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PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSW #0389/01 2591619
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY ADB27AEF MSI2421-695)
P 161619Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6062
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BERN 000389 
 
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TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR SZ
SUBJECT: NEW SWISS FEDERAL COUNCILOR DIDIER BURKHALTER 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  A joint session of the Swiss Parliament on 
September 16 elected Council of States (Upper House) Member 
Didier Burkhalter to replace Pascal Couchepin on the Federal 
Council (Swiss Executive Cabinet).  The special mid-term 
election was scheduled after Couchepin announced earlier this 
year that he would retire on November 1.  A member of the 
Swiss Free Democratic Party (FDP), Burkhalter's election 
ensures that the FDP will continue to hold two of the seven 
Federal Council seats.  It is not clear whether Burkhalter 
will assume Couchepin's portfolio as Minister of Home Affairs 
(covering Health, Science, Social, and Education issues), but 
it appears likely.  Burkhalter is a reputed centrist in the 
socially and fiscally conservative FDP.  He does not favor 
Switzerland joining the EU, but does support the idea of 
Swiss participation in the EU's anti-piracy mission Atalanta, 
which currently is under debate in the Swiss Parliament. 
Post does not anticipate that Burkhalter's replacing 
Couchepin on the Federal Council will have significant 
implications for U.S.-Swiss relations.  End Summary. 
 
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FDP DEFENDS SEAT FROM CVP 
------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) A joint session of the Swiss Parliament on September 
16 elected Council of States (Upper House) Member Didier 
Burkhalter to replace Pascal Couchepin on the Federal Council 
(Swiss Executive Cabinet).  The special mid-term election was 
scheduled after Couchepin announced earlier this year that he 
would retire on November 1.  With 129 votes in his favor, out 
of a total of 239 votes cast in the fourth round of voting, 
Burkhalter surpassed the absolute majority needed to win the 
seat on the Federal Council.  Christian Democratic People's 
Party (CVP) candidate Urs Schwaller came in second with 106 
votes. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Burkhalter's victory allowed the FDP to defend its 
second seat on the Federal Council from a challenge by the 
CVP, which, together with some smaller parties, forms a 
52-seat voting block in the full 246 seat Parliament (Upper 
and Lower House), compared to the FDP's 47 seats.  The FDP 
bases its claim to two seats essentially on the fact that it 
represents approximately 3-percent more of the Swiss 
electorate than the CVP, according to the results of the 2007 
parliamentary elections.  At the end of the day, however, 
tactical considerations of the other parties continue to give 
the FDP the edge in holding on to its second seat.  The 
Greens (24 seats), for example, have never had a party member 
elected to the Federal Council.  They apparently have 
calculated that, should the Green party's electoral fortunes 
continue to rise in the 2011 parliamentary elections, it 
would be easier for them to win one of two Federal Council 
seats away from the FDP in future elections than to unseat a 
center-left CVP member. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
BURKHALTER SWORN IN, PORTFOLIO TO BE DETERMINED 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Burkhalter was sworn into office on September 16, 
shortly after his election to the Federal Council.  It is not 
clear whether Burkhalter will assume Couchepin's portfolio as 
Minister of Home Affairs (covering Health, Science, Social, 
and Education issues), but it appears likely, since none of 
the more senior Federal Council members have indicated 
publicly a desire to change their current areas of 
responsibilities.  The distribution of ministerial portfolios 
among the seven Federal Councilors is to be discussed at the 
next regular Federal Council meeting on September 18. 
Burkhalter is expected to assume his Federal Council duties 
on November 1. 
 
¶5. (SBU)  Though not new to national politics, Burkhalter's 
views on international affairs are relatively unknown.  While 
in Parliament, he has served on the Council of States 
Committee for Science, Education, and Culture -- all 
experience relevant to the Home Affairs portfolios of 
outgoing Federal Councilor Couchepin.  Regarding the ever 
present, often emotional issue of Swiss-EU relations, 
Burkhalter reportedly does not favor Switzerland joining the 
EU.  He does, however, support the proposal for Swiss 
participation in the EU's anti-piracy mission Atalanta, which 
currently is under debate in the Swiss Parliament.  Post does 
not anticipate that Burkhalter's replacing Couchepin on the 
Federal Council will have significant implications for 
U.S.-Swiss relations. 
 
------------------------------------- 
BIOGRAPHIC NOTES ON DIDIER BURKHALTER 
------------------------------------- 
¶6. (U) The 49-year-old Burkhalter is from the French-speaking 
part of Switzerland.  In addition to French, he is fluent in 
German, and reportedly also speaks English.  He is an 
economist by background, and has substantial experience in 
government administration at the communal and cantonal 
levels.  From 1991 to 2005, he was a City Councilor in 
Neuenburg, and during that time served three times as Mayor. 
From 1990-2001 he also held a seat in the Neuchatel Cantonal 
Parliament.  From 2003-2007, he served as a National 
Councilor in the Federal Parliament.  Burkhalter was elected 
in 2007 to the Council of States of the Parliament, where he 
served until his election September 16 to the Federal 
Council.  Burkhalter is a reputed centrist in the socially 
and fiscally conservative FDP.  As a native French-speaker 
from Western Switzerland, Burkhalter's election maintains the 
current regional-linguistic balance on the Federal Council. 
He is the father of three sons and his wife is Austrian. 
BEYER