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Swiss federal councilors have two different vehicles at their disposal.
The Federal Council Office brings with it a number of privileges. The Federal Councilors have two vehicles at their disposal. One with a chauffeur, the representation vehicle. And one simply for herself, her personal company vehicle.
The differences between the magistrates in the choice of their private vehicle are great – the spectrum ranges from the red Japanese to the Swedish tank. Striking: Even if the federal councilors are free to choose – nobody drives a Lamborghini or Ferrari. Probably also because 0.8 percent of the purchase price of the private vehicle is offset on the wage statement every month.
The otherwise flamboyant Federal Councilor Alain Berset (50) drives a car – at least according to the cliché – for average drivers: a Volvo V60. The Swedish giant station wagon is a plug-in hybrid and is currently the latest acquisition among private cars from the 2020 vintage. The color of the car remains a secret. For security reasons, Berset’s department does not want to reveal this information.
Cassis’ noble hybrid station wagon
Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (61) is a little more showy, but also with a large trunk. He drives a BMW 320d xDrive. Accordingly, Cassis is still on the road with a combustion engine, albeit with a rather economical one. An explanation for this: The dark blue company car is one of the two oldest. He has been in action since 2013.
The Mazda 6 owned by Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin (63) has also been in use since 2013. Like Cassis’ BMW, the Japanese car still uses an internal combustion engine. But it differs significantly in one thing: the car of the SVP Federal Council is not inconspicuously black or dark blue, but red.
Federal Councilor Viola Amherd (60) also relies on a Japanese car. Since 2019 she has been driving a black Lexus UX 250h AWD Excellence. The fact that the compact car has a hybrid drive is essential if Amherd wants to set an example. Because she herself issued the directive in 2021 that administrative vehicles should be electric in the future with a few exceptions.
The two newly elected Albert Rösti (55) and Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (59) have to be content with their own cars at the moment. Your company vehicles have been ordered but have not yet been delivered. Exactly which vehicles they chose is not yet known. The only thing that is known is that both will be electric.
Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter (59) is the only one who does not have a company car despite being entitled to it – neither currently nor ordered. She continues to rely on her private car. Her department doesn’t want to reveal what kind of model she drives.
The future is electric
When it comes to representative vehicles, most federal councilors have so far opted for sedans with combustion engines, mostly from Mercedes. But that should change. Starting this year, there will be a gradual switch to purely electric BMWs.
Federal Councilor Simonetta Sommaruga (62) made a start last year. She replaced the Tesla of her predecessor Doris Leuthard (59) with a Volkswagen ID:3, a compact Stromer. Federal Councilor Baume-Schneider is already waiting for the electric minibus that has been ordered.
While future representation vehicles will all be purely electric, private cars are not yet. But the climate is not completely left behind – because at least the new acquisitions of the Federal Council newcomers Rösti and Baume-Schneider are also Stromer. (tom)