Federal Council: Céline Amaudruz candidate, facing resistance from her own camp

Céline Amaudruz wants to succeed Guy Parmelin on the Federal Council. The Geneva National Councillor, Vice-President of the Swiss UDC, formalized her candidacy in Geneva on Thursday, 15 October. The Courier, Le Temps, Blick and Le Matin report the same ad. Their point of convergence: this romande UDC figure enters the race, but still needs to get the nomination of his party before convincing Parliament. [S3] [S4] [S8] [S9]

A declared nomination, not yet a nomination

The 47-year-old Céline Amaudruz, elected to the National Council since 2011 and vice-president of the Swiss party since 2016, highlights her experience. "My decision is well thought out," she says. She said she had exchanged with her husband, her relatives and those responsible for her training. Time presents it as a major map of the Romance UDC: a political appreciation, not the guarantee of unanimous support. [S3] [S4] [S11]

The timetable clearly distinguishes responsibility. UDC applications must be submitted by noon on October 23rd. The parliamentary group will announce its ticket on 20 November, before the election on 9 December. Céline Amaudruz is the first declared candidate in this succession, but the competition remains open: at the time of her announcement, the decision of the Zurich State Councillor Natalie Rickli remains expected, while Esther Friedli has given up. [S11]

Internal criticism, skills to judge on pieces

Blick reports reservations from some of the figures in the UDC, who consider the Geneva "influenceable and malleable", without identifying them in the accessible passage. The RTS attributed a specific attack to former National Councillor Roger Köppel: he described his candidacy as "a monumental casting error" and described it as "a feather weight". These formulations express political hostility; They do not demonstrate an inability to govern. [S8] [S11]

Céline Amaudruz said he was "surprised" and refused to answer on this register. She recalled her seniority as Vice-President of the UDC, the desire of the current Presidency to maintain her there and her experience at the head of a parliamentary commission. These elements support his defence, without prejudging the group's vote. The available information therefore establishes the existence of resistance, but neither their extent nor an organised majority against it. [S11]

The novel argument does not reserve the seat

The candidate believes that the absence of a UDC French Federal Councillor would be "a problem" for her party. She asks that at least one Romance personality appear on the ticket. The Courier also highlights this priority, while Blick argues that it could be the only Francophone in the competition. This latter assumption remains conditional, as applications have not yet been closed. [S3] [S8] [S11]

The institutional rule is broader: Parliament must ensure that regions and linguistic communities are fairly represented without a more precise requirement. Guy Parmelin's seat is therefore not automatically reserved for a French-speaking candidature. And citizens do not directly choose their successor: the Federal Assembly, the Houses assembled, the secret ballot vote, by an absolute majority of the valid votes cast. [S10]

The UDC ticket is thus a political recommendation, not a legally closed list. In the first two rounds, any person fulfilling the eligibility conditions may receive votes. The group selects the applications it supports; responsibility for the final election belongs to parliamentarians. [S10]

Policy choices beyond labels

The Morning and Blick describe an elected candidate who is faithful to the UDC's broad guidelines on immigration, relations with the European Union and taxation. Blick complements this picture with its commitments to equal pay, better consideration of non-consent by judges and reimbursement of abortion through basic insurance. His profile is therefore neither a break with his party nor an alignment with all his positions. [S8] [S9]

These cases actually involve the autonomy of people, their protection and the collective financing of care. However, the articles available do not provide a costed government program to assess the measures it would carry, their costs or their effects. Its stated guidelines should not be confused with decisions already taken. [S8] [S9] [S11]

Finally, Blick notes the discussions about her situation as a mother of two young children, without establishing that she would prevent the exercise of the function. On the institutional front, the obligations are explicit: a member of the Federal Council cannot keep a gainful activity. The examination of his candidacy can thus distinguish the real constraints of the mandate from the presumptions related to his family life, and cover his public choices as well as his ability to answer for them. [S8] [S10]