The surprising invitation to the G-20 represents the Federal Council in front of entirely new challenges. It does not mean merely the entrance ticket to the pompous summit of the twenty most powerful countries in the world. Rather, it plunges the Swiss diplomacy in one of the largest operations she had to cope with ever.
Because of the political course are not provided only at the Summit, but in many of the preparatory conferences. Total Saudi Arabia at the G-20 presidency intends, in the next twelve months 106 preparatory Workshops and conferences – including 17 at the Ministerial level.
The G-20 members are accustomed to such a diplomatic Force. The Federal Council is, however, sort through it, too. As this newspaper made public, the invitation from Saudi Arabia on February 22. October – just five weeks before the start of the Saudi G-20 presidency.
Ueli Maurer’s consultation
Currently a G-20 task force is in the Federal house in the process of devising a strategy. This working group, with representatives from all Departments must identify the thematic focus and the responsibility was divided. Before the end of the year, the entire Federal Council wants to have a concept on the table. Among other things, it must also be clarified, which is the Federal Council of 17 Ministers ‘ meeting is a part.
The Swiss chief negotiator in the G-20 “Sherpa” is referred to, however, already expected last week, to the first preparatory meeting in Riyadh. For this reason, the Federal Council has its chief herpa already on 12. November, appointed. And this change of personnel, there was a power struggle, as researches show now.
According to reliable information, the Federal President Ueli Maurer (SVP) had begun the business and, obviously, in advance of his party colleagues, Economics Minister, Guy Parmelin, agreed. Anyway, a bricklayer, a appoint of Parmelins men to the chief herpa to: Ambassador Eric Scheidegger, Deputy Director of the state Secretariat for economic Affairs (Seco) requested.
But foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (FDP) did not agree. He wanted one of his own diplomats make to the head herpa. The G-20 negotiated topics were very broad, argued Cassis according to the reliable persons in a written request. Therefore, there is a need, as a Sherpa is a generalist, the a lot of diplomatic experience.
Cassis calculating its Federal Council members are even, that of all the Sherpas of the other G-20 countries, only one out of the Ministry of economy come. All others to be either the foreign Minister or directly to the head.
economic liberal Conscience
However, the entire Federal Council appointed nevertheless, Scheidegger. The Federal Council spokesman André Simonazzi justifies this decision to request that the G-20 on financial and economic issues in the centre were. “Therefore, the Federal Council came to the conclusion that it is right, if the Sherpa in the economy is the Department located.”
The 58-year-old Scheidegger was originally a business journalist for the NZZ and was brought in 1998 by the FDP Federal councillor Pascal Couchepin on the Federal. Today, he is Vice-Seco-Director at the same time the chief economist of the Confederation. In this function, Scheidegger acts quasi as the liberal Conscience of the Federal administration– is not always to the delight of the other departments.
Scheidegger’s main task as chief herpa will be meeting the preliminary negotiations for the summit in November 2020. In addition to him, there is a second Sherpa from Mason Department of Finance, which focuses on the Meeting of G-20 Finance Ministers. For this role Maurer, Stefan Flückiger has appointed its Deputy state Secretary for international financial matters. This means that the two SVP-departments both key posts in the Swiss G-20, the year of occupy. In order to characterize the Swiss G-20 preparations is crucial. The summit itself will then be taken by the Federal President Simonetta Sommaruga (SP) denied.
Created: 10.12.2019, 06:02 PM
