No resignation for federal councillors Center Party leader Pfister calls for new rules
Center Party President Gerhard Pfister is calling for a ban on Federal Councillors resigning during a legislative period. This should increase the stability of the government and prevent tactical resignations.
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- Gerhard Pfister has submitted an initiative calling for federal councillors not to be allowed to resign prematurely during a four-year term of office, unless for health reasons.
- This is intended to give Parliament more leeway and increase the chances of agreements being reached when the Federal Council is elected as a whole.
- Pfister's proposal also aims to align the composition of the Federal Council more closely with that of Parliament.
- The initiative has met with resistance in parliament.
According to SRF, Center Party President Gerhard Pfister wants to use his parliamentary initiative to ensure that Federal Councillors complete their four-year term of office in full and are only allowed to step down prematurely in exceptional cases, for example for health reasons.
This measure is intended to prevent tactical resignations that take place during a legislative term. Pfister argues that this will strengthen the stability of the government and increase the efficiency of political processes.
Increasing opportunities for political agreements
The proposed ban on resignations aims to give parliament more opportunities to exert influence. Fewer individual resignations during the legislature would free up more seats for the general election, increasing the chances of political agreements and alliances between the parties.
Pfister hopes that this could help his centrist party to win a second seat in the Federal Council in the medium term and bring the composition of the Federal Council more into line with the parliamentary majority.
Challenges and criticism
Pfister is making this proposal at a time when criticism of the existing rules is often voiced ahead of elections to replace the Federal Council. However, the proposal is already facing resistance in parliament, as implementation is practically difficult and the delimitation could be problematic.
SRF also emphasizes that the best way to increase representation in the Federal Council would be to elect a Green Federal Councillor, but this has failed due to the lack of political majorities in Bern.
These structural changes should ensure that the government's decisions are more widely accepted and stabilize Switzerland's political landscape.