Will he be Amherd's successor? Ritter has expressed interest in running for the Federal Council

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22.1.2025 - 15:54

National Councillor Markus Ritter: The center of the canton of St. Gallen informs on Tuesday about his Federal Council ambitions. (archive picture)
National Councillor Markus Ritter: The center of the canton of St. Gallen informs on Tuesday about his Federal Council ambitions. (archive picture)
sda

The candidacy of farmers' president Markus Ritter for the Federal Council is coming into view. The Mitte Canton of St. Gallen will announce next Tuesday whether Ritter will enter the race to succeed Amherd.

No time? blue News summarizes for you

  • Since Viola Amherd announced her resignation, the question has arisen: who could be her successor?
  • Several top favorites, including party president Gerhard Pfister and National Councillor Martin Candinas, have already declined.
  • Central National Councillor and farmers' president Markus Ritter has registered his interest in succeeding Federal Councillor Viola Amherd with the cantonal party.

Markus Ritter, centrist National Councillor and farmers' president, has registered his interest in succeeding Federal Councillor Viola Amherd with the cantonal party. He wants to take on responsibility, he told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Saturday.

With his candidacy, he also wants to help ensure that the centrist parliamentary group and subsequently the Federal Assembly have a good choice, said Ritter. However, the centrist cantonal party of St. Gallen is responsible for the nomination. It is now examining his candidacy and deciding whether it wants to nominate him.

After a series of rejections, Ritter is the first candidate to make his ambitions for government office public. Previously, "Schweiz am Wochenende" had reported that the 57-year-old had definitely decided to run.

Decision on Tuesday

The Mitte Kanton St. Gallen will announce next Tuesday whether it is sending Ritter into the race. He will be present at the media conference himself, he told Keystone-SDA. The Swiss Farmers' Association (SBV) will also speak on Tuesday.

Ritter has been a member of the National Council since 2011 and has been President of the Farmers' Union since 2012. He is considered an influential parliamentarian, but comes from the same canton as President Karin Keller-Sutter.

Many inquiries

Ritter told "CH Media" during the week that people from all sides had approached him and asked him to seriously consider a candidacy. The fact that a number of prominent centrist members rejected a candidacy is not surprising.

All strong centrist politicians are embedded in responsibilities. And now - "rather unexpectedly" - they are to decide within 14 days to possibly give up everything they have done so far in their careers for a seat on the Federal Council. "It's not easy," said Ritter.