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A lot happened in Bern on Wednesday. In any case, politically: The Federal Council provided extensive information on measures to combat the corona pandemic.
Then the candidacy of the former president of the National Bank, Philipp Hildebrand, to the prestigious executive presidency of the OECD was announced.
Last but not least, the state government decided to want to transfer to former Federal Councilor Christoph Blocher 1.1 million francs, part of his unused Federal Council pension.
Hardly any attention to personnel changes
With this overcrowded program, an important personnel decision in the finance department of Ueli Maurer (69, SVP) received little attention: Rahel von Kaenel, general secretary of the FDF and therefore Maurer’s right hand man, goes to the head of the Federal Office of Personnel (EPA) as it is in a drought. Message media.
Castling is causing a stir in Maurer’s apartment. Why does Maurer “take care” of his most important employee in the middle of the pandemic, who is also very busy in his department?
Maurer’s chief communications officer, Peter Minder, gives the staff the appearance of the utmost normalcy: The change is happening because the previous management of the personnel office will be retiring at the end of February 2020. And von Kaenel is better at complying with the requirements.
Just: It is open who will assume the management of the General Secretariat in his place. Such a position is also not publicly announced, there is no regulation of Kaenel’s successor in the EVS. “We will inform you of Federal Councilor Maurer’s decision to fill the position in due course,” says Minder.
Maurer does not deny the change
Meanwhile, rumor has it at SVP that Maurer’s personal colleague, Matthias Müller, will also resign. “As a matter of principle, we do not comment on personal details,” the Maurer spokesman said. How do they say? A denial sounds different.
With Müller’s departure, two of the finance minister’s closest employees would leave in one go: the support of a man who was elected to the position twelve years ago and who will celebrate his 70th birthday on December 1.
In Bern, he is now puzzled whether Maurer is gradually preparing to retire from politics. A possible departure from the boss is the biggest issue these days, especially in the finance department itself.
Another Maurer candidacy?
The SVP magistrate himself has long been fighting speculation about his resignation in a unique way. In an interview with “Switzerland at the weekend”, Maurer recently said that he did not know what more exciting things he could do “in old age”: “We have a couple of important projects on the way. But that does not mean that I believe that someone no more can. “
When asked if he could imagine racing for another four years in 2023, the Zurich resident said: “You always have to check if you are still physically and mentally fit. If so, I am not ruling it out. “
However, even the fittest federal councilor needs a sports team.
