The CS collapse is at the beginning of Burkart’s failure as FDP President

Thierry Burkart was well on the way as the head of the free -minded. Then the Credit Suisse went down.

The FDP is on the upper. It lies on the same with the SP in the voters and keeps the middle at a distance: the distance is almost three percentage points. The second seat of the free -senses in the Federal Council is in no way endangered.

That was the result of the SRG election barometer in autumn 2022. Thierry Burkart was FDP president for a year. He looked like a winner twelve months before the national elections.

A few months later, the Credit Suisse collapsed. The swing of the FDP was away from one day to the next. As after the collapse of the Swissair, the party was associated with an interest policy that harms the country: one speaks of personal responsibility – but when the economic elite fails, the state must avert the total damage. One talks about the performance principle – but bank managers are pushing themselves over in years in which the company writes losses. You talk about freedom – and use it to lead a traditional company into the abyss.

The FDP emphasized: Personnel connections between the party and the CS tip have not existed for a long time. The FDP also referred to the role of Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter, who saved the country from great mischief in the emergency merger of the two banks. The party used zero and nothing. The end of the Credit Suisse rummaged up the Swiss population – and it nourished the skepticism that many towards the freedoms.

Suddenly the party’s poll values ​​dropped

There is a party that preaches the principles that she does not follow – these reservations about the FDP rails confirmed again. The free -senses find that a free market is useful with as few state interventions in the economy and the whole of society. Exceptions are only provided if the FDP-related industries are in difficulties.

You are basically for the free market, but if necessary, reserve the right to leave the hardness of the free market to others. You are basically for the free market, but in the event of a crisis you like to rely on the saving hand of the state. This picture quickly solidified. The FDP leadership noticed that the party’s poll values ​​sank and fell into action. She took up this topic once and then that without the response to the politically interested.

The problem of credibility arose. It is shaken when free -sensitive politicians are driving health reforms because they have a mandate of a pharmaceutical company or a medical center. Is politics to tackle the problems that people concern – or is it about defending their own privileges and the whole industries? Doubts are common in the population of how this question is to be answered in relation to the FDP. That is why the party was the worst election result two years ago since the state was created.

To place claims to the state is the trend

The former FDP President Philipp Müller recognized a fundamental problem in the Association of Freedom Commercial with the financial industry, insulted the head of the UBS because of his high wages and propagated the « folknessness. » What was meant was a party that did not act like an extended arm of individual industry. But keeps up the principles that have made a decisive contribution to the great prosperity of Switzerland – for the benefit of the whole population.

Burkart’s successor should start at this point: It would be good if FDP parliamentarians could not be tensioned with large companies and associations in front of their carts. Paid mandates can only be accepted with great reluctance. The party never comes up with a green branch if it does not dispense the impression of bias.

The task of the new FDP boss is difficult enough, because it currently corresponds to a trend to make demands on the state. The end of Credit Suisse plays a role in this undesirable development: If the state is immediately ready with billions to prevent the bankruptcy of a large bank – why shouldn’t it pay out a 13th pension for all seniors? The many millionaires in this country that bring their retirement in the beautiful home will soon receive a 13th AHV.

It is evident that Switzerland will fall back if it continues such nonsense. The FDP can make an important contribution to the fact that the country does not come from success. The prerequisite for this is that it adheres to her own maxims.