Flu in the Federal Palace Federal Councillor Rösti is ill - what happens in such a situation?

When a Federal Councillor falls ill, many things continue as usual. blue News explains the mechanisms that take effect when a member of the national government is absent - and why no drama ensues.

Federal Councillor Albert Rösti has been ill this week. According to reports on Monday morning, the head of the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications initially had to cancel all appointments. On Wednesday, his department announced that a stomach flu had affected him more severely than initially assumed. He will therefore not be able to attend any further appointments until the end of the week.

These included two media conferences on upcoming referendums: Rösti had planned to explain the Federal Council's position on the SRG initiative and the climate fund initiative this week. Both events have been postponed until next week.

Rösti is not alone with his illness these days. According to data from the Federal Office of Public Health, the flu epidemic is underway. Many people are currently seeking medical help due to fever, cough or cold. Quite a few are staying at home as a precautionary measure to take it easy and avoid infecting others.

But how is this regulated for a member of the Federal Council? Do they also have to present a medical certificate - and if so, to whom?

Do Federal Councillors need a medical certificate?

The short answer is: Federal Councillors are considered magistrates and not employees. Their rights and duties are not regulated by contract, but are laid down in laws and ordinances. The collection of Federal Council regulations(Aide-mémoire), for example, states: "Members of the Federal Council must always be available."

However, what this means in everyday life is not specified in detail. There is unanimous agreement within the Federal Administration that the practice is largely based on that of normal employees. A source close to the Federal Council says: "Everyone has their tasks and fulfills them independently." Not every detail has to be decided personally by the Federal Council; the managers of the specialist offices are responsible for this. "A Federal Councillor can rely on his staff to have his back if things don't work out," says a federal employee.

Accordingly, it is also clear what happens if a Federal Councillor is unable to attend an appointment: a replacement is organized. If a matter has to be represented in a parliamentary committee, this can also be done by an office director. In practice, this is rarely a problem, as positions and backgrounds are agreed and documented at an early stage.

Sometimes Rösti has to decide personally - or delegate to Martin Pfister

Decisions that can only be taken by a member of the Federal Council, such as formal decrees, are more complex. If these cannot be postponed, deputization comes into play. Each member of the federal government has appointed a deputy who can step in if necessary.

In the case of Transport and Environment Minister Rösti, Defense Minister Martin Pfister (center) is the designated deputy. However, he is unlikely to be deployed at present. "Such cases are rare," says a source. The last time a longer deputy was publicly known was in 2008, when the then Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf Merz was absent due to illness and was temporarily replaced by Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf.

In an interview with blue News, however, all sources emphasize that Rösti can still be reached - by phone, text message or Threema - and that he also took part in the Federal Council meeting from home on Wednesday.

Rösti watches Lauberhorn from home

However, there is a special home office rule, at least for the Federal Council meeting: they are not allowed to use their usual work devices to attend Federal Council meetings. Instead, specially secured systems are used to ensure confidentiality and prevent recordings.

Sources asked did not want to answer detailed questions about this. However, one person reminded us that members of the Federal Council must hand in their cell phones before the Federal Council meeting.

For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that if a member of the Federal Council is unable to work from home for an extended period of time, the Parliament Act has provided for the possibility of a replacement election since 2009. The law refers to the "determination of incapacity for office" in the event of serious health problems if these are expected to last for a longer period of time and no declaration of resignation is made.

For Rösti, this question obviously does not arise at present. He will probably not be able to follow the Lauberhorn race on site, but from home in Uetendorf BE. However, appearances on the SRG initiative and the climate fund initiative have already been announced for next Tuesday and Wednesday - an indication that the numerous well-wishes have been received and are having an effect.