"Doesn't satisfy me" SP man Jositsch wants SVP member of the Council of States to succeed Amherd
The Federal Council election on March 12 is causing discussion: SP Councillor of States Jositsch is unhappy with the centrist ticket and is calling for more freedom for parliament - even with an SVP candidate if necessary.
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- SP Councillor of States Daniel Jositsch criticizes the candidate duo Markus Ritter and Martin Pfister for the Amherd succession.
- He will vote for neither Ritter nor Pfister.
- Surprisingly, he proposes SVP Councillor of States Werner Salzmann as a suitable defense minister instead.
- He also attacks the "magic formula", compares the electoral system with the Russian Duma and calls for more freedom of choice for parliament.
SP Councillor of States Daniel Jositsch is critical of the candidate duo Markus Ritter and Martin Pfister, who will be standing for election on March 12 to succeed Federal Councillor Viola Amherd.
"It doesn't satisfy me. I don't think I'm voting from this ticket." He says in an interview with the "Aargauer Zeitung".
For Jositsch, the decisive factor is not whether the new Federal Councillor comes from the center party, but whether he is suitable for the task at hand. Particularly in focus: the Department of Defense (DDPS).
Surprise, Jositsch wants an SVP member
"From my point of view, Werner Salzmann, for example, would be an excellent head of the Defense Department." SVP member of the Council of States instead of a centrist candidate?
Jositsch's statement comes as a surprise, as Salzmann is a member of the SVP. An election would clearly shift the balance of power in the Federal Council in favor of the SVP and FDP. "I'm interested in the most capable people in the national government. The change of party can be compensated for later."
Criticism of "magic formula" and compulsory voting
Jositsch uses the opportunity to attack the unofficial "magic formula" - which for decades has provided for a certain distribution of Federal Council seats between the major parties.
"The magic formula established a power cartel in parliament. But this is not provided for anywhere in the constitution."
His criticism: Parliament is massively restricted in its freedom of choice by the parties' ticket requirement.
"The mechanism of our system is comparable to certain dictatorships, for example the Duma in Russia."
Blocher as an example of a change of heart
Jositsch also points to Christoph Blocher's change of heart. While the SVP excluded Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf in 2007 because she was elected to an SVP seat as a BDP politician, Blocher now emphasizes that parliament is very much free to choose - even outside of a ticket.
For Jositsch, this shows that the parties are adapting tactically - and that the rigid electoral system is outdated.
The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.
