Federal Council reform fails again Gaga debate on enlarging the Federal Council: "Why are you in the National Council?"
There was more laughter than reform in the Federal Parliament on Tuesday: The debate on a larger government turned into a comedy as Zurich National Councillors and a woman from Ticino jibed at each other.
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- In the National Council on Tuesday, the debate on a possible expansion of the Federal Council from seven to nine members provided an unexpected amount of humor - mainly thanks to a quick-witted exchange of blows between Zurich politicians and a Green National Councillor.
- Her counterattack: "Why are you in the National Council?" provoked great laughter in the hall and became the phrase of the day.
- Despite the amusing debate, the result was clear. The National Council clearly rejected the Green initiative by 114 votes to 77.
What began as a serious discussion about state reform ended as a half-comedy in the National Council on Tuesday. The debate on a possible expansion of the Federal Council from seven to nine members developed into an entertaining exchange of blows between several Zurich parliamentarians who tried to outdo each other with comparisons.
The starting point was an example from the city of Zurich: SP National Councillor Fabian Molina remarked that the government there functions "excellently" with nine members.
National Councillor Greta Gysin (Greens/TI) confirmed this in a friendly manner - which was immediately contradicted by the Zurich SVP.
Whether city or canton of Zurich - the main thing is excellent
Benjamin Fischer objected that in Zurich there is a Presidium elected for four years that holds the nine-member body together: "That doesn't work with the Federal Council," he said. Gysin remained unimpressed and replied dryly that she did not know all of the country's executive systems in detail.
The highlight of the debate was delivered by SVP National Councillor Mauro Tuena with feigned indignation: "The canton of Zurich works excellently - with seven members of government! Can you confirm that?"
Even before Gysin answered, the room laughed - and she in turn countered with the sentence of the day: "No, colleague, I can't confirm that. But I can see that you are all very interested in the city and canton of Zurich. So why did you run for the National Council?"
Enlargement of the Federal Council rejected again
There was much laughter in the Council chamber, but it was not enough for a national revolution: the National Council once again rejected the enlargement of the Federal Council. The large chamber rejected the Greens' initiative by 114 votes to 77. Apart from the Greens, SP, GLP and EVP, there was no majority in favor of the proposal.
Gysin recalled that the Federal Council has had seven members since 1848 - even though Switzerland has grown, become more international and more complex since then. "Switzerland only works if all parts feel involved," she explained. A larger government would distribute the language regions and the workload more fairly.
The opponents stuck to their arguments: The seven-member Federal Council had proved its worth and guaranteed stability. Philippe Nantermod (FDP/VS) warned that a nine-member body could jeopardize the principle of collegiality. Gregor Rutz (SVP/ZH) even spoke of a "surge in bureaucracy", as additional departments would be created, which would generate more costs.