Ueli Maurer
Encyclopedia
Ueli Maurer is a member of the Swiss Federal Council
and head of the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
(the Swiss defence minister
). As a leading figure in the national-conservative Swiss People's Party
, he was elected by the Swiss Federal Assembly to succeed Federal Councillor Samuel Schmid
in the Swiss Federal Council election of 10 December 2008
and took office on 1 January 2009.
. After a commercial apprenticeship, Maurer received a federal accountant's diploma. He was director of the Zürich Farmers' Association from 1994 to 2008, and was president of the Swiss Vegetable Farmers' Association and the Farmers' Machinery Association (Maschinenring) until his election to the Federal Council.
Currently resident in Hinwil
in the canton of Zürich
, Maurer is married and has six children. He has served in the Swiss Army with the rank of major
, commanding a bicycle infantry
battalion.
, as his opponents derided Maurer's campaign as inept and himself as a naïve devotee of party strongman Christoph Blocher
. In the same year's national election, though, Maurer was elected to the National Council.
as Blocher's servile sycophant so memorably that his taunted children regularly returned from school in tears, his presidency saw the party double its voter base, establish itself in the French-speaking part of Switzerland and become the country's strongest political party. These successes have been largely credited to Maurer's leadership, who was able to make up a lack of charisma with astonishingly hard work, the imposition of strict party discipline, a keen sense for promising populist issues (such as opposition to European integration
, foreigners and political correctness) as well as a penchant for headline-grabbing soundbite
s, as attested by an often-cited statement of his: "As long as I talk of negro
es, the camera stays on me".
As president of the People's Party, Maurer was a leading force behind the party's aggressive and successful populist campaigns – campaigns that drew the ire of the Swiss political mainstream and the concern of foreign observers – signing off on cartoonish posters attacking leftists, foreigners and other undesirables. In a breach with Swiss political etiquette, he did not shy away from direct personal attacks on fellow politicians, labeling the center-right Free Democrats
as "softies", Social Democratic
voters as deranged, and renegade Federal Councillors Schmid and Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf
as "appendices
" requiring excision. Nonetheless, Maurer was able to keep his public persona separate from the way his colleagues in Parliament perceived him. In the National Council, his personal stature grew during his service and even political opponents credited his personal integrity, collegial demeanour and solid grasp of political issues. His good professional relations with Social Democratic women representatives were particularly noted by puzzled political observers.
Even as his and his party's star rose, however, relations between Maurer and his longtime mentor Blocher slowly cooled, even though the two men remained strong allies in public. Blocher, used to exercising authoritarian leadership as the party's undisputed leading figure, did not approve of Maurer questioning some of his strategic approaches, and increasingly exercised power through a close-knit circle of followers instead of through Maurer and the party secretariat. In October 2007, after the People's Party won its greatest electoral victory in history
, Maurer resigned as party president and was succeeded against his wishes by Toni Brunner
, one of Blocher's close confidants, on 1 March 2008. After losing a run-off election for a Council of States
seat against Verena Diener
, Maurer contented himself with the presidency of the Zürich section of the People's Party.
– considered unelectable by all other parties, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung
and other Swiss media called Maurer the clear frontrunner for the Council seat even before his nomination. On 10 December 2008 Maurer was elected to the Federal Council in the third round of voting with 122 votes, a margin of a single vote.
Swiss Federal Council
The Federal Council is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the federal government of Switzerland and serves as the Swiss collective head of state....
and head of the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
The Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport is one of the seven departments of the Swiss federal government, headed by a member of the Swiss Federal Council.-Organisation:...
(the Swiss defence minister
Defence minister
A defence minister is a person in a cabinet position in charge of a Ministry of Defence, which regulates the armed forces in some sovereign nations...
). As a leading figure in the national-conservative Swiss People's Party
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
, he was elected by the Swiss Federal Assembly to succeed Federal Councillor Samuel Schmid
Samuel Schmid
Samuel Schmid is a Swiss politician who was a member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2000 to 2008. He was the head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports .He was elected to the Federal Council on 6 December 2000...
in the Swiss Federal Council election of 10 December 2008
Swiss Federal Council election, 2008
On 10 December 2008, the Swiss Federal Assembly elected Ueli Maurer as successor to Federal Councillor Samuel Schmid. Schmid resigned on 12 November 2008 after a number of controversies, officially citing health and personal reasons...
and took office on 1 January 2009.
Personal background and professional career
Maurer grew up as the son of a poor farmer in the Zürcher OberlandZürcher Oberland
The Zürcher Oberland in Switzerland, is the hilly south-eastern part of the Canton of Zurich, bordering on the Toggenburg, including the districts of Uster, Hinwil, Pfäffikon as well as the Töss Valley as far as the district of Winterthur. The territory gradually fell under the control of the city...
. After a commercial apprenticeship, Maurer received a federal accountant's diploma. He was director of the Zürich Farmers' Association from 1994 to 2008, and was president of the Swiss Vegetable Farmers' Association and the Farmers' Machinery Association (Maschinenring) until his election to the Federal Council.
Currently resident in Hinwil
Hinwil
Hinwil is a municipality in the district of Hinwil in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.- History :The village Hinwil from which the later municipality took its name is first mentioned in 745 as Hunichinwilari, in a donation made by Beata and Landolt to the Abbey of Saint Gall...
in the canton of Zürich
Canton of Zürich
The Canton of Zurich has a population of . The canton is located in the northeast of Switzerland and the city of Zurich is its capital. The official language is German, but people speak the local Swiss German dialect called Züritüütsch...
, Maurer is married and has six children. He has served in the Swiss Army with the rank of major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, commanding a bicycle infantry
Bicycle infantry
Bicycle infantry are infantry soldiers who maneuver on battlefields using bicycles. The term dates from the late 19th century, when the "safety bicycle" became popular in Europe, the United States and Australia. Historically, bicycles lessened the need for horses, fuel and vehicle maintenance...
battalion.
Cantonal politics
From 1978 to 1986, Maurer was a member of the municipal government of Hinwil. He was elected to the cantonal parliament of Zürich in 1983, which he presided over in 1991. In that year, he lost an election to the cantonal government against Moritz LeuenbergerMoritz Leuenberger
Moritz Leuenberger is a Swiss politician, lawyer, was a member of the Swiss Federal Council from 1995 to 2010 and President of the Confederation in 2001 and in 2006....
, as his opponents derided Maurer's campaign as inept and himself as a naïve devotee of party strongman Christoph Blocher
Christoph Blocher
Christoph Blocher is a Swiss politician, industrialist, and former member of the Swiss Federal Council heading the Federal Department of Justice and Police . Currently he is serving as Vice President of the Swiss People's Party...
. In the same year's national election, though, Maurer was elected to the National Council.
National career and party presidency
In 1996, at Blocher's behest, Maurer was elected president of the Swiss People's Party. Not taken seriously at first and parodied by TV comedian Viktor GiacobboViktor Giacobbo
Viktor Giacobbo is a Swiss writer, comedian and actor.- Life :After school in Winterthur, he made an apprenticeship as a typesetter...
as Blocher's servile sycophant so memorably that his taunted children regularly returned from school in tears, his presidency saw the party double its voter base, establish itself in the French-speaking part of Switzerland and become the country's strongest political party. These successes have been largely credited to Maurer's leadership, who was able to make up a lack of charisma with astonishingly hard work, the imposition of strict party discipline, a keen sense for promising populist issues (such as opposition to European integration
European integration
European integration is the process of industrial, political, legal, economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe...
, foreigners and political correctness) as well as a penchant for headline-grabbing soundbite
Soundbite
In film and broadcasting, a sound bite is a very short piece of a speech taken from a longer speech or an interview in which someone with authority or the average "man on the street" says something which is considered by those who edit the speech or interview to be the most important point...
s, as attested by an often-cited statement of his: "As long as I talk of negro
Negro
The word Negro is used in the English-speaking world to refer to a person of black ancestry or appearance, whether of African descent or not...
es, the camera stays on me".
As president of the People's Party, Maurer was a leading force behind the party's aggressive and successful populist campaigns – campaigns that drew the ire of the Swiss political mainstream and the concern of foreign observers – signing off on cartoonish posters attacking leftists, foreigners and other undesirables. In a breach with Swiss political etiquette, he did not shy away from direct personal attacks on fellow politicians, labeling the center-right Free Democrats
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
as "softies", Social Democratic
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
voters as deranged, and renegade Federal Councillors Schmid and Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf
Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf
Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf is a Swiss lawyer, politician, and member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2008. She is currently the head of the Federal Department of Finance ....
as "appendices
Vermiform appendix
The appendix is a blind-ended tube connected to the cecum , from which it develops embryologically. The cecum is a pouchlike structure of the colon...
" requiring excision. Nonetheless, Maurer was able to keep his public persona separate from the way his colleagues in Parliament perceived him. In the National Council, his personal stature grew during his service and even political opponents credited his personal integrity, collegial demeanour and solid grasp of political issues. His good professional relations with Social Democratic women representatives were particularly noted by puzzled political observers.
Even as his and his party's star rose, however, relations between Maurer and his longtime mentor Blocher slowly cooled, even though the two men remained strong allies in public. Blocher, used to exercising authoritarian leadership as the party's undisputed leading figure, did not approve of Maurer questioning some of his strategic approaches, and increasingly exercised power through a close-knit circle of followers instead of through Maurer and the party secretariat. In October 2007, after the People's Party won its greatest electoral victory in history
Swiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
, Maurer resigned as party president and was succeeded against his wishes by Toni Brunner
Toni Brunner
Toni Brunner is a Swiss farmer, national chairman of the Swiss People's Party and a member of the Swiss National Council.-Biography:...
, one of Blocher's close confidants, on 1 March 2008. After losing a run-off election for a Council of States
Swiss Council of States
The Council of States of Switzerland is the smaller chamber of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, and is considered the Assembly's upper house. There are 46 Councillors....
seat against Verena Diener
Verena Diener
Verena Diener is a Swiss politician, member of the Green Liberal Party of Switzerland, representing the canton of Zürich in the Swiss Council of States....
, Maurer contented himself with the presidency of the Zürich section of the People's Party.
Federal Council candidacy
On 27 November 2008, the party's parliamentary group unanimously nominated both Maurer and Blocher as candidates to succeed Schmid as Federal Councillor. With Blocher – who was ousted from the Council in 2007Swiss Federal Council election, 2007
On December 12, 2007, all seven members of the Federal Council, the government of Switzerland, were elected by the joint chambers of the Federal Assembly for the 2008–2012 term of office...
– considered unelectable by all other parties, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung is a major German language Swiss daily newspaper based in Zurich.One of the oldest newspapers still published, it originally appeared as Zürcher Zeitung, edited by Salomon Gessner, from January 12, 1780, and was renamed to Neue Zürcher Zeitung in 1821...
and other Swiss media called Maurer the clear frontrunner for the Council seat even before his nomination. On 10 December 2008 Maurer was elected to the Federal Council in the third round of voting with 122 votes, a margin of a single vote.