The election of Alain Berset to the Swiss cabinet means there’s no change in the division of power in the seven-seat office.
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Combined group seats of the House of Representatives (200) and Senate (46):
Green Party – 17
Social Democratic Party – 59
Christian Democratic Party – 42
Conservative Democratic Party – 10
Liberal Green Party – 14
Radical Party – 41
Swiss People’s Party – 61
Geneva Citizens’ Movement – 1
Total – 245 (a senator for canton Schwyz has not yet been sworn in)
swissinfo’s Thomas Stephens is in Bern, following the 2011 parliamentary elections.
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No alarms and no surprises
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The Social Democrats and Radicals have two seats each, the Conservative Democrats, Christian Democrats and People’s Party one each. Needless to say the People’s Party, which got 26.6% of the vote in October’s parliamentary elections – compared with the Social Democrats’ 18.7% and the Radicals’ 15.1% – is not happy. Will it pull out of…
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Alain Berset is thus elected. Alain Berset was born in 1972 in Fribourg and is married with three sons. He studied political science and economics at Neuchâtel University from where he received a PhD in economics in 2005. After working as a research scientist and political advisor, he was elected to the Senate in 2003…
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The two official Social Democrat candidates are Alain Berset and Pierre-Yves Maillard. The official People’s Party challenger is Jean-François Rime. The votes are in and are being counted…
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The votes are in and are being counted… Beforehand, the Radicals told parliament that, contrary to what the People’s Party had claimed, they had supported the People’s Party in the Widmer-Schlumpf vote.
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The Social Democrats responded that this was unacceptable. Jean-François Rime will be the People’s Party’s candidate in all cases.
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Hans Altherr, speaker of the Senate, has just paid homage to the 66-year-old Social Democrat in which he said she never lost her appetite for politics or indeed for a challenge. He added she impressed many people with her championing of concepts such as active neutrality, “but occasionally irritated” some as well. Cut to a…
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(Regular readers will be familiar with this more detailed explanation of what’s at stake and why). The Swiss cabinet comprises seven ministers who have to stand for re-election every four years, a couple of months after parliamentary elections. This year, six are hoping for another mandate – one is retiring and will be replaced by a…
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In around four hours we should know which seven politicians will be chosen by parliament to make up the Swiss cabinet for the next four years. Today’s line-up features several much-anticipated political scraps – four look like being no-contests, but three could turn out to be bruising encounters going several rounds. swissinfo’s live blog will…
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Cabinet elections
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On December 14, parliament elected the seven cabinet ministers for the next four years. The only new face was Alain Berset from the Social Democratic Party.
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The group photo of the Swiss Federal Council is an annual ritual. It is not just a souvenir but also captures the ambitions through symbolism.
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The Swiss government today reflects not only the political forces but also the different regions and mentalities. But it started off as a one-party cabinet in 1848. (Pictures: Keystone and RDB)
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