Federal Council creates crisis staff and appoints special envoys
Trade dispute
Federal President Keller-Sutter has called Donald Trump
Success for the Federal President: Karin Keller-Sutter had US President Trump on the wire. Meanwhile, the state government has reacted: it creates a crisis organization and appoints a new special envoy for relationships with the USA.
The Federal Council met in Neuchâtel on Wednesday. He creates a new staff that should only devote himself to the problems with the USA.
The new structure, the Federal Council, avoids the word crisis team in its media release, comes into force immediately and consists for the time being until the end of the year. It consists of a core group with representatives of the outside, finance and economic department and is headed by Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis. The other departments are also represented in an extended group.
Part of the core group is the special envoy for the USA. The Federal Council has created this job again and filled with Gabriel Lüchinger, the head of the international security department in the broadcasting party. « This temporary function ensures a targeted and supplementary contact channel with a focus on international security, » says the media release. This cryptic addition is intended to make it clear that the special envoy Lüchinger is not simply the new Mister customs. Here is still the Secretary of Economics Budliger in the lead, who is also a member of the core group.
Lüchinger has a supportive function as a special envoy. His excellent network should help him. Among other things, Lüchinger organized the Ukraine conference at the Bürgenstock.
Between Herzogenbuchsee and Mar-A-Lago
The Bernese lawyer moves in very different worlds. He is not only at home in the big world, but also in the municipal council of Herzogenbuchsee. In the 7500-soul community, he is responsible for-of course-security and sport.
Lüchinger is a diplomatic career changer. Between 2010 and 2016 he was a military attaché in various Arab countries. Lüchinger than Secretary General of SVP Switzerland moved a little more into the public focus. However, he only stayed for two years. After that, he was initially personal employee of Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin, and since 2022 Lüchinger has been an ambassador and head of the international security department in the Cassis’ issue. In 2023, his party unsuccessfully nominated him for the office of Chancellor. The 48-year-old lost to the GLP candidate Viktor Rossi.
Lüchinger’s party affiliation should have played an important role in this defeat. Because his reputation in the federal administration is excellent. This is also evident from the fact that the Bernese was traded for a wide variety of top jobs before it was appointed. As the new general secretary of the defense department, for example – or as the new head of the intelligence service.
