Federal Council election 2025 Historian Altermatt expects a neck-and-neck race
Historian Urs Altermatt expects a close race for the vacant seat on the Federal Council. The chances of Zug cantonal councillor Martin Pfister and St. Gallen National Councillor Markus Ritter are currently 50:50, said Altermatt in an interview with "CH Media".
04.03.2025, 06:15
10.03.2025, 17:05
SDA
Altermatt sees the election as a decision between two personalities who are clearly different. "On the one hand, the sometimes loud go-getter, and on the other, the balanced consensus politician," he said. Both are experienced strategists, but the decisive factor is mobilization in the first round of voting. Experience shows that undecided voters often vote for the first-placed candidate.
Altermatt described the search for candidates within the centrist party as a "spectacular tragedy". The resignation of party president Gerhard Pfister in particular had made the situation more difficult. The party must now choose its new chairmanship carefully. "In my opinion, this should be younger and perhaps also more feminine. It needs the 40-year-old generation," Altermatt told CH Media.
In addition to the election of the Federal Council, the future distribution of departments is also up for debate. The Department of Defense (DDPS) has become a key department in the last three years. Altermatt raised the question of why an experienced member should not take over the department. "In the history of the Federal Council, the college has often solved difficulties in departments with castling," the historian continued.
When and how will the new Federal Council be elected?
On March 12, the United Federal Assembly will decide who will take over the seat of Federal Councillor Viola Amherd (center), who will step down at the end of March. The departments will be redistributed by the newly composed Federal Council before the successor takes office on April 1.
The principle of seniority plays a central role here: the longer someone has been in office, the more freedom of choice there is. The new person must take what is left. The distribution of departments is only put to the vote if the seven members of the Federal Council cannot agree.
So far there has been no news of any desire to change before the upcoming distribution round; it is therefore likely that the newcomer will take over the Defense Department. Amherd's successor has been elected until December 2027, after which he will have to stand for re-election along with the other six members of the government.
