Tim Guldimann, a member of the Social Democratic Party is giving up his seat in the House of Representatives in March. The former diplomat was the first politician elected to the Swiss parliament whilst living as a Swiss abroad.
His party said that Guldimann who previously served as a Swiss ambassador to Germany, would step down at the end of the three-week spring session of parliament.
Guldimann cites personal reasons for his decision to quit his post after two-and-a-half years in office. Fabian Molina, former party leader of the Young Socialists, will be his successor.
Guldimann was elected into office in 2015, and staunchly defended his decision to stay in Berlin where he lives with his wife and two daughters. As an expat himself, he had “hoped to give voice to Swiss abroad”, whose interests, he felt, were underrepresented in Swiss politics of the day.
He often referred to himself as an “International Councillor”, as opposed to a “National Councillor” (the usual term for a member of the Swiss House of Representatives) during his time in parliament.
In a statement to the members of his party, the former diplomat wrote that “it is difficult to live in one environment, but politicise in another”. In order to bridge the gap between Berlin and Switzerland, he would have had to spend a lot more time in his home canton of Zurich – which his duties to his family would not allow him to do.
In an interview with Tages-Anzeiger, Guldiman said that Switzerland still had a long way to go when it came to creating equality between the sexes. “Even the smallest step in the right direction is blocked immediately”, he said. He also criticised Switzerland for its attitude towards the European Union.
“It’s only ever a matter of arranging ourselves with them so we don’t have to join the EU” he said.
Swiss Abroad reaction
In a statement to swissinfo.ch, the spokesperson of the OSA, Ariana Rustichelli, said that Guldimann had been “a of symbol of the Fifth Switzerland”. “Thanks to our first Swiss-abroad national councillor, there were more discussions about the day-to-day problems and interests of the Swiss abroad in parliament”, Rustichelli said.
Guldimann had contributed valuable insights to topics such as e-voting, consulate networks and EU-Swiss relations. For the OSA, Guldimann’s resignation is “a pity, but not a catastrophe”. According to Rustichelli, there are many other politicians who also care about the Swiss abroad community. The right structures are in place in Bern to support their network, she said.
First large-scale alpine solar plant approved in Switzerland
This content was published on
The approval was met with satisfaction by the project's organisers, but it also brings with it a certain amount of pressure.
Medieval squirrels may have ‘helped spread leprosy’
This content was published on
An examination of squirrel remains in the United Kingdom has opened up interesting questions and possibilities in terms of the history of the disease.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
This content was published on
Swiss Abroad Council delegates favour of a reform of the country’s old age pension scheme, which will come to a nationwide vote next month.
What’s the future of the Swiss Abroad Organisation?
This content was published on
The 140-strong Council of the Swiss Abroad represents the interest of the expatriate community, and its electoral base is made up mainly of Swiss clubs and associations around the world. However, only about 4% of the Swiss expatriates have joined such Swiss clubs. The younger and increasingly mobile generation is showing little interest in engaging…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.