Executive Council of Bern
Encyclopedia
The Executive Council is the executive of the Swiss canton
of Bern.
This seven-member collegial body
is elected by the people for a period of four years. The cantonal constitution reserves one seat in the Executive Council for a French-speaking citizen from the Bernese Jura
. The presidency, by convention, rotates annually and the position is largely that of a primus inter pares
.
The SVP, long the dominant party in Bern, unexpectedly made an attempt to seize control of the Council by fielding four candidates instead of the usual three. The parties left of center criticised this move as contrary to the tradition of concordance
government. Despite the majority voting procedure and its alliance with the FDP, the SVP failed to attain its goal, losing one seat to the Social Democrats instead. As the FDP also lost one seat to the Greens, the governmental majority changed to the Left.
Together with the FDP, the parties right of center (usually referred to in Bern as bürgerlich, i.e., bourgeois) had slated six candidates:
The parties left of center, in turn, had agreed on a slate of four candidates:
The other candidates , fielded by minor parties or groups (different Christian parties, nationalists, French-speaking quasi-separatists, joke parties) were never considered to have a substantial chance of winning a Council seat.
Source: Official 2006 elections website
Urs Gasche, who had switched to the newly-founded Conservative Democratic Party, did not run for re-election. His party defended their seat with Beatrice Simon. The SVP sought to regain two seats with successfully re-elected Christoph Neuhaus and first-time candidate Albert Rösti, who scored eighth and was therefore not elected.
For the FDP, Hans-Jürg Käser successfully ran for re-election, while Sylvain Astier, who contested the Jura seat, lost to Philippe Perrenoud.
On the Left side, Barbara Egger-Jenzer, Andreas Rickenbacher, Philippe Perrenoud (all Social Democrats) and Bernhard Pulver (Greens) were successfully re-elected, retaining the left-wing's control over the executive. Except for Philippe Perrenoud, who defended the Jura seat, they scored the best results.
Several candidates of minor parties, including Jurassian separatist Maxime Zuber (Parti Socialiste Autonome) and Marc Jost (EVP
) were unsuccessful.
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Bern.
This seven-member collegial body
Collegiality
Collegiality is the relationship between colleagues.Colleagues are those explicitly united in a common purpose and respecting each other's abilities to work toward that purpose...
is elected by the people for a period of four years. The cantonal constitution reserves one seat in the Executive Council for a French-speaking citizen from the Bernese Jura
Bernese Jura
Bernese Jura is the name for the French-speaking area of the Swiss canton of Bern, and from 2010 one of five administrative divisions of the canton....
. The presidency, by convention, rotates annually and the position is largely that of a primus inter pares
Primus inter pares
Primus inter pares is Latin phrase describing the most senior person of a group sharing the same rank or office.When not used in reference to a specific title, it may indicate that the person so described is formally equal, but looked upon as an authority of special importance by their peers...
.
Current Composition
As of 2010, the Executive Council was composed as follows:- President of the Council Philippe Perrenoud, SPS: Health and Social Services Department
- Vice President of the Council Bernhard Pulver, GFLGreen Party of SwitzerlandThe Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
: Education Department - Executive Councillor Andreas Rickenbacher, SPS: Economic Department
- Executive Councillor Hans-Jörg Käser, FDP: Police and Military Department
- Executive Councillor Christoph Neuhaus, SVP: Department of Justice, Municipalities and Churches
- Executive Councillor Beatrice Simon, BDP: Finance Department
- Executive Councillor Barbara Egger-Jenzer, SPS: Department of Construction, Transport and Energy
- State Chancellor Kurt Nuspliger, SPS: State Chancellory (chief of staff with no vote in the Council)
2006 Executive Council elections
The 2006 Executive Council elections occurred on April 9. While Councillors Egger, Gasche and Luginbühl ran for re-election (which they achieved easily), Councillors Andres, Annoni, Bhend and Zölch resigned, leaving the field unusually wide open.The SVP, long the dominant party in Bern, unexpectedly made an attempt to seize control of the Council by fielding four candidates instead of the usual three. The parties left of center criticised this move as contrary to the tradition of concordance
Concordance system
In Swiss politics, concordance system refers to the presence of all major parties in the Federal Council, also referred to as the integration of the political opposition into government....
government. Despite the majority voting procedure and its alliance with the FDP, the SVP failed to attain its goal, losing one seat to the Social Democrats instead. As the FDP also lost one seat to the Greens, the governmental majority changed to the Left.
Together with the FDP, the parties right of center (usually referred to in Bern as bürgerlich, i.e., bourgeois) had slated six candidates:
- Urs Gasche, SVP (re-elected)
- Werner Luginbühl, SVP (re-elected)
- Hans-Jürg Käser, FDP (elected)
- Monique Jametti Greiner, SVP (not elected)
- Annelise Vaucher, SVP (for the Bernese JuraBernese JuraBernese Jura is the name for the French-speaking area of the Swiss canton of Bern, and from 2010 one of five administrative divisions of the canton....
seat, not elected) - Eva Desarzens, FDP (not elected)
The parties left of center, in turn, had agreed on a slate of four candidates:
- Barbara Egger-Jenzer, SP (re-elected)
- Philippe Perrenoud, SP (for the Bernese Jura seat, elected)
- Andreas Rickenbacher, SP (elected)
- Bernhard Pulver, GFLGreen Party of SwitzerlandThe Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(elected)
The other candidates , fielded by minor parties or groups (different Christian parties, nationalists, French-speaking quasi-separatists, joke parties) were never considered to have a substantial chance of winning a Council seat.
Source: Official 2006 elections website
2010 Executive Council elections
The 2010 election on March 28 was the first without pre-printed block lists. Given this and the rather surprising left-wing win in 2006, it was widely questioned whether the Social Democrats and the Greens could hold their majority.Urs Gasche, who had switched to the newly-founded Conservative Democratic Party, did not run for re-election. His party defended their seat with Beatrice Simon. The SVP sought to regain two seats with successfully re-elected Christoph Neuhaus and first-time candidate Albert Rösti, who scored eighth and was therefore not elected.
For the FDP, Hans-Jürg Käser successfully ran for re-election, while Sylvain Astier, who contested the Jura seat, lost to Philippe Perrenoud.
On the Left side, Barbara Egger-Jenzer, Andreas Rickenbacher, Philippe Perrenoud (all Social Democrats) and Bernhard Pulver (Greens) were successfully re-elected, retaining the left-wing's control over the executive. Except for Philippe Perrenoud, who defended the Jura seat, they scored the best results.
Several candidates of minor parties, including Jurassian separatist Maxime Zuber (Parti Socialiste Autonome) and Marc Jost (EVP
Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland
The Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland is a political party in Switzerland.In questions of redistribution, education, environmentalism, immigration policy, the EVP stands rather center-left. In questions of euthanasia, abortion, and registered partnership and other typically Christian...
) were unsuccessful.
See also
- The city of Bern also has an executive council, the Gemeinderat, as its government.
- The operation and customs of the Executive Council are very similar to that of the Swiss Federal CouncilSwiss Federal CouncilThe Federal Council is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the federal government of Switzerland and serves as the Swiss collective head of state....
, the national government.
External links
All links are in German and French, unless otherwise noted.- Official website of the Executive Council of Bern
- Websites for the 2002 and 2006 Executive Council elections