Eight men and one woman vie for Parmelin's seat
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The race to replace Guy Parmelin on the Federal Council has produced a crowded field of eight men and a single woman. The People’s Party (SVP) now faces what local commentators describe as a women’s problem, as the sole female contender, Celine Amaudruz, reportedly faces significant internal opposition. The party has a deadline to settle on a successor, but the sudden influx of candidates suggests a search for direction rather than a consensus.
In Zurich, the chess game of nominations saw Thomas Matter withdraw his name, while the Zug branch nominated Thomas Aeschi despite his own hesitation to commit. Michael Graber from Valais has officially entered the fray, joining a list of hopefuls that the party leadership must now narrow down. The surplus of candidates is being viewed by some as a tactical distraction from deeper internal divisions.
The federal government is drafting plans to cut motorway speed limits to 80 km/h to manage fuel shortages, a rare intervention in Swiss mobility. Elsewhere, the country marked the 25th anniversary of the Gotthard Tunnel fire that killed 11 people, while police in Aarau reported that a 24-year-old man was killed by a train while attempting to take a shortcut across the tracks.