Thomas Aeschi Swiss Federal Council candidacy to succeed Guy Parmelin, Digi Mart USA News: Thomas Aeschi has announced his candidacy for the Swiss Federal Council in a prominent appearance in the Sonntagsblick, two weeks after the SVP’s internal nomination deadline had passed. The source describes this as an unusual approach.
Aeschi was a candidate once before, in 2015, and was not elected.
As parliamentary group leader, Aeschi is a heavyweight within the Swiss People’s Party (SVP). His chances of securing the party’s official ticket are described as very high.
However, his chances of being elected to the Federal Council by the Federal Assembly are not considered equally high.
Aeschi is regarded as a hardliner who represents SVP positions uncompromisingly and leads the parliamentary group tightly. This has repeatedly provoked resistance from other parties.
A physical altercation with police during the visit of the Ukrainian parliament speaker two years ago also irritated many in the Federal Palace. The 47-year-old from Zug is described as lacking a “likability factor,” while his technical expertise and command of his portfolios are undisputed.
With his candidacy, the situation for the December 9 election changes. Until now, the field lacked a top figure from the party; with Aeschi, one now enters the arena.
For the SVP leadership, he is likely the clear favorite to succeed Guy Parmelin.
The candidacy is not good news for the French-speaking SVP. Parmelin, a Romand, is leaving the government, and several French-speaking SVP representatives have demanded that the seat remain in French-speaking Switzerland.
With Aeschi in the race, the French-speaking candidacies of Céline Amaudruz and Pierre Alain Schnegg face greater difficulty in securing a place on the ticket.
Aeschi should not consider the matter settled, however. Federal Council elections are unpredictable, and the favorite does not always win, as he learned in his first candidacy.
