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OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
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DE RUEHSW #1132 3461727
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 121727Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY BERN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4744
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS BERN 001132 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/AGS(Y.SAINT-ANDRE) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SZ
SUBJECT: SWISS FEDERAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS:  BLOCHER FAILS TO 
WIN DECEMBER 12 RE-ELECTION 
 
REF: BERN 1026 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
BLOCHER NARROWLY DEFEATED:  CONFUSION IN PARLIAMENT 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶1. (SBU) Right up until the voting began, the major Swiss 
pundits and insiders were saying that all seven Federal 
Councilors would be re-elected on December 12 by the Swiss 
Parliament.  Justice Minister Christoph Blocher, whose SVP 
party had the strongest showing in the October parliamentary 
elections (reftel), was expected to garner the slimmest 
majority, given opposition to his candidacy by the Social 
Democrats (SP), the Greens, and the Chrisitan Democrats 
(CVP).  Nevertheless, he was still expected to be re-elected. 
 Swiss politics was therefore stunned when Blocher was 
narrowly defeated (125 to 115) in a second round of voting by 
another SVP candidate -- Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf -- who 
apparently was supported by the SP, Greens, and majority of 
the CVP.  Whether Widmer-Schlumpf knew in advance that the 
SP, Greens, and CVP planned to vote for her en masse remains 
an open question.  In any case, the outcome was at a minimum 
a blunt challenge to the SVP leadership by the center left 
parties. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Widmer-Schlumpf is a cantonal finance minister from 
the eastern Canton of Graubuenden, and the daughter of a 
former Federal Councilor.  When the election results were 
announced, she reportedly was on a train, bound for Bern, and 
there was confusion in the Parliament as to whether she would 
accept her election.  Later in the day, it was learned that 
Widmer-Schlumpf had said she would need until 8:00 a.m. on 
December 13 to make up her mind as to whether she indeed 
would accept the position on the Federal Council. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
OTHER FEDERAL COUNCILORS ELECTED AS EXPECTED 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Prior to the Blocher round, the elections to the 
Federal Council went according to script, with Moritz 
Leuenberger (SP), Pascal Coucehpin (FDP), Samuel Schmid 
(SVP), and Micheline Calmy-Rey (SP) all winning re-election. 
The confusion following Blocher's defeat was considerable and 
persisted because Widmer-Schlumpf could not be reached, and 
it remained unclear whether she would even accept the 
election.  Parliament nevertheless eventually proceeded with 
the remaining two Federal Council elections, re-electing 
Hans-Rudolf Merz (FDP) and Doris Leuthard (CVP).  Deputy 
Chancellor Corina Casanova (CVP) also was elected to assume 
the Chancellorship from outgoing Chancellor Annemarie 
Huber-Hotz.  Finally, and also as expected, the FDP's Pascal 
Couchepin was elected to serve as Federal President during 
¶2008.  He is expected to assume those duties from Calmy-Rey 
at the beginning of January.  Following these elections, the 
six re-elected Federal Council members all took the oath of 
office, and Parliament adjourned until the morning of 
December 13. 
 
----------------------------------- 
SVP THREATENS TO GO INTO OPPOSITION 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Not surprisingly, Widmer-Schlumpf's election (and 
Blocher's defeat) caused anger and consternation on the 
right, and glee on the left, in Swiss politics.  After the 
vote, a number of SVP parliamentarians expressed their belief 
that Widmer-Schlumpf would not accept her election, and they 
reaffirmed the SVP mantra that the SVP would quit the 
coalition government and go into parliamentary opposition in 
such case.  For the time being, Swiss politics is paralyzed 
until Widmer-Schlumpf makes public her decision.  If she 
accepts her election, the Federal Council will be complete, 
but Swiss politics will enter uncharted waters.  Post will 
report more on these developments, including any implications 
for U.S.-Swiss relations, as the facts become known. 
CONEWAY