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Federal CouncilBad result for Alain Berset as President of the Confederation
The Fribourgeois achieves the 2nd worst score in the recent history of the presidents of the Confederation. He collected only 140 votes. Viola Amherd will succeed him in 2024.
Alain Berset and Viola Amherd
AFP
Alain Berset will be President of the Confederation for the second time in 2023. The Federal Assembly elected him on Wednesday by 140 votes out of 181 valid ballots. The 50-year-old socialist from Friborg succeeds the Ticino PLR Ignazio Cassis.
This is a very bad score for the Fribourgeois. It is even the 2nd worst result of the last 20 years. The worst election since 2002 still goes to Micheline Calmy-Rey. The Geneva socialist, who was at the head of the FDFA, had obtained only 106 votes during her 2nd presidency of the Confederation in 2011, unheard of since 1919.
She now also holds 3rd place on this sad podium for her first presidency, in 2007 with 147 votes. Conversely, the record is held by Ueli Maurer. He had obtained 201 votes in 2018.
other names
On Wednesday, regarding 40 bulletins carried the names of other people. Viola Amherd thus obtained 16 votes, Karin Keller-Sutter 10 and 15 went to other elected officials. In addition, 46 ballots were blank. However, during his first election to the post in 2019, Alain Berset had obtained 190 votes, an excellent result. There is no doubt that the Federal Assembly has sanctioned him for his many private affairs which have hit the headlines this year, even for his controversial management on the right, of the Covid file.
Important tasks await the Minister of Health during his presidential year. “The context is difficult and full of uncertainties,” he said. The health crisis has raged for several years, a war is taking place on our continent, the energy crisis and purchasing power occupy us, he recalled. This work must be done together, he stressed. “Unity makes us stronger. We need an open Switzerland which constantly renews itself, as it has done for 175 years”.
Excellent score pour Amherd
It should also be noted that the Federal Assembly has appointed Viola Amherd as vice-president. La Centriste valaisanne obtained the excellent score of 207 votes out of 223 valid ballots. She will therefore succeed Alain Berset as President of the Confederation in 2024.