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Daniel Jositsch has Colombian citizenship but did not state this on the parliament’s website.
A number of politicians have already stumbled over dual citizenship. As the last about the SVP Federal Council candidate Michèle Blöchliger (55). Contrary to her initial statement, she was a dual citizen – and immediately took herself out of the Bundesrat race when she had to correct her own statement.
In itself, it is not a legal problem at all to have several passports and thus to sit in the Swiss Parliament. Politically, however, the topic is again up for discussion. SVP party president Marco Chiesa (48) demanded with a parliamentary initiative that federal councilors should not have a second citizenship. The initiative failed.
New rules since 2022
But he was able to win a majority for his other initiative. Since last summer, all parliamentarians have had to state their dual citizenship if they have one.
In that case, it is up to the parliamentarians themselves to indicate this information in their profile on the official website of the parliament.
A look at the website shows, however, that the left in particular has not yet complied with this obligation. For example, SP co-president Cedric Wermuth (36) or the Green Councilor Lisa Mazzone (34). Both forgot to declare their Italian citizenship. GLP National Councilor Judith Bellaiche (51) also did not disclose that she still has a French passport, Sibel Arslan (42) does not state that she has a Turkish passport in addition to the Swiss one. Likewise, SP Councilor Daniel Jositsch (57) did not consider it necessary to state that he was a dual citizen (Colombia).
“It completely slipped my mind”
Chiesa has little understanding for this behavior: “I don’t see what a problem a parliamentarian could have with transparently disclosing his nationality,” said the SVP President to Blick.
The parliamentarians who were asked do not talk their way out of it. They all openly admit to having forgotten the matter: “I simply didn’t think of it,” says Wermuth, for example. He has Italian citizenship and has no intention of giving it up.
Mazzone also says she overlooked the form, and Bellaiche says: “I completely missed that, or rather I thought I had done it a long time ago.” After the Blick request, everyone wants to adjust their profile immediately and declare their nationality.
Cassis did without a double pass
But not all dual citizens in Parliament were so forgetful: Yvette Estermann (SVP, 55) has stated her Slovakian citizenship, as does the Green Group leader Aline Trede (39) about her German passport.
The dual citizenship of members of the government and parliament had been the subject of much discussion, especially before the election of Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis (61). The then candidate and current Foreign Minister gave up his Italian citizenship voluntarily. (you)