Book on Alain Berset: “How I Live the Crisis”

review

“The fax is no longer accepted”: That is in the new book on Federal Crown Councilor Berset

Today a book is published on the Minister of Health, Alain Berset. We’ve collected the most interesting points, including the fax fiasco and the question of the mask requirement, including whether the book is worth it.

How the book came about

“Don’t we just want to have a lengthy interview with Alain Berset, a key figure in this extraordinary event?” – This is the suggestion of Felix E. Müller, former editor-in-chief of “NZZ am Sonntag”. He writes laconically in the journal: “Whoever expresses ideas has to live with the consequences.”

Müller met five times with the Federal Council between August 20 and November 11, 2020 in Bern. There were longer interviews with Berset spokesman Peter Lauener present. This book was created from the material. We have read it and summarized the most interesting answers.

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Berset very personally

The pages in which Müller asks the Federal Council very personal questions are exciting. Although Berset is very reluctant to reveal personal information, Müller still manages to get some insights into Berset’s private life. The Minister of Health explains what his daily work was like at the beginning of the crisis.

From the end of February to the beginning of April, Berset never returned to the canton of Friborg, but lived exclusively in Bern. He spoke to his family on the phone every day. He never discussed political issues with his wife, the health minister said.

Berset also shares the pressures he experienced during the pandemic. He talks about the nights he was woken up because “something big” had happened, and that he allowed himself some night walks to relax. Your response to the overall workload is impressive.

Leadership chaos at the beginning of the crisis

At the beginning of the crisis, the entire Federal Council was criticized for its reluctance to close schools. Berset says in the book that there were “inconsistencies.” He himself wanted to leave the schools open; Ticino’s reactions led him to change his mind. Talk about a “correction” or a “mistake.”

The question of the masks also has something to say. Berset contradicts the common interpretation that the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) has waived the obligation to wear due to the limited number of masks. There were also scientific and practical reasons: “Make the mask mandatory when most institutions are closed, schools, public transport, restaurants, shops, cinemas?”says Berset.

The discussion about fax messages in BAG is also analyzed retrospectively. Berset says the problem in Switzerland is “much more fundamental.” He speaks of an “atomized” health system that still functioned according to similar habits. One consequence of the crown crisis is that “BAG will no longer accept faxes in the future.”

Berset and power

Federal Councilor Alain Berset also expresses himself in the book about his political convictions and his idea of ​​power. He tells how, at the beginning of the crown pandemic, politicians in French-speaking Switzerland urged him to decide on a curfew. Berset says several times that this is fundamentally contrary to his own principles.

In his opinion, people should be able to live as they want. Although he rejected the curfew, he imposed a ban on large contre coeur events on the Federal Council. “That was difficult, but necessary,” says Berset.

Berset also talks about the work across the Federal Council, especially about his colleague Ueli Maurer, who was critical of the Corona measures. You do not listen to criticism or criticism. Instead, the interviewee says: “You need different opinions to make good decisions. This forces all members of the Federal Council to review their arguments. I’m glad to hear that “. Something else bothered him: the indiscretions. These would have gotten worse since Easter.

Is the book worth it?

The insights mentioned above give anyone interested in politics interesting insights into how a Federal Council thinks and feels during a pandemic. Berset works. Therefore, the author Felix E. Müller does not exaggerate when he writes about the Minister of Health: “He can have a crisis. Probably of any kind. “

The only thing missing is more personal information about Berset’s mind. He mentions several times how much the crisis affected him, but Berset worked. And when you have to function, there is no room for doubt and fear. Especially not now, when the pandemic is getting worse again just before Christmas. Therefore, the question arises whether Felix E. Müller’s book on the Berset pandemic experience comes too early.

The truth is that the five interviews, broken down into twelve thematic areas, provide the reader with an account of the institutional experience of a Federal Council. The responses in the conversation between Berset and Müller give citizens, politicians and stakeholders an idea of ​​where the mistakes and obstacles have been in the fight against pandemics in recent months. These are important findings when it comes to the weeks and months that Corona will continue to worry about.

The book “How I Live the Crisis” by Felix E. Müller was published on December 9 by NZZ Book.