Beauty duel before the Federal Council election Ritter and Pfister are in a close race - also in terms of looks
Political competence counts in the Federal Council election. A Zurich clinic has analyzed another factor: appearance. And lo and behold - here, too, it's close between Markus Ritter and Martin Pfister.
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- On March 12, Markus Ritter or Martin Pfister will probably be elected to the Federal Council.
- A Zurich beauty clinic has assessed the candidates on the basis of visual criteria such as facial symmetry, hairline and expression.
- Martin Pfister narrowly retains the upper hand.
On March 12, the United Federal Assembly will decide on the Federal Council candidates Markus Ritter and Martin Pfister. In addition to political competence, various other factors will play a role. For example, it is important which canton and region the candidates come from or which gender they belong to. According to Center Party President Gerhard Pfister, the "ability factor" also plays an important role.
While reporting on men tends to focus more on the political work itself, female politicians are more often judged on their appearance. Zurich-based The Gentlemen's Clinic has now turned the tables and examined the two candidates in terms of their overall visual impression.
Facial expression, hairline, facial symmetry and hairstyle were analyzed. The evaluation was determined by specialists from the beauty clinic using a weighted scoring system and software. The changes to the hairline and facial symmetry were assessed more mildly, as a great deal of effort is required to change them. On the other hand, the factors of facial expression and hairstyle were assessed more strictly.
"Appearance is becoming increasingly important in business and politics"
What is already becoming apparent in next Wednesday's election is also becoming apparent in the visual duel: Martin Pfister and Markus Ritter are going head-to-head. Ultimately, it is Martin Pfister's facial symmetry that tips the scales in his favor.
"With appearance, we add another factor to the decisive factors such as cantonal origin or the 'opportunity factor' in the Federal Council election," says Giuliano Lenz, CEO and owner of The Gentlemen's Clinic. This is no coincidence: "We have noticed among our clients that appearance is becoming increasingly important in business and politics."
Current Federal Councillors come out on top
However, Rösti, Parmelin, Jans and Cassis need not worry that they will soon be overshadowed by a new Federal Councillor. The male members of the national government scored an average of 21.5 points across all measured factors. Pfister and Ritter scored an average of 11 points. The maximum score is 31.5 points.
At least when it comes to their hairstyle, neither candidate dares to experiment wildly. Fortunately, however, far more relevant criteria still carry much more weight in the actual election.
