Gerhard Pfister want to inherit the middle women with a Co-Presidium

For the successor of Federal Councilor Viola Amherd, it initially resolved – the middle sank into chaos. This had to do with the fact that Gerhard Pfister's resignation as President and that of Amherd as Minister of Defense were surprising and uncoordinated. National Councilor Markus Ritter and government councilor Martin Pfister filled the vacuum.

The situation of the party presidium looks very different. Here the middle seems to be able to draw from the full. Group leader Philipp Matthias Bregy, 46, and National Councilor Reto Nause, 53 have long been interested in interest.

Now the women are also going on the offensive. The Zurich National Councilor Nicole Barandun, 56, confirms that she is « generally interested in a CO Presidium »: « This is an option for me. »

The experienced politician and the career changer

Barandun could already have found the partner for a Co-Presidium: the Vaud National Councilor Isabelle Chappuis, 53. With Barandun and Chappuis, a center-co-presidium from representatives of those grand cantons in German and Western Switzerland would be composed in which the party wants to grow.

Chappuis has not yet struggled to take this step. But she says: « I'm not excluding a CO Presidium. » And she confirms that she talked to Nicole Barandun about it.

The two middle women have known each other well for 25 years. They have children of a similar age. In addition, Chappuis lived in German -speaking Switzerland for eleven years, « six years of it in Zurich district 6, » as she says. She is « complementary » to Barandun, analyzes Chappuis: « She knows the political ways, I as a career changer have the right questions. »

Barandun like Chappuis were newly elected to parliament in 2023. Lawyer Barandun has been working in politics for a long time. From 2008 to 2011 she sat on the Zurich cantonal council, and then she chased the CVP of the canton of Zurich for ten years and headed the new center in the Co Presidium from 2021 to 2023.

Economist Chappuis was only eight years in the Tolochenaz community parliament. In 2023 she was surprisingly elected to the National Council. Here she caused a sensation with a motion to Beyond Gravity: The initiative demands that the space company must remain in federal property. Surprisingly, he agreed to the national and the Council of States- against the will of Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter.

In the middle of the canton of Zurich, urban candidacy urges

Nicole Barandun would continue as a co-president the way the party has taken. « It has been shown that the change of name works, » she says. « We have to address the voters where we have potential and give the voters the face in the urban areas. » For the middle of the canton of Zurich it would be « a drama » if « a very conservative president » would follow Gerhard Pfister. Therefore, according to Barandun, the center of the canton of Zurich pushes to an urban candidacy.

As a “fan of Co-Presidien”, she is in conversation with other women, for example with Isabelle Chappuis, says Barandun. She also spoke to the Geneva National Council and lawyer Vincent Maitre. «This would result in the dream combination of Zurich-Geneva. Unfortunately, his professional commitment does not allow that at the moment. »

The choice as a turning point for women?

For Barandun, Gerhard Pfister's successor scheme is of great importance. « The women have to think about, » she says, « whether they want to shape the party now. »

National Councilor Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter also sees it that way. She organized a group of women. « One of the two remaining top jobs, » she says – and means president or leader of parliamentary group – « should be clothed by a woman. We women are working on the fact that the same thing does not happen again as in the Federal Council elections. » The women had asked a woman on the ticket loudly, but none wanted to get into the race. A communicative Gau.

Two other women have already considered a candidacy: Christina Bachmann-Roth, President of the Middle Women Switzerland, and Karin Stadelmann, President of the center of the canton of Lucerne. Stadelmann emphasizes that she could imagine a conversation with the finding commission for a co-management. For this, however, an openness is needed and secondly a counterpart from a different region.

Councilor Marianne Binder has considered a candidacy as a co-president. However, she does not compete because she calls for the Council of Councils in time, but still wants to actively work in the party presidency.

Two men are in the starting blocks

And what are the men planning? « So far my focus was on the Federal Council elections, » says parliamentary group leader Philipp Bregy. The finding commission will be deployed next week. After that he will seriously deal with the presidential option: « I have never made a secret of the fact that I was interested in this possible next step. »

Reto Nause registers significant ambitions as long as the requirement profile does not explicitly request a woman. The party presidium is a « huge opportunity, » he says: « The FDP drives in the SVP side car and the GLP rips itself. An economic -friendly but social center has a high potential in this situation. » The party is well positioned. But you have to do one thing: « intensify the work on the Internet ».