Internal Conflicts Emerge Within Swiss Federal Council
Behind the traditionally collegial facade of the Swiss Federal Council, tensions are surfacing between members, according to internal documents. A pattern has emerged where warnings from the Federal Office of Justice, headed by Beat Jans, regarding potential legal risks are being disregarded by Environment Minister Albert Rösti, who continues to push forward with his policy initiatives.
Public disagreements are rare within the seven-member Federal Council, but the leak of these internal deliberations reveals a more complex dynamic than is typically presented. This echoes past instances of friction, such as the reported call for the resignation of then-Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger by Christoph Blocher.
The newly revealed conflicts center on a recurring theme: Jans’s office identifies potential legal issues with Rösti’s proposals, yet Rösti proceeds regardless. According to a report by the NZZ am Sonntag, this has occurred in multiple instances.
Rösti Disregards Legal Warnings
One example involves Rösti’s ordinance concerning reserve power plants, designed to safeguard the electricity supply during emergencies. The Federal Office of Justice reportedly questioned the fundamental rationale of the ordinance in an internal assessment, deeming it legally precarious. Rösti countered, stating that the entire Federal Council considered the ordinance to be constitutional.
Another case concerns the pesticide Deltamethrin. Following the detection of concerning levels in a lake in the canton of Lucerne, the question arose whether stricter limits were necessary. Rösti, against the advice of his own Federal Office of the Environment, reportedly rejected stricter regulations. The Federal Office of Justice responded with a formal position paper arguing that refraining from adjustments for agricultural policy reasons would be unlawful.
Similar conflicts, the report states, have arisen regarding the management of wolves, water protection measures, and the CO₂ tax. Rösti’s department maintains that it must balance multiple interests and considers the expert opinions of the Federal Office of Justice. However, the department emphasizes that final decisions are made by the Federal Council as a whole.
The satisfaction ranking of the Federal Council, published in February 2025, showed a shift in public perception. While Beat Jans was the most popular Federal Councillor a year prior, President of the Confederation and Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter now holds the top spot with a score of 4.08. Jans has fallen to fifth place with a score of 3.68. Albert Rösti maintains second place with a score of 3.84, and Defense Minister Viola Amherd, who will leave office at the end of March, moved up to fourth place.
The current Federal Council consists of Guy Parmelin, Ignazio Cassis, Karin Keller-Sutter, Albert Rösti, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, Beat Jans, and Martin Pfister. Viktor Rossi serves as the Federal Chancellor.
