Martin Pfister doubted the Federal Council candidacy

Until shortly before the registration deadline, Martin Pfister was not sure whether he should get into the race for a seat in the Federal Council. He made the decision after a long conversation with the most famous political scientist in Switzerland – which he had known for a long time.

The city of Baar is organizing a festive reception for the new Federal Councilor Martin Pfister. Political geographer Michael Hermann sits at a table in the back of the large sports hall. Why is he there? Why does he attend the election celebration of the middle politician?

Michael Hermann analyzes political developments in Switzerland, he writes columns, comes up on television, conveyed data, makes opinion polls, he advises parties and other organizations. Hermann is now known across the country – but why is he traveling to Baar on March 20?

Hermann was personally invited by Martin Pfister. The two have known each other for years. And the political expert helped to report to Pfister as a candidate for the Federal Council.

First meeting at a retraite on the Rigi

The first encounter goes back to 2019. Pfister invited the squad of his health directorate to a retraite in a hotel on the Rigi. Among other things, Pfister wanted to prepare for the two years as a landlord, as a Zug government president. Michael Hermann gave a presentation as a guest. Topic: How does the canton of Zug prevent it from becoming a victim of his own success? How can he continue to prosper without the so -called simple people being left behind?

After the retraite, Pfister and Hermann often met on occasions. They exchanged political issues and switched from them to you. Last winter they sat next to each other at the Azer. The ASer is a traditional event of CH media: employees of the media company and invited guests meet on the first Saturday in December in considerable cold in a forest lighting at Baden and catering in a rustic way.

Five and a half weeks later, Federal Councilor Viola Amherd announced her resignation. The center party slid into a problem. Possible candidates for their successor explained their lack of interest, one by one. Michael Hermann was skeptical when he read that Martin Pfister checked a candidacy. The networking of the Zug government council in Bundesbern seemed too weakly compared to him with counterparts such as Aargauer Markus Dieth, the Stadtbasler Lukas Engelberger, the Valais Christophe Darbellay.

None of the three government councilors got into the race. One day before the registration period expired, only National Councilor Markus Ritter announced his candidacy. The President of the Middle, Gerhard Pfister, attended government councilor Pfister in his house in the Baar district of Allenwinden. Pfister tried to move his namesake to a candidacy. It would have been a slump for the middle if it could only have presented the federal parliament one applicant.

On Sunday, February 2, Martin Pfister dismissed all media inquiries. Michael Hermann had now changed his view: he saw a path for Pfister’s candidacy. There were two reasons for that. The only candidate, Markus Ritter, was known and well networked in the National and Council of States, but he also had many opponents in parliament.

« In addition, Martin Pfister had the right story to challenge knights, » says Hermann. It went like this: The Swiss government should not be more conservative – it must remain in balance. «Pfister was perfect as a opposite candidate: City against Land, Colonel against Radio, Canton with great value creation against subsidies for agriculture, open to the EU instead of skepticism. And above all: consensus instead of polarization. »

There was a big question mark for Pfister

Hermann wrote Pfister an email. Pfister Hermann called on Sunday evening. The political scientist found that the government council had not yet made its definitive decision. His interest was obvious and Pfister had already prepared a campaign. But there was a big question mark. «In any case, he wanted to achieve a respectable election result, he did not want to end as an alibi maker. That’s why he hesitated. « 

This was followed by a long conversation in which Hermann Pfister explained the two factors that, according to his assessment against a disgrace: the broad resistance in parliament against knights and “Pfister’s perfect narrative”. The following Monday morning, the Mitte party of the finding commission announced that Martin Pfister wanted to become the Federal Council.

On March 12, Pfister was elected 123rd Federal Council of the Swiss Confederation. «I was impressed by how deliberate and consistently he went to work to convince the parliamentarians. I myself underestimated him for a long time because of his reserved manner, »says Hermann. Pfister had hired the consultant Bettina mother for his campaign.

Now Pfister is to fill important positions in his department. As you hear, the former Chancellor Walter Thurnherr advises him. It belongs to the middle and still knows his way around in Bundesbern.

The fact that Pfister is now putting together his team in the center of power of Swiss politics – it is also related to a connection that nobody knew. The government council, unknown outside of Zug, maintained an exchange with the most famous political expert in the country.