Former justice minister settles some scores
Switzerland’s former justice minister, Ruth Metzler, has released a new book detailing her five-year experience in government.
Her book also settles some scores with members of her Christian Democratic Party, including the current Swiss president, Joseph Deiss.
Metzler, who presented her book to the media on Wednesday, said it was aimed at a wider public than just those with an interest in politics.
She added that there was far more to the book, titled “Grissini & Alpenbitter”, than the sections detailing her eviction from the cabinet last December.
The Christian Democrats had to relinquish one of their two cabinet seats after a dismal showing in October’s parliamentary elections. Following a vote in parliament, the rightwing People’s Party saw its figurehead, Christoph Blocher, take Metzler’s place.
The former minister says in the book that she felt betrayed by Christian Democrat president Philippe Stähelin, party whip Jean-Michel Cina and Deiss, who, she claims, all failed to adequately support her.
But Metzler doesn’t just play the blame game. Evaluating her own legacy, she points to her successes in the cabinet. The Swiss gave approval at the ballot box to all 14 projects she backed as justice minister.
Critical response
The media, which received advance copies of the book, have been generally critical of Metzler’s account.
For the French-language daily “Le Temps”, the book shows just how out of touch Metzler was with her own party and how she failed to understand the political game.
Fribourg’s “La Liberté” says the book totally lacks any political vision or analysis, adding that Metzler’s account reads like a company report.
The Zurich-based “Tages Anzeiger” points out that she is prepared to criticise her party, while she paints a flattering picture of herself. “When mistakes were made, she liked to portray herself as a victim,” it wrote.
Breaking rules
As a rule, Swiss government ministers do not publish their versions of life in the cabinet.
But Peter Studer, head of the Swiss Press Council, told swissinfo that Metzler’s book reflects the fact that politics is becoming increasingly driven by personalities.
“Fifty years ago, nobody would have written this kind of book. It’s a sign of the times, of how politics is becoming more personal, and also an attempt to sell one’s own version of a story. Ruth Metzler is also naturally of public interest,” he said.
He adds that Metzler’s book could open the doors to more media coverage of the private lives of politicians.
“The Press Council has said in the past that journalists should not feel free to dig into the private lives of prominent citizens. But now that Metzler has written her own account of government life, that could change the way the media operate.”
But Studer concludes that Metzler’s book is more than just a personal tale of political betrayal.
“When a party is in such bad shape, a book like hers may help it draw some conclusions about its current situation. That gives her account of life in government some legitimacy.”
swissinfo
“Grissini & Alpenbitter” by Ruth Metzler-Arnold.
Written on the Italian island of Elba.
Over 300 pages.
In bookstores as of Thursday.
Ruth Metzler spent ten weeks writing her account of life in cabinet.
She was justice and police minister from March 1999 until December 2003.
Over 20,000 copies of the book, which is in German, have been printed, and 15,000 have been pre-sold.
A second edition is planned for later this month.
A French edition of the book should come out this September.
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.