Federal Councillors in need of explanation Criminal proceedings initiated concerning the federal government
Last year, the distribution of departments led to great resentment behind the scenes. Now it is known: The Office of the Attorney General is also investigating.
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- Last year, the distribution of departments led to a great deal of resentment behind the scenes.
- Now it has become known: The Office of the Attorney General is also investigating.
- All seven federal councillors must explain themselves.
Seven months ago, there was a scandal in the Swiss government that has now led to criminal proceedings. Many in Bern would like to put the matter to rest, but the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland is continuing its investigation.
Parliament elected the Federal Council on December 13. The following day, the government decided on the allocation of departments. Contrary to expectations, it was not Beat Jans who took over the Department of Home Affairs, but Elisabeth Baume-Schneider who unexpectedly moved from the Department of Justice to the Department of Home Affairs.
This change was not announced in advance and led to annoyance and resentment among the federal councillors, especially as they were not informed in advance, as reported by the CH-Media newspapers. There was a great deal of resentment behind the scenes.
Federal Councillors must explain themselves
Shortly afterwards, the Federal Chancellery filed a complaint on suspicion of a breach of official secrecy and the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland began to investigate. The investigations focus on when and how the Federal Councillors informed their staff or other persons about the results of the meetings.
The Office of the Attorney General has therefore sent the members of the federal government a list of questions. They must now all explain themselves. The Office of the Attorney General confirms that investigations are under way.
Viola Amherd already defended herself to "SRF" at Christmas and emphasized the need for flexibility within the government. She rejected criticism of the scheduling of meetings and accused her colleagues of lacking flexibility. "As members of the Federal Council, we should be used to working in such a way that you don't feel caught off guard - but that you can form an opinion quickly," she said.
Some high-ranking employees find the criminal proceedings inappropriate and are calling for an internal debate to improve cooperation. "It would be good if the government would do a manoeuvre critique and discuss how such tasks can be solved better in future," one employee told CH Media. The employees see the investigations as a sign of a lack of team spirit and excessive individualism.
The background to this strict approach is the past with the corona leaks, in which information from Alain Berset's Department of Home Affairs was leaked to the media. Since then, the Federal Chancellery has reacted quickly to suspected leaks.