Current:Home > Contact-usSwitzerland’s Greens fail in a long-shot bid to enter the national government-InfoLens
Switzerland’s Greens fail in a long-shot bid to enter the national government
View Date:2024-12-23 10:44:38
BERLIN (AP) — Switzerland’s environmentalist Greens failed in a long-shot bid to enter the national government Wednesday as lawmakers elected a new center-left minister to the Alpine country’s executive Federal Council.
Parliament met in Bern to elect the seven-member governing council following a September election that saw the country’s strongest political force, the nationalist Swiss People’s Party, rebound from losses four years earlier and two environmentally minded parties lose ground.
Switzerland has an unusual, consensus-oriented political system. Four parties ranging from the center-left Social Democrats to the populist Swiss People’s Party are represented on the Federal Council. Swiss voters also have a direct say on policy issues in referendums several times every year.
The Greens contended that the party had a claim to a seat on the council despite its slump in the election. They argued that the free-market Liberals were overrepresented with two ministers.
Green lawmaker Gerhard Andrey challenged Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, a Liberal, but came nowhere near unseating him. The defeat followed an unsuccessful bid to eject Cassis after a strong election performance by the Greens in 2019.
Political change tends to be gradual in Switzerland. It is very unusual for sitting ministers to be voted off the Federal Council; parties in the government tend to be wary of doing so because that could undermine support for their own candidates.
All six ministers seeking another term were reelected. One seat had to be filled because Social Democrat Alain Berset — the head of the interior department, which oversees health, labor and social issues — is stepping down after 12 years, during which he oversaw Switzerland’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beat Jans, a Social Democrat who currently heads the regional government in Basel, was elected as his successor.
The members of the Federal Council now decided who will lead which government department for the next four years.
Switzerland’s presidency rotates between ministers on an annual basis. Lawmakers elected Defense Minister Viola Amherd as next year’s president, succeeding Berset.
veryGood! (927)
Related
- US wholesale inflation picks up slightly in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Kennesaw State football coach Brian Bohannon steps down after 10 seasons amid first year in FBS
- Pistons' Ausar Thompson cleared to play after missing 8 months with blood clot
- Report: Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence could miss rest of season with shoulder injury
- Taylor Swift's Dad Scott Swift Photobombs Couples Pic With Travis Kelce
- Satellite images and documents indicate China working on nuclear propulsion for new aircraft carrier
- Cruise ship rescues 4 from disabled catamaran hundreds of miles off Bermuda, officials say
- Michael Grimm, former House member convicted of tax fraud, is paralyzed in fall from horse
- Taking stock of bonds: Does the 60/40 rule still have a role in retirement savings?
- Trump is likely to name a loyalist as Pentagon chief after tumultuous first term
Ranking
- GM recalls 460k cars for rear wheel lock-up: Affected models include Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac
- How Ben Affleck Really Feels About His and Jennifer Lopez’s Movie Gigli Today
- Jared Goff stats: Lions QB throws career-high 5 INTs in SNF win over Texans
- Kelly Rowland and Nelly Reunite for Iconic Performance of Dilemma 2 Decades Later
- Sydney Sweeney Slams Women Empowerment in the Industry as Being Fake
- Firefighters make progress, but Southern California wildfire rages on
- Does your dog have arthritis? A lot of them do. But treatment can be tricky
- How Jersey Shore's Sammi Sweetheart Giancola's Fiancé Justin May Supports Her on IVF Journey
Recommendation
-
US overdose deaths are down, giving experts hope for an enduring decline
-
'Yellowstone's powerful opening: What happened to Kevin Costner's John Dutton?
-
Ashton Jeanty stats: How many rushing yards did Boise State Heisman hopeful have vs Nevada
-
NASCAR Cup Series Championship race 2024: Start time, TV, live stream, odds, lineup
-
Oprah Winfrey denies being paid $1M for Kamala Harris rally: 'I was not paid a dime'
-
Anti-abortion advocates press Trump for more restrictions as abortion pill sales spike
-
Let Demi Moore’s Iconic Fashion Give You More Inspiration
-
Sister Wives’ Janelle Brown Alleges Ex Kody Made False Claims About Family’s Finances