Parmelin’s early exit revives calls to require full terms

Swiss President Guy Parmelin’s decision to leave the Federal Council at the end of the year, a year before the current legislative term ends, has revived debate over whether members should be required to serve their full terms, SRF reports.

Greens parliamentary group leader Greta Gysin said it was not ideal for Federal Council members to resign midway through a term unless there were serious health reasons. Parmelin has ruled out health reasons, she said. Gysin argued that resignations should take place at the end of a term, allowing parliamentary election results to have a direct effect on the Council’s composition.

But mid-term departures are the norm. A study by political scientist Georg Lutz covering the past century found that only 30 per cent of Federal Council members left at the end of a four-year term. Lutz said parties generally found a single vacancy easier to manage than several seats opening after parliamentary elections, when discussions could make it harder for them to retain their seats. He believes most resignations, including Parmelin’s, are driven by personal reasons rather than party strategy, but says the practice helps preserve the status quo.

Last year, a centre-left majority in the National Council called for a change that would require Federal Council members to complete their terms unless they had exceptional reasons to leave early. The proposal was put forward by Centre Party National Councillor Gerhard Pfister. Lutz, a political scientist at the University of Lausanne, said multiple vacancies could give Parliament more scope to shape the Council’s balance by party, region, gender and age, and could make parliamentary elections more consequential.

The Swiss People’s Party and the FDP oppose the proposal. Both parties currently have two members on the Federal Council, which has a majority to the right of centre. Swiss People’s Party parliamentary group leader Thomas Aeschi questioned whether the plan could be implemented. Lutz also doubted members could be compelled to stay in office against their will.

The Council of States will consider the proposal next. Until then, Federal Council members remain free to resign before their term ends, as Parmelin has done.