2010 Swiss Federal Council election

A by-election to the Swiss Federal Council was held in Switzerland on 22 September 2010,^[1] after incumbent Federal Councillor Hans-Rudolf Merz (FDP.The Liberals) announced his intention to retire on 6 August 2010, effective late October 2010.^[2] Elected were Simonetta Sommaruga and Johann Schneider-Ammann.

The Green Party and the Swiss People's Party laid claim to the FDP's seat. The election was complicated by the fact that Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger (Social Democratic Party, SP) had previously announced his intention to retire in early July 2010, but effective late December 2010; the election to his seat was initially to be held on 8 December 2010,^[3] but Leuenberger then predated his resignation so that only one electoral session would have to be held.

Possible candidates by the FDP for Merz' seat include Karin Keller-Sutter, Gabi Huber, Johann Schneider-Ammann, Philipp Müller, Felix Gutzwiller, Ruedi Noser, Christa Markwalder, Fulvio Pelli, Laura Sadis, Ignazio Cassis and Peter Malama.^[4]^[5] Malama officially announced his candidacy on 20 August 2010,^[6] and Schneider-Ammann was nominated on 2 September 2010.^[7] Noser, Keller-Sutter and Cassis were also nominated.

The Green Party and the FDP.The Liberals have announced they will support the SP's candidate for Leuenberger's seat, while the Swiss People's Party has announced it will put up its own candidate, likely either Jean-François Rime or Adrian Amstutz (Caspar Baader was mooted as a candidate, but declined).^[8]^[9] Rime was selected as their nominee on 3 September 2010. The Christian Democratic People's Party stated it would keep its options open, but then did not nominate any candidates. The CVP later stated it would support the SP and FDP.Liberals holding their seats.^[10]

The SP's favoured candidates appeared to be Simonetta Sommaruga and Jacqueline Fehr, with Pascale Bruderer and Claude Janiak also considered possible candidates.^[11] Bruderer declined to seek the seat^[12] and Sommaruga officially announced her candidacy on 11 August 2010.^[13] Eva Herzog also announced her intention to stand,^[14] as did Hildegard Fässler.^[15] Fehr is also a candidate, which means the SP will nominate two of four women for the seat on 3 September 2010. The SP also might support the Greens for the other seat.^[16]

The Green Party will contest the seat of Merz, with three possible candidates: Geri Müller, Marlies Bänziger and Brigit Wyss.^[17]

The following were nominated as official candidates for Leuenberger's seat:

SP: Simonetta Sommaruga and Jacqueline Fehr^[18]
SVP: Jean-François Rime

The following candidates will stand for Merz' seat:

FDP.Liberals: Karin Keller-Sutter and Johann Schneider-Ammann^[19]
SVP: Jean-François Rime
GPS: Brigit Wyss

Polls by Isopublic gave the following results for Leuenberger's seat:^[20]

53.0% for Simonetta Sommaruga (SP)
15.2% for Jacqueline Fehr (SP)
14.4% for Jean-François Rime (SVP)

The results for Merz' seat were:

33.7% for Johann Schneider-Ammann (FDP.Liberals)
26.9% for Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP.Liberals)
13.4% for Brigit Wyss (GPS)
8.0% for Jean-François Rime (SVP)

References

[1] ttp://www.20min.ch/news/dossier/brwahlzehn/story/29868355

[2] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/das_waere_ein_spiel_mit_dem_feuer_1.7118571.html

[3] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/kandidatenkarussell_kommt_in_schwung_1.7116875.html

[4] ttp://www.20min.ch/news/dossier/brwahlzehn/story/29868355

[5] ttp://www.20min.ch/diashow/diashow.tmpl?showid=31965

[6] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/auch_peter_malama_kandidiert_fuer_die_merz-nachfolge_1.7277653.html

[7] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/bundesratswahlen_fdp_bern_schneider-ammann_1.7417666.html

[8] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/die_fdp_koennte_von_einer_doppelvakanz_profitieren_1.6509320.html

[9] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/rime_steht_abrufbereit_1.7345071.html

[10] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/wir_duerfen_svp-kandidat_rime_nicht_waehlen_1.7604930.html

[11] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/rauer_wind_gegen_favoritin_sommaruga_1.6529404.html

[12] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/bruderer_will_nicht_bundesraetin_werden_1.7171164.html

[13] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/simonetta_sommaruga_geht_ins_rennen_1.7172803.html

[14] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/schweiz_bundesrat_kandidaten_herzog_eva_basel-stadt_1.7227637.html

[15] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/hildegard_faessler_1.7308362.html

[16] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/bundesratswahlen_sp_1.7415764.html

[17] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/gruene_einladung_und_hiebe_richtung_cvp_1.7362456.html

[18] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/die_sp_nominiert_zwei_brueckenbauerinnen_1.7440446.html

[19] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/die_freisinnigen_setzen_auf_ihre_favoriten_1.7440340.html

[20] ttp://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/schweiz_bundesrat_wahlen_sommaruga_schneider_ammann_volkswahl_umfrage_1.7609001.html

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