Jean-Pierre Siggen

Jean-Pierre Siggen (born June 1, 1962 in Sion ) is a Swiss politician and State Councilor of the canton of Friborg . He is a member of the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP).

Life

He has been married to Paulette Buchmann from the Gruyère district since 1992 . The couple has three children. His father, André Siggen, returned to Valais after graduating from the technical college in Freiburg, where he worked as a building contractor. His mother Gertrude, née Perret, from Sierre , comes from a Neuchâtel family.

After spending his childhood in the Sion area and finishing his schooling at the Collège des Creusets there, he studied at the University of Lausanne , where he graduated in law (1986) and economics (1989). He then worked in Berne as the association secretary (1989) and later as the vice director (1995–1997) of the Swiss Trade Association (sgv), where he was responsible in particular for external relations and social affairs. In order to be closer to his place of work in Bern, he moved to Freiburg in 1992 , where he was very active in club life. He later worked as an advisor for economics and social affairs to Federal Councilor Flavio Cotti (1997–1999) and as an advisor for Federal Council issues to his successor, Joseph Deiss (until 2000). In 2000 he was appointed director of the Freiburg Employers' Association (2000–2013). In addition to this office, he took on the post of Deputy Secretary General of the Fédération des entreprises romandes (2007–2013). His work at the intersection of politics and association took on concrete forms when he started implementing the Start! involved, which makes it easier for young people to enter professional life.

In addition to his professional career, Jean-Pierre Siggen took on numerous political commitments. He was President of the CVP of the City of Freiburg (2005–2010) and cantonal CVP Vice-President (2005–2006). Shortly after he became a member of the General Council of the City of Freiburg (March 2006), he stood for election for the first time for the State Council. Although he was not elected to the executive branch, he became a member of the Grand Council (2006–2013) and immediately assumed the presidency of the business club (until 2012). In 2009 he was appointed parliamentary group leader of the CVP.

When his party colleague Isabelle Chassot resigned during her tenure in 2013 , he ran again for the Council of State. His candidacy represented the party's economic wing. His strongest challenger in the replacement election was the social democratic rival Jean-François Steiert . The main aim of the tense campaign was to keep the majority from the center-right in the cantonal executive. Jean-Pierre Siggen won the election with a narrow majority thanks to an alliance of the bourgeois parties. He was sworn in on December 12, 2013 and took over the management of the Directorate for Education, Culture and Sport (EKSD). Thus the Christian Democrats were able to keep the department they had led since 1857 and the end of the radical government. His election also enabled the CVP to hold three seats in the State Council, although its party, like the Social Democratic Party, made up less than a third of the members in the legislature.

In his office, Jean-Pierre Siggen initially continued the work started by Isabelle Chassot and implemented the reform of the School Act and the University Act. The reform of the Law on Pedagogical University (PH) and the Law on Special Education will also continue under his responsibility. According to a decision that was made before he took office, the University of Health and the University of Social Work, which have been part of the universities of applied sciences in Western Switzerland under the common structure (HES-SO // FR) since the beginning of 2015, are not in the Responsibility of his department, but are subordinate to the Department of Economic Affairs.

literature

• Georges Andrey, John Clerc, Jean-Pierre Dorand, Nicholas Gex (eds.): The Freiburg Council of State: 1848–2011; History, organization, members. Paulus, Freiburg 2012, ISBN 978-3-7228-0815-4 .

Web links

• Jean-Pierre Siggen on the website of the State Council of the Canton of Friborg

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Portrait - Jean-Pierre Siggen ( fr ) In: www.jeanpierresiggen.ch . Retrieved May 2, 2017.