On November 13, the Swiss Parliament re-elected all incumbent members of the Federal Council, the Swiss government, keeping the Greens out of the national cabinet.
Swiss environmentalists, the Greens, failed in their long-running bid to enter the national government on Wednesday as lawmakers elected a new minister to the Executive Federal Council.
Parliament convened in Bern to elect a seven-member governing council after October elections in which the nationalist Swiss People’s Party emerged with renewed vigour following losses suffered four years earlier, with two environmentally oriented parties losing their ground.
The Swiss political system is based on consensus. Four parties are represented in the Federal Council, ranging from the center-left Social Democrats to the nationally oriented Swiss People’s Party. Moreover, voters can cast their ballots on political issues in referendums several times a year.
The Greens argued that the party had claimed a council seat despite its election defeat, whereas the free-market Liberals were over-represented by two ministers. Greens MP Gerhard Andrey challenged Liberal foreign minister Ignazio Cassis, but the attempt failed.
All six ministers running for a new term were re-elected. One seat had to be filled as Social Democrat Alain Berset, head of the interior department in charge of health, labour and social affairs, resigned after 12 years in office.
Berset was the one overseeing Switzerland’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is succeeded by Beat Jans, a Social Democrat who currently heads the regional government in Basel.
The position of President of Switzerland passes between ministers annually. Next year it will be taken over by Defence Minister Viola Amherd.
