Schmid rules out Federal Council bid, leaving Amaudruz the SVP’s only candidate

Pascal Schmid has ruled out a bid for Switzerland’s Federal Council, leaving Geneva’s Céline Amaudruz as the only declared candidate to succeed President Guy Parmelin. The 50-year-old Swiss People’s Party (SVP) national councillor from Thurgau announced his decision on Tuesday, 20 October. He wants to concentrate on next year’s election to the Council of States, parliament’s upper chamber. His party now has three days until its internal application deadline on Friday to broaden the field for December’s election.

Schmid’s withdrawal comes at a delicate moment for the SVP. As its asylum spokesman, he closely matched the profile the party wants for the vacancy in Switzerland’s seven-member government. It has explicitly said candidates should be capable of taking responsibility for asylum policy. Christoph Blocher had also publicly praised Schmid’s ability and leadership, pointing to his experience as a former judge.

Yet Schmid, who has served in the National Council, the lower chamber, for only three years, has chosen another priority. He still expects others to enter the contest: “There will be quite a bit happening between now and the deadline on Friday.”

A growing list of refusals

Since Parmelin announced his resignation in early October, the list of politicians declining to stand has grown considerably faster than the list of applicants. Magdalena Martullo-Blocher, a national councillor from Graubünden, ruled herself out early. Esther Friedli, who represents St Gallen in the Council of States, and Zurich cantonal government member Natalie Rickli subsequently followed. Both had been among the leading potential successors.

André Rüegsegger, a member of the Schwyz cantonal government, and Solothurn national councillor Christian Imark are also unavailable. Schmid’s decision removes another politician with an important party role whose experience appeared well suited to the stated requirements.

There is no single explanation for these refusals. Schmid has identified a specific alternative ambition: a seat in the Council of States. Nor does the withdrawal of several prominent figures mean there will ultimately be only one application. It does, however, narrow the pool from which the SVP can draw up its official slate.

Amaudruz is ready, but nomination is not assured

As a vice-president of the national SVP, Amaudruz holds a prominent party position. She is close to the departing president and well known in French-speaking Switzerland. Until another candidate formally comes forward, she remains the central figure in the succession debate.

Assessments of her standing within the parliamentary group nevertheless differ. Particularly in German-speaking Switzerland, there are reservations about treating her public profile and senior party office as evidence of an especially strong position among SVP parliamentarians. Being the only declared candidate does not guarantee her nomination.

The narrow field also puts pressure on those managing the selection. If the party decides against including Amaudruz on its official slate, it will need to offer convincing alternatives. Without further applications, excluding its own vice-president would be politically difficult to explain.

For Switzerland’s largest party, both nationally and in parliament, the contest is therefore also a test of its strength in personnel. Around a year and a half ago, the Centre party struggled to assemble a two-person slate to succeed Viola Amherd. The SVP must now demonstrate that it can offer a genuine choice for a vacant government seat.

Senior figures still weighing their options

Several familiar SVP names have yet to rule themselves out. They include Lucerne national councillor Franz Grüter, Zurich national councillor and entrepreneur Thomas Matter, and Valais national councillor Michael Graber. Graber is still considering a bid. But not declining to stand is not the same as submitting an application.

Particular attention is focused on parliamentary group leader Thomas Aeschi, from Zug. He stood for the Federal Council in 2015, losing to Parmelin. A failed first attempt need not preclude eventual election: Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter also entered the federal government at her second attempt.

A candidacy from this group would add weight to the selection process. Whether anyone from the party leadership will actually step forward remains unresolved. By Friday, the names circulating must give way to a confirmed field of applicants.

Cantonal ministers could widen the choice

Beyond federal parliament, two cantonal government members are being discussed as possible contenders: Bern’s Pierre-Alain Schnegg and Aargau’s Jean-Pierre Gallati. Both oversee asylum matters in their cantons and would therefore meet a central SVP requirement. As a French-speaking politician, Schnegg could also broaden the choice across Switzerland’s language regions.

Their executive experience could count beyond their own party. Cantonal governments, like the Federal Council, operate through collective decision-making. Politicians who have served in them are familiar with those demands. For parliamentarians on the left in particular, that experience could weigh in the assessment of an SVP candidate.

Ultimately, the decision belongs to the United Federal Assembly — both chambers of parliament sitting together — rather than to the SVP alone. The Federal Council itself subsequently allocates departments, so the party’s preferred asylum credentials offer no guarantee that the successful candidate would receive that responsibility.

For now, attention turns to Friday. The deadline will show whether Amaudruz faces competition and how broad a choice the SVP can actually put forward for December’s election.