefährlicher Flirt mit der Mitte - NZZ Neue Zürcher Zeitung 21 June 2009 after incumbent Federal Councillor Pascal Couchepin (Free Democratic Party, FDP/PLR) announced his intention to retire on 31 October 2009. Some saw the election as an important decision regarding whom the "fourth seat" in the Federal Council belonged to (the FDP or the CVP), and as an indirect political decision regarding whether the SP or the SVP would have more influence in the future.https://www.nzz.ch/der_umstrittene_vierte_sitz_im_siebnergremium_bundesrat-1.3537530 Der umstrittene vierte Sitz im Siebnergremium Bundesrat Von Michael Hermann Heiri Leuthold Neue Zürcher Zeitung 10 September 2009 Didier Burkhalter (FDP/PLR) was elected to succeed Couchepin in the fourth ballot. Candidates and party positions The election became a contest between the center-right Free Democrats and the centrist Christian Democrats, who both claimed to be entitled to the free Council seat. The right-wing Swiss People's Party and the left-wing Social Democratic Party's support, however, will decide the outcome.http://www.tagblatt.ch/aktuell/schweiz/tb-in/Bundesrat-Fulvio-Pelli-;art143,1335030 Bundesrat Fulvio Pelli? tagblatt.ch 11 June 2009 Free Democratic Party The FDP entered the election trying to retain Pascal Couchepin's seat. Representative Didier Burkhalter (Neuchâtel) announced his candidacy on 8 July 2009,https://www.nzz.ch/didier_burkhalter_will_bundesrat_werden-1.2961915 Didier Burkhalter – ein Bundesrat der Mitte - NZZ Neue Zürcher Zeitung 8 July 2009 followed by the Genevan representatives Christian Lüscher on 9 July and Martine Brunschwig Graf on 12 July,https://www.nzz.ch/auch_martine_brunschwig_graf_zeigt_interesse-1.3012409 Auch Martine Brunschwig Graf zeigt Interesse - NZZ Neue Zürcher Zeitung 12 July 2009 as well as Pascal Broulis (Vaud) on 6 August.https://www.nzz.ch/broulis-1.3286837 Pascal Broulis setzt die Segel Von Christophe Büchi Neue Zürcher Zeitung 6 August 2009 Party president Fulvio Pelli, while not officially putting himself forward, stated that he would stand in the election if nominated by his party. The FDP decided on 29 August to nominate two candidates, Burkhalter and Lüscher. Lüscher was seen as a right-wing candidate and Burkhalter as a centrist; some speculated that the FDP had nominated Lüscher to appease the SVP, while wanting Burkhalter to be elected. This strategy was considered to be risky, however, as a final vote between the FDP's Lüscher and the CVP's Schwaller would likely see Schwaller's election.https://www.nzz.ch/fdp_oeffnet_ihren_gegnern_eine_flanke-1.3445935 FDP öffnet ihren Gegnern eine Flanke - NZZ Heidi Gmür Neue Zürcher Zeitung 29 August 2009 The FDP claimed that Lüscher was not at all meant as an appeasement, and that he was as legitimate a candidate as Burkhalter.https://www.nzz.ch/christian_luescher_kein_alibi-kandidat-1.3525502 Christian Lüscher kein "Alibi-Kandidat" - NZZ Neue Zürcher Zeitung 9 September 2009 Shortly before the election, Dick Marty (FDP Ticino) announced without the support of his party that he would accept an election; it was seen as possible that some SP and Green representatives might support him.https://www.nzz.ch/schlagabtausch_zwischen_sp_und_svp-1.3556227 Schlagabtausch zwischen SP und SVP - NZZ Neue Zürcher Zeitung 13 September 2009 Christian Democratic Party The Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC) also stated it was entitled to a second seat. Dominique de Buman from the CVP Fribourg announced his candidacy on 7 August 2009.https://www.nzz.ch/bundesrat_wahlen_couchepin_cvp_kandidaten-1.3293282 "Nicht weiter tragisch" - NZZ Neue Zürcher Zeitung 7 August 2009 Urs Schwaller (CVP Fribourg) will also stand. Furthermore, Luigi Pedrazzini (CVP Ticino) was nominated on 31 August 2009.https://www.nzz.ch/tessiner_cvp_schickt_pedrazzini_ins_bundesratsrennen-1.3453918 Tessiner CVP schickt Pedrazzini ins Bundesratsrennen - NZZ Neue Zürcher Zeitung 31 August 2009 On 8 September 2009, the CVP unanimously nominated Schwaller.https://www.nzz.ch/die_cvp_greift_mit_urs_schwaller_an-1.3519483 "Mister Perfect" soll zweiten CVP-Bundesratssitz holen - NZZ Neue Zürcher Zeitung 8 September 2009 Swiss People's Party The Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) maintained that it was entitled to a second seat on the Federal Council, but that it had not yet decided when to try and obtain it. The SVP announced that it would only support the FDP's candidate if the FDP agreed to a fixed timetable for the election of a second SVP councilor. The SVP was strongly considering proposing their own candidate, with Jean-François Rime (SVP Fribourg) the only likely candidate;https://www.nzz.ch/fdp_bundesrat_wahlen_fdp-1.3439975 Die FDP steigt mit Burkhalter und Lüscher ins Rennen - NZZ Neue Zürcher Zeitung 28 August 2009 if they do not propose their own candidate, they stated they would only vote for FDP candidates, as they do not recognize the CVP's claim to a second seat. Social Democratic Party SP representatives stated that they would consider the candidates of CVP and FDP on their own merits, as they don't see either of the two parties having a natural claim to the seat; supporting the Greens was seen as unlikely, but possible. The FDP's Pelli was the only candidate the SP ruled out supporting.https://www.nzz.ch/pelli_hat_bei_uns_keine_grossen_chancen-1.3432049 SP-Präsident Levrat zeigt Pelli die rote Karte Neue Zürcher Zeitung 28 August 2009 Analysts stated the SP had to take into account that it would likely shortly have to replace Moritz Leuenberger's seat, and that it couldn't risk alienating the FDP too strongly.https://www.nzz.ch/die_wahl_eines_nachfolgers_fuer_bundesrat_couchepin_als_spielfeld_der_parteitaktiker-1.3539994 Verwirrspiele, Würgegriffe und ein Richtungsentscheid - NZZ Neue Zürcher Zeitung 11 September 2009 The SVP almost directly threatened it might vote against the SP's second candidate and for a Green candidate in the next complete renewal of the Federal Council in 2011.https://www.nzz.ch/fuer_die_sp_koennte_es_sich_2011_raechen-1.3550608 "Für die SP könnte es sich 2011 rächen" - NZZ Neue Zürcher Zeitung 12 September 2009 Shortly before the election, the SP declared that it was not decided that its members would prefer Schwaller; while he was closer to the SP on the issues, some members of the SP were reluctant to vote for a non-FDP candidate on institutional grounds. The SP also stated it would openly announce its voting behaviour (likely in an attempt to show that some SVP members – likely from constituencies strongly influenced by the farming community – would vote for Schwaller, who had tried to raise his profile as a critic of agricultural free trade with the EU). Greens The Greens decided on 28 August not to propose a candidate for the seat, as they had done in the two previous elections when SVP seats were contested, because they considered the time not to be right. Conservative Democrats The small Conservative Democratic Party (BDP) stated that if any agreement to replace Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf with a SVP representative came to pass, the party would vote for the CVP's candidate.https://www.nzz.ch/couchepin-nachfolge-1.2736429 FDP und CVP kämpfen um Couchepin-Nachfolge - NZZ Neue Zürcher Zeitung 14 June 2009 Furthermore, the BDP proposed giving the BDP's votes to the CVP candidate in exchange for the CVP's support for Widmer-Schlumpf's reelection in 2011.https://www.nzz.ch/grunders_neue_kleider-1.2739655 Grunders neue Kleider - NZZ Neue Zürcher Zeitung 14 June 2009 Procedure Federal Council elections proceed in as many ballots as are required for a candidate to receive an absolute majority of valid votes. Each of the 246 members of the Federal Assembly, members of the National Council and the Council of States alike, hold one vote. Article 132, par. 3 and 4 of the Parliament Act provides that: 171.10 171_10 132 Federal Act on the Federal Assembly (Parliament Act) ParlA 3 In the first two ballots, any person who is eligible for election may be voted for. From the third ballot onwards, no additional candidatures are permitted. 4 Excluded from the election are: a. those who obtain fewer than ten votes from the second ballot onwards; and b. the person who receives the lowest number of votes from the third ballot onwards, unless more than one person receives this same number of votes. Results needed for full results. January 2017 Candidates Ballot 1 Ballot 2 Ballot 3 Ballot 4 60px|Didier Burkhalter Didier Burkhalter 58 72 80 129 60px|Christian Lüscher Christian Lüscher 73 72 63 (4) 60px|Dick Marty Dick Marty 34 (12) (5) — 60px|Urs Schwaller Urs Schwaller 79 89 95 106 Other persons 1Fulvio Pelli, according to one member's statement to the media. Persons receiving less than ten votes are not officially reported by name. 0 0 0 Votes cast 245 245 243 245 Invalid votes 0 0 0 1 Blank votes 0 0 0 5 Valid votes 245 245 243 239 Absolute majority 123 123 122 120 After the first ballot, Dick Marty asked his colleagues, in a personal statement, to support his party's official candidates. After the third ballot, Christian Lüscher asked his colleagues to support Didier Burkhalter. Didier Burkhalter accepted his election to Federal Councillor. References 2 External links Politics Switzerland Federal Council election 2009 Federal Council election