Retiring Swiss Finance Minister Ueli Maurer has tried to explain a controversial comment on gender-neutral people – in which he said he doesn’t want to be replaced by an “it” – by saying it was a deliberate provocation.
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Ули Маурер и его «прощальный выстрел» в сторону «воук-культуры»
Maurer, 71, from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, was speaking at a delegate conference in Lucerne exactly a year before federal elections.
Maurer told delegates he was concerned not only by immigration but also by “woke” culture, a reference to people who are inclusive and alert to prejudice and discrimination. There is a rush to deal with the details instead of the big issues, he added.
When asked by a journalist at a press conference whether he would be happy if a woman succeeded him, Maurer replied: “I don’t really care whether my successor is a man or a woman – as long as the person isn’t an ‘it’, it’s OK.”
He claimed such a big controversy over such a small word showed society’s decadence. He said he didn’t care about a person’s gender.
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A gender-inclusive language to change the world
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Swiss television moderator and writer Gülsha Adilji says it’s high time we watched our language.
When Maurer announced his retirement at the end of September, speculation quickly started about who would replace him. Parliament will elect his replacement on December 7.
People’s Party ‘virus’
On Saturday Maurer also praised the “excellent situation” of Switzerland, which, thanks to the People’s Party, has been able to retain its independence, he said. He called for the People’s Party “virus” to be spread – “this makes people happy and therefore doesn’t require masks or vaccines”.
The People’s Party was the strongest party in the 2019 federal elections with a voter share of 25.6%, although this was down from 29.4% four years earlier.
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Ueli Maurer resignation signals end of era, says Swiss press
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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.
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Green Party decides against targeting cabinet seat
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The Green Party says it won’t make a move for the seat in Switzerland’s seven-person cabinet being made vacant by Finance Minister Ueli Maurer.
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The resignation and replacement of a government minister may not be worth more than a shrug of the shoulders in most countries. Not in Switzerland.
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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.