The Federal Government

Autor(en): [s.n.]

Objekttyp: Article

Zeitschrift: The Swiss observer : the journal of the Federation of Swiss Societies in the UK

Band (Jahr): - (1967)

Heft 1516

PDF erstellt am: 10.10.2021

Persistenter Link: http://doi.org/10.5169/seals-687603

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http://www.e-periodica.ch CIk Swiss Obserocr Founded in 1919 by Paul F. Boehringer. The Official Organ of the Swiss Colony in Great Britain Commc/Z : r. j. keller (Chairman), Gottfried keller (Vice-Chairman), g. bodmer (Press Attaché Swiss Embassy), o. f. boehringer, j. eusebio, a. kunz, C. NATER, R. M. SUESS, G. E. SUTER. EDITED BY MRS. MARIANN MEIER WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF MEMBERS OF THE SWISS COLONY IN GREAT BRITAIN Te/ep/ione: Clerkenwell 2321/2. Published Twice Monthly at 23 Leonard Street, E.C.2. Te/egrams: Paperwyse Stock London Vol. 53 No. 1516 FRIDAY, 27th JANUARY 1967 THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Historical References Dr. Celio is the 80th Federal Councillor and sixth Ticinese. When the first Government was elected, it According to the Swiss Constitution, Parliament elects the seemed natural that all linguistic parts of the country Government, i.e. Federal Council, consisting of seven should be represented. Next to (), members. The Federal Council fulfils at one and the Ulrich Ochsenbein (Berne), (Solothurn), same time the functions of a Government and a Chief Friedrich Frey (Aargau), Wilhelm Matthias Naeff (St. Gall) of State. The members are elected every four years by and Henry Druey (), the Ticinese Stefano Franscini the two Chambers (National Council and Council of sat on the Federal Council. When the first changes took States) meeting jointly as Federal Assembly (" Vereinigte place, it was seen to that the most populated Cantons Bundesversammlung "). (Zurich, Berne, Vaud), North-Eastern, North-Western and When the Federal Constitution was created in 1848, Southern , were considered as much as pos- the election of the Government was burdened with a sible. The Government then consisted of Radicals. And minimum of regulations. But then the politicians began it was not until 1891, when a member of the Conservative to " improve " procedure, and by now precedence has left opposition was elected with Federal Councillor Zemp its mark. The law says that a Canton may only have from Lucerne. one member on the Federal Council at a time. But As regards the , after Franscini and Pioda, there since then it has been established that the large Cantons was no representative for forty years from 1864 onwards. Zurich, Berne and Vaud, the so-called " Vorortskantone ", In 1911, one of the great Swiss Statesmen, Giuseppe are entitled to a seat each permanently. Then the rights Motta, began his remarkable career as member of the of the minorities had to be considered, quite rightly so, Government for 28 years and as excellent representative like those of the Italian-speaking part of the country and of Southern Switzerland. minor denominational groups. Next, the idea was carried Federal Councillors E. Celio and G. Lepori were the even further, and the politcal Parties were brought in as next members, and since 1959, the Italian-speaking part well. has once more been without a seat in the Swiss Cabinet. In December 1959, four new Federal candidates had to be elected, and the so-called " Magic Formula " of a " Auslandschweizer " in the Government 2:2:2:1 Party allocation was introduced. At the time, it coincided with an excellent crop of candidates. Since At this point, it may be interesting to recall that a then, matters have become more complicated as was shown number of Federal Councillors had at some time lived when, on 27th September 1962, a new member had to be abroad and were in fact AMA/audsc/iwcizcr. The periodical elected to succeed Federal Councillor Bourgknecht. It of the Swiss abroad, " Echo ", had an interesting survey was an " outsider ", not an official Party nominee who in its last issue showing that the majority of the eighty made the grade, Monsieur . men who have governed the Confederation since 1848, had On 6th December 1965, a successor to the retiring spent some time abroad before being elected to such a member Prof. Dr. F. T. Wahlen had to be chosen. Accord- high position. Already in the first co/feg/nm, there were ing to the unwritten law, the new man had to be Bernese not only men who had studied abroad, but two genuine and a member of the BGB (Farmers', Tradesmen's and TM.v/andAc/i: Friedrich Frey, born at Lindau, who Citizens' Party). The election was a foregone conclusion, worked in Paris, and Stefano Franscini who was educated and the young Bernese, REmil Frey (Baselland) who worked on a farm claimed another representative. But the rights of the in U.S.A. for many years, took part in the American War Italian-speaking Canton were deemed important enough of Secession as Captain and became the first Swiss Ambas- to be considered, and Parliament elected the Ticinese sador in Washington from 1883 to 1888. lawyer Dr. . Thus the traditional claim by Many more examples are given in the said article in Vaud has been squashed, and the largest French-speaking the " Echo ", and it makes interesting reading to hear of Canton has now no member in the Government. Even how men gathered valuable experience abroad before the justified demand that the Romand/e should have two reaching prominence at home. It is also significant that seats, was ignored. quite a number of French-speaking Federal Councillors 52276 THE SWISS OBSERVER 27th January 1967

had at one time studied in Germany or Vienna, so in our present, took place in Berne on 3rd January. The main own time Councillors Pilet, Petitpierre and Bourgknecht. item on the agenda was the distribution of Departments, Our present members Federal Councillors Spuehler and which was announced afterwards by the President. There Tschudi studied in Paris. It is not accidental that one had been no re-distribution, and Federal Councillor Celio of the greatest promoters of the Constitutional Article for took over Monsieur Chaudet's succession as head of the the Swiss Abroad was the former Federal Councillor Military and Deputy of the Political Departments. The Wahlen. He had spent nearly two decades of his active remainder of the Departments are still allocated as fol- life outside Switzerland, seven years in Canada and ten lows : in Washington and Rome (FAO). This is a most incom- Political Department: (Foreign Office) F.C. W. plete reference to an interesting survey which illuminates Spuehler, Department of the Interior: F.C. H. P. Tschudi the important fact, that to live and work abroad broadens (Deputy: F.C. von Moos), Justice and Police: F.C. L. the mind and enables men (and women) to study and von Moos (R. Bonvin), Finance and Customs: Federal absorb matters which time another at one or may help President Bonvin (H. P. Tschudi), Public Economy : F.C. them to serve a wider community. H. Schaffner (W. Spuehler), Communications and Energy Production: F.C. R. Gnaegi (H. Schaffner). Rotation of Presidency The reasons given for adhering to the stato qua were Another unwritten law concerns the rotation of the that it took some time to get familiar with the work of a office of President of the Confederation. It is the usage Department which is a complicated administrative body, of seniority which is adhered to in determining the choice. and that some important matters which were at the moment A newly-elected Federal Councillor will have to wait his being studied would suffer delays if heads of Departments turn until all those elected before him have held the office were changed. (Federal Councillor Wahlen's view in this of President once. This law, again, is not nailed down matter had been the opposite, viz. that frequent changes anywhere. When the Federal Constitution came into were desirable.) the honour to being, high was only given leading personali- The Press has reacted unfavourably throughout. ties the " in the Government, mainly of largest Vororts- There has been and outbursts that the Govern- kantone ". Federal Councillor Jonas Forrer who died in anger even ment had missed a first-class chance to the right man office at Christmas 1861, Federal President four times put was in the right place. In view of the precarious financial his 13 as member of the Government. Within during years position of the Confederation and the coming popular vote nine Federal Councillor Jakob Staempfli presided years, on the for immediate financial improvements, three times, whereas Wilhelm Matthias Naeff (St. Gall) programme it would have been essential to show the people that the reached the only once in 27 and Councillor top years, Government was capable of decisive political action. Now Franscini was never chosen at all in over eight years. it has wavered and left things as they were. There seems Later in the it was still possible to be a mem- century, to be general agreement that the engineer Roger Bonvin ber of the Government without ever becoming President. would make a better job of production and trans- On the other hand, also happened that in the same energy it than of finance, whilst Federal Councillor Gnaegi session, became President of the Council of States, port a man would be the best man for the Military Department. The was elected Federal Councillor and immediately moved new member Dr. Celio is an expert on finance and to the position of Vice-President, as in the case of up economics, and whilst he will no doubt do excellent work Carl Schenk (Berne), who was elected or in the EMP, his talents are not used to the full extent. The in December 1875, chosen Vice-President at once and " Gewerschaftskorrespondenz commenting on the missed became President in 1877. ", already chance, said that had food the " the the it given new to Helvetische At the beginning of 'eighties, rule of seniority Malaise ". was into practice. It was only broken once in 1919 put is when Federal Councillor was President. This not the first time that square pegs have been For the fourth time, it would have been the turn of put into round holes. The Editor-in-Chief of the " Basier Bundesrat Eduard Mueller who was persuaded to make Nachrichten ", National Councillor Peter Dürrenmatt, recalls room for the Genevese. the facts of Professor Wahlen's election when he, had take Justice Especially of late, the cases where a Federal Councillor a qualified agronomist, to on and Police. became President without first being Vice-President of the But Federal Councillor Wahlen had great abilities, also Confederation, have been frequent. Federal Councillor as a Statesman. And his abilities were soon used to the Federal has Petitpierre twice rose to the top without having been second full. Every Councillor a dual role, that of in command, first in 1955 because Federal Councillor specialist in his own Department with expert knowledge and Escher retired as Vice-President, and the second time in of subject matter, at the same time, as a corporate member the 1960 when Vice-President Lepori had to retire for reasons of country's Government, responsible for the whole is find of health. Generally, it is customary that a member is policy. It difficult to men who can do full not elected Vice-President unless it is known that he justice to both. intends to follow it up with the office of President. This It was stated that the present solution was only of is the reason for Federal Councillor Chaudet's resignation a temporary nature, but " c'est le provisoire qui dure at the end of last year, as 1967 would have been his year and while it lasts, the Government in its present form can of Vice-Presidency. By his resignation, he made room for hardly be termed politically strong. As has been Federal Councillor Spuehler. already re- Inevitably, the question has come up again whether ported, last year's Vice-President, Monsieur Bonvin, was Parliament should not elect the Government. This is by chosen by Parliament as President for 1967. no means new, and well-known personalities have written and for and considerable time. Distribution of Departments argued against for some Last March, the Liberal-Democratic Union of Switzerland The first meeting of the Federal Council chaired by organised a conference on the theme " How shall the the new President, and at which the new member was. Federal Government be elected? " at which prominent 27th January 1967 THE SWISS OBSERVER 52277

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OBTAINABLE AT MOST LEADING STORES t 52278 THE SWISS OBSERVER 27th January 1967 personalities took part, such as the former member of THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE the Government, Dr. Petitpierre, Federal Judge Favre and National Councillors Dürrenmatt, Hofer and Tschäppät. CONFEDERATION these representing the main Parties were All speakers For the first time since Switzerland's Constitution against parliamentary elections of the Government, mainly came into being in 1848, the President of the Confedera- on the ground that the present cumbersome method would tion for 1967 hails from the . is, there- be replaced by " massive bargaining behind the scenes " It fore, not that Federal Councillor (Dürrenmatt) and Party-political considerations. There surprising Roger Bonvin, Federal Finance Minister, received a tumul- would be no practical advantages, and it would open the tuous on his return to Sion. When the door to political agitation. At that meeting the only reception election results in Parliament became known, a speaker in favour was Rerfaktor Pfister (Zurich) who sup- salute was fired in Sion, and flags were ports the planned Motion by the " Landesring der Unab- twenty-two-gun hoisted. 20,000 the President an enthusi- hängigen which is to be forward in the March people gave new ", put astic and the Commune of Nendaz session of Parliament, asking that, in future, Parliament welcome, (near Sion) accorded him " The Times " would have to give consent to the distribution of Depart- Honorary Citizenship. car- ried a front-page picture of the presentation of a tankard ments as suggested by the Federal Council. made to Monsieur Bonvin by Valais girls in costume. There seem to be few, if any advantages, if Parlia- Congratulatory telegrames arrived from Heads of States ment took away the whole responsibility from the Federal from all over the world, including H.H. the Pope. Council. What is needed is more consideration of political Federal Councillor Bonvin was born on 12th responsibility by the Parties when they propose members September 1907, at Icogne-Lens near Sion, son of a sur- to the Government as well as prior to a re-shuffle. Again veyor. He went to school at Sion and Einsiedeln and we quote Peter Dürrenmatt : " The responsibilities at the studied engineering at the Federal Institute of Technology moment are not clear. The governmental Parties which (ETH) in Zurich. He qualified in 1932 and then worked have no contact with each other, are glad to leave the for two years on special projects of the Dixence S.A. decisions to the Federal Council who, in turn, acts in order Next, he was employed by the Federal Office of Topo- to keep the interior peace and to cause the least friction. graphy, followed by appointments in the Valais, amongst And afterwards when the results are accordingly unsatis- them six years as chief of the cantonal Ran<7/rekbon of factory, the Press of the same govermental Parties revolts the Valais. Amongst the projects he was concerned with, against the system The writer concludes by saying that are the development of the Furka, the Mauvoisin and it is at this point that the will to reform should start. Mattmark Power Stations. It should at long last become possible for the leaders of In 1955, Monsieur Bonvin was elected Municipal the various Parties in the Government to sit together and President of Sion, from which time onwards he was also discuss such important problems as the election of Federal in the National Council. On 27th September 1962, he Councillors and the distribution of Departments and to fix was elected to the Government as successor to Dr. J. the responsibilities. Bourgknecht. (Comp;7ßd Ay die Ed/tor from news and m/wmadon He is a Colonel in the Swiss Army and in command ;-ece;ved fry conrtesy o/ ?/ie Agence îe/égrapk/çue of a Mountain Infantry Regiment (Upper Valais). He was Ba/sse, " Bas/er IVackr/c/i/en " and " Ecko ".) in charge of training high Alpine patrols, holds a pilot's certificate — at one time he piloted Swissair machines on several European routes — he is a qualified mountain guide and ski-ing instructor. NEWLY FORMED AND FOUNDED Monsieur Bonvin is the second Valaisan ever to be in the Government, the first having been Federal Councillor During the past few months, the following organisa- Joseph Escher. He has the gift of speech and is one of tions have come into being in Switzerland: the few men in Parliament who speak without manuscript. He is married and has seven children. Incidentally, he is Swiss Federation of Translators and Interpreters; a relative of President of the President David Neuchâtel. Mr. Edgar Bonvin, City Perret, Swiss Club in London. Foundation Adult Education under the for auspices On 1st January, the new President gave the tradi- the Swiss UNESCO Commission. of tional New Year's message over the Swiss radio and tele- The first planetarium of Switzerland at the Museum vision networks. In a special TV programme, " Un' Ora of Transport in Lucern. per Voi ", he addressed the Italian workers in Switzerland "Centre d'Etudes et de Sports Subaquatiques" (diving) whom, he said, he was particularly happy to know from in Neuchâtel. his own days as engineer on many construction sites in Federation of Swiss Museums, Berne, with Prof. Jean the mountains. [a.t.s.] Gabus, Director of the Museum of Ethnography in Neu- châtel, as President. " Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Agrarrecht ", THE PERSONAL TOUCH—that's what counts Lucerne. Tor a// fravc/s—Aj sra a/iif air A Committee to prepare Switzerland's entry into UNO, Olten. let A. GAND0N make your reservations Federation of European Address Book Publishers, Tickets issued at Station Prices no booking fee Zurich, by delegates from twelve European countries. HOWSHIP TRAVEL AGENCY Union of European Bank Personnel Federations, in 188, Uxbridge Road - Shepherds Bush W.I2 Berne. Telephones: SHE 6268/9 and 1898 [A.T.S.]