SVP plans at least two candidates to succeed Parmelin

The Swiss People’s Party (SVP) plans to put forward at least two candidates to succeed Guy Parmelin in the Federal Council election on December 9, party parliamentary leader Thomas Aeschi told Swiss public broadcaster SRF.

The party’s parliamentary group will decide on November 20 how many candidates to nominate and who will be on the ticket. Aeschi’s wording leaves open the possibility of more than two candidates.

Esther Friedli, an SVP member of the Council of States from St Gallen who had been considered a leading candidate from German-speaking Switzerland, has ruled herself out. She said she wanted to focus on her current role.

Aeschi said the Federal Council needed both women and men, with the country’s regions and language communities represented appropriately. He also listed expertise, leadership, assertiveness and likeability among the criteria for candidates.

The SVP is paying particular attention to candidates who could take over the Federal Department of Justice and Police or the defence department, saying it expects one of those portfolios could become available. Aeschi said the party was open to any department, but argued that the justice department needed someone who would take decisive action and bring a change in asylum policy.

Parties have generally put forward a single candidate for Federal Council elections. The SVP first offered a choice in 1979, when Leon Schlumpf was elected from a ticket that also included Werner Martignoni.