Politics · Switzerland · 2 days ago
A likable manner may help candidates succeed in Swiss cabinet race
Guy Parmelin’s successor in Switzerland’s Federal Council has not yet been chosen.
Behind the scenes, potential candidates are preparing for the contest with help from advisers and coaches.
Consultant Lorenz Furrer says candidates need more than expertise and political strength: they also need to get along with people, including those in other parties.
Building contacts early can help a candidate win support across political groups.
Adviser David Schärer says timing matters, and candidates can hurt their chances by declaring interest too soon.
Candidates also need a clear public identity without becoming so polarising that other parties reject them.
The make-up of the Federal Council, a candidate’s cultural background and gender can also affect the contest, but coaching cannot control those factors.
Guy Parmelin’s successor in the Swiss Federal Council has not been decided.
A political adviser says candidates’ ability to build relationships across parties may matter more than competence alone.
Candidates are also advised to build contacts early and avoid announcing their interest too soon.
The adviser says candidates should be clear in their positions without becoming too polarising.
The Federal Council’s composition, candidates’ cultural backgrounds and gender are factors that coaching cannot control.
- Who
- Potential candidates to succeed Guy Parmelin in the Swiss Federal Council.
- What
- Their prospects may depend on charm, cross-party relationships and careful timing, as well as competence.
- When
- Parmelin’s successor has not yet been chosen; the article was published on 9 October 2026.
- Where
- Switzerland.
- Why
- The article discusses advice for candidates seeking election to the Federal Council.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
In the Federal Council, people from other parties are not necessarily the best people who are elected, but the people who can get along best with others.
The typical pitfalls are really about timing.
A little roughness around the edges is good, but not too much.
Lorenz Furrer advised Markus Ritter on his candidacy.
Martin Pfister entered the Federal Council as an outsider, with David Schärer as his adviser.
SRF reported that the successor to Guy Parmelin had not yet been decided.
- Departing Federal Council member
- Guy Parmelin
- Potential successor
- Not yet decided
- Adviser interviewed
- Lorenz Furrer
- Candidate advised by Furrer in 2025
- Markus Ritter
- Candidate who joined the Federal Council as an outsider in 2025
- Martin Pfister
Sources
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