If Federal Councilor Ueli Maurer resigns shortly, which is expected every hour in Bern, Switzerland’s dilemma will become obvious: the Federal Council will not be who is best suited for it, but who draws a hit in the political Swiss Lotto.
Ueli Maurer was the typical SVP representative, farmer’s secretary, no great school education, a careerist by chance.
It was impossible not to like him. His mostly humble demeanor, his striking sayings, made him – especially in the right-wing camp – a darling of the nation.
The reality was overlooked.
For a long time he lived as a Federal Councilor, who was responsible for state finances, from an exceptionally capable State Secretary: Serge Gaillard, a former Marxist and trade unionist.
It was Gaillard who kept the state finances under control. He also enjoyed great respect from representatives of the bourgeoisie and corporate groups.
Ueli Maurer made a number of big mistakes. He behaved negligently when granting the Covid 19 loans. He, who knew cantonal practice well, relied on the cantons.
That backfired, because tens of millions of francs, if not more, were given to companies that actually didn’t deserve a loan.
How Ueli Maurer generously served the corporations with tax money was a tragedy. The only reason it has so far not caused any unrest is because the Federal Council refuses to put the cards on the table.
The 1.5 billion loan to Swiss and other Swiss subsidiaries of the Lufthansa Group alone is a scandal. Despite the crisis, the top managers at Swiss received large bonuses.
Like others, Swiss employees at Swiss were dismissed under all sorts of pretexts. The last threat came that if you don’t get vaccinated you have to leave.
The aircraft noise, mainly caused by the German airline, which handles over 70% of all flights in Kloten, has resumed. The southern starts are only a matter of time.
Swiss and other corporations were kept afloat with Swiss tax money, also with the tax money of those who are in no way satisfied with Swiss practice.
Ueli Maurer has not shown a lucky hand when it comes to personnel issues. As the highest head of personnel for the Federal Council and all of its administrations, he has promoted a barely limited growth in the salaries of federal employees and civil servants.
As a direct supervisor, he protected customs director Christian Bock, who made second in the implementation of IT projects worth millions.
“Kei Luscht” has become the trademark of the lonely top politician from the Zurich Oberland.
“Kei Luscht” marks his collaboration with the media. Obviously, he has more “Kei Luscht” to continue to stand up for Switzerland at the age of 70 as a Federal Councilor.
Out of loyalty to his party, the SVP, which made him great, Ueli Maurer will not resign without consulting the great Zampano Christoph Blocher.
He, like an ancient king from his Herrliberg cave, will decide who will take the place of his old friend.
But Christoph Blocher has little choice. New faces were never welcomed in his Artus tour above Lake Zurich.
His political foster son Toni Brunner is slowly getting older as a landlord in Toggenburg. He breeds Eringer cows and presents himself entirely as Valais, like Dölf Ogi once did.
Toni Brunner, who is not a fool, will know that he is hardly suitable as a Federal Councilor. That does not mean that he does not accept the call from Herrliberg. He has good cards.
Albert Rösti from Bern has good cards nationally. As the former SVP president, he has always retained his independence from Christoph Blocher.
Today this counts more than ever, because Rösti could lead the SVP into a future without Christoph Blocher. Whether he dares to do this remains to be seen.
The decline of German politicians, the failure of the Johnson government in Great Britain, the political chaos in France, where a Macron is slipping more and more, only make a stable Swiss Federal Council more important.
More than ever, our country has the chance to become a role model for all of Europe. The voices on the old continent that take Switzerland as a model are getting louder and louder.
The time for Ueli Maurer is over. The SVP must show whether and how much courage it has.
The other Swiss parties have already become gamblers. Whether the FDP, the middle, the Greens or the Green Liberals or the SP Switzerland, the next generation is pushing forward everywhere.
Are we the better Europeans? The chances have never been better.
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