Chiesa offers to stand for Swiss Federal Council

Ticino senator Marco Chiesa says he is available to succeed Guy Parmelin on Switzerland’s Federal Council, SRF reports. “Switzerland is our home, and it would be an honour to help look after it,” he told Ticinonews.

Chiesa said Ticino is represented in the government by Ignazio Cassis, but argued that “medium-term representation” must also be considered.

Other possible candidates

Other potential contenders include Bern regional government president Pierre Alain Schnegg, whose entry into the race was announced by the SVP’s Bern section, and Solothurn party president and national MP Rémy Wyssmann, who wants to become a Federal Council member.

Geneva national MP Céline Amaudruz has officially declared her willingness to run. She is seen as the strongest candidate from French-speaking Switzerland, though other parties view her as a hardliner. Zug national MP and SVP parliamentary group leader Thomas Aeschi is also considered a contender; his chances may have fallen after the election of Martin Pfister, who is also from Zug.

National MP and SVP vice-president Thomas Matter is considering a run. Valais regional government member Franz Ruppen is also weighing a candidacy and plans to announce his decision by the end of next week. Aargau national MP Benjamin Giezendanner has not ruled out running and said he would consider it if the party approached him.