Viola Amherd's journey into loneliness

It is Wednesday, December 5, 2018. Viola Amherd and Karin Keller -Sutter stand by side in the National Council hall in front of the United Federal Assembly, raise the right arm, remove the oath of office – and have to laugh spontaneously.

With the swearing -in, the two women are committed to the most strange community of fate in the country: the Federal Council. The authority with seven members from four different parties who jointly bear government responsibility for Switzerland.

In the evening in the television studio, Amherd's blue eyes shine in front of the blue decor. When asked about the special moment of the day, she calls the oath: « As Ms. Karin Keller-Sutter and I practically synchronized, in the same hundredth of a second: » I swear it! « We would have practiced it, it would not have been so good. » Pure harmony.

The legacy is in ruins

Amherd sits in front of the media for six years, two months and three weeks later. It is Wednesday, February 26th. The career of the middle federal councilor, who announced her resignation to the end of March in mid-January, reaches her low point.

The previous day was leaked through indiscretions that army chief Thomas Süssli and the head of the news service, Christian Dussey, had terminated. This already in January – but the Federal Council only experiences it now. Also on Tuesday, the Federal Financial Control published three reports on the federal armaments company, the RUAG. It is about a corruption case of historical extent, the disappearance of army material from Ruag camps and the lack of supervision by the federal government. So through Viola Amherd. The legacy of the middle federal councilor is in ruins.

At the media conference, Amherd takes a counter strike. She scours the indiscretions. With force, she stacks on a dozen reports about the future of the army on the desk. She rattles a series of decisions, against a rapid increase in financial resources for the army. « Recommended from the Federal Council to rejection, » she says every time.

The performance commutes between despite grief and resignation. It is a hardly veiled break with collegiality. And a proof of how lonely Viola Amherd has become.

Scandals overshadow the successes

What happened since laughing on Keller-Sutter's side? What went wrong? And who is responsible for the sad end of Amherd's Federal Council career?

First of all, it is important to note: Amherd also has success. Unlike Ueli Maurer, she brought through to buy new fighter jets from the people. It has better positioned Switzerland against risks in the cyber area. For this purpose, she received the State Secretariat for Security Policy, with which the importance of security policy is upgraded in the long term.

She also demonstrated courage. For example, when she took a significant position in favor of Ukraine after the Russian attack. Or when it strengthened the international cooperation of the army, against resistance in Germany. Also brave your – quite an empty – promise for a Ukraine peace conference. The summit on the Bürgenstock will be remembered as the highlight of your career.

In addition, she brought her heart to the army. The proportion of soldiers in the group was more than doubled at a low level from 0.7 to 1.6 percent. And yes: Despite all the discussions about finances, the army already has significantly more money available than at Amherd's taking office.

The negative headlines of this week should not adjust the view of such progress. But the scandals cannot be talked away. And also not the estrangement from the government college.

Distrust leads to distrust

Did she areolate herself or has it been isolated? Is it even a case of bullying? What can be said: It is easy to collect voices in Bern that talk badly about Amherd. « It goes to everyone on the biscuit, » says an influential politician. « Anyone who sowed mistrust will harvest distrust, » philosophized a source close to the Federal Council. She annoys her government colleagues if they want to « simply through » things.

This will start in the procurement of the fighter jet in 2020. While Finance Minister Ueli Maurer is still negotiating with France on concessions if Switzerland buys the Rafale, Amherd is already making the decision for the American F-35. However, she does not hide this to the committee. Not only bricklayer feels back.

However, the actual break takes place later, with the resignations of Ueli Maurer and Simonetta Sommaruga 2022 and Alain Berset 2023. This changes the constellation in the Federal Council – to the disadvantage of Amherd.

Maurer was the outsider until his resignation. During the covid pandemic, he kept dancing out of line. With Sommaruga and Berset, the SP was represented with an experienced, self -confident staff in the college. There was hardly any cases of strength between left and right.

This changed after Maurer's resignation, the election of SVP Federal Councilor Albert Rösti and the change from Keller-Sutter to the financial department. After the end of the pandemic, which led to enormous new debt, the FDP SVP majority establishes compliance with the debt brake as the top maxim of federal politics. Despite the Russian war of aggression, it still weights this goal higher than the rapid strengthening of the defense ability sought by Amherd.

Small bicky for appearances

This is frustrating for the Defense Minister. For them, the security is « state task number 1 », as she says. Talks with people involved show how the conflict is upset.

Again and again she tries to increase the budget for upgrading faster. Sometimes directly in the Federal Council, sometimes indirectly about the parliamentarian of your party. This Wednesday she puts it open with the Tirade against the affectionate Federal Council decisions. No wonder, if you find this « annoying » in other departments, feels back on the maneuvers, it is bothered by the fact that the defense minister does not decide.

In the middle party, at the left and in Amherd's environment, however, one speaks of a “power policy of the four-man block” led by the basement-Sutter and Rösti. Guy Parmelin only takes care of his affairs. And Ignazio Cassis, who, for example, represented the same positions as Amherd on questions of neutrality and international cooperation, does not dare to break out of the fourth block.

Some also see in the power struggle of the campaign, the struggle for the second seat of the FDP, which the mid -2027 wants to attack at the latest: by preventing Amherd from achieving their goals, the middle appears weak, according to the suspected calculation. A campaign against Amherd is running, is a widespread lawsuit.

It sounds very different on the other side. Here you can see the mistakes at Amherd itself, which has insufficiently prepared important business. Instead of initially looking for an informal discussion with colleagues, the Federal Council overfall it with a finished proposal the day before the meeting. « She does not understand the craft that it is always a giving and taking, » it says. It can often be heard that Amherd is unapproachable and only trust her closest environment dominated by Valaisers.

Basic political conflicts result in small bickering. For example, who can present the conclusion of the negotiations with Brussels to the media. Amherd not. That makes them essential. For this, she has agreed a meeting in Bern with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. This in turn disturbs other members of the Federal Council.

It is a wrestling struggle at the end of which is a loser. On Wednesday of this week, 33 days before she left the office, there is no joy to see in the blue eyes of the Valaisian. If the eyes sparkle, then only with anger.