Moritz Leuenberger

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Moritz Leuenberger (2010)
Signature of Moritz Leuenberger

Moritz Leuenberger (born September 21, 1946 in Biel , legal domicile in Rohrbach ) is a Swiss lawyer and politician ( SP ). From 1995 to 2010 he was a member of the Swiss government, the Federal Council , and headed the Federal Department for the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication (DETEC). He was Federal President in 2001 and 2006 .

Life

Moritz Leuenberger was born the son of the theologian Robert Leuenberger . After primary school in Biel he first visited the Humanistic High School (now School on Cathedral Square ) and then the Free Grammar School in Basel , where he Matura Type A was. Between 1966 and 1970 he studied law at the University of Zurich .

After being admitted to the bar, Leuenberger opened his own law firm in Zurich, which he ran until 1991. His cases include representing a development aid organization for the Nestlé kills babies campaign , supporting the government of the Philippines in finding the funds of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos in Switzerland and defending the writer Niklaus Meienberg against the family of the German-friendly Swiss general Ulrich Wille .

Leuenberger lives in Zurich . He is married to the architect Gret Loewensberg and has two grown sons. One of the two is the actor Manuel Löwensberg .

Political career

1969 Leuenberger joined the Social Democratic Party. From 1972 to 1980 he chaired the SP of the city of Zurich. He was the first to sign the “Democratic Manifesto” against the activities of FDP National Councilor Ernst Cincera . Also starting in 1972, he was until 1983 a member of the municipal council of the city of Zurich. From 1986 to 1991 he was President of the Swiss Tenants' Association .

From 1979 until his election to the Federal Council in 1995, Leuenberg was a member of the National Council . During this time he was 1989/1990 President of the "Parliamentary Investigation Commission FDJP" (PUK 1), which led to the discovery of the Fichenskandal in the wake of the Elisabeth Kopp affair .

From 1991 to 1995 he was a member of the government of the Canton of Zurich and headed the interior and justice departments. On September 27, 1995 he was elected to the Federal Council as the successor to Otto Stich . He was head of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication . Leuenberger was the federal president in 2001 and 2006.

Leuenberger resigned at the end of October 2010. On September 22, 2010, the parliament elected Simonetta Sommaruga as his successor.

Work as a Federal Councilor

Leuenberger's activity as DETEC chairman and federal councilor was based on the concept of sustainable development. According to this, all DETEC offices had to strive for solutions that were balanced in the triangle of interests of ecology, economy and society.

traffic

Railway and road transport

Moritz Leuenberger campaigned with conviction for the shift of freight traffic from road to rail. This policy was incorporated into the constitution as early as 1994 through the adoption of a popular initiative , the so-called " Alpine Initiative ". With the acceptance of the templates for the HVF (performance-based heavy vehicle tax; this is a truck toll) and FinöV (fund for the financing of public transport), which among other things regulate the financing of the NEAT , Leuenberger was able to record an important success in the direction of this relocation in 1998. Critics, namely the SVP, accused him for years of wanting to realize an oversized prestige project with the NEAT and feared that Leuenberger did not have the schedule and the costs of the NEAT under control. On October 15, 2010, however, the longest tunnel in the world was cut through at the planned time. His attempt to reinforce the presumably insufficient relocation effect of the NEAT by introducing an Alpine transit exchange met with a mixed response, especially from the EU. Moritz Leuenberger received an honorary doctorate from the University of Udine for his work in favor of shifting traffic from road to rail .

In road traffic, improving safety was a priority for him. The introduction of the 0.5-alcohol limit and the introduction of the “ via sicura ” program resulted in a marked decrease in fatal traffic accidents. In addition, Leuenberger pushed the completion of the national road network decided in the early 1960s . In 2004, the people rejected the unilateral expansion of the motorway network and in particular the construction of a second tube for the Gotthard road tunnel . This cleared the way for the establishment of an infrastructure fund. This will finance the removal of bottlenecks in the motorway network and the expansion of rail and road capacities in the densely populated agglomerations.

Air traffic

Since the early 1990s, Swiss air transport policy has been shaped by the liberalization of international air traffic, the collapse of Swissair and the establishment of Swiss . Various aircraft accidents caused Leuenberger to thoroughly review the air traffic control. As a result, the Federal Office for Civil Aviation (FOCA) was reorganized. Controversy arose in the context of the so-called aircraft noise dispute with Germany (see also below). Leuenberger concluded a state treaty with Germany that was based on the limitation of approaches over Germany to 100,000. In addition, the German approach area would have been closed for three hours (6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.) during the weekends. However, this treaty was not ratified by parliament, so that Germany issued a regulation that is stricter for Switzerland than provided for in the treaty. The German airspace is therefore closed every day from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. and on the weekends from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Environment and energy

The focus was on the fight against global warming by reducing CO 2 and other gases that affect the climate. The basis was the CO 2 law in force since May 1, 2000 . It obliges Switzerland to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by a total of 10 percent below the 1990 level by 2010. This goal is achieved through voluntary measures (including through the EnergieSchweiz funding program, agreements with industries and large consumers, climate cents on fuel). Because these measures alone are not enough, a CO 2 steering tax has been levied on heating oil since the beginning of 2008 . This will be fully reimbursed to consumers and businesses.

Energy policy is closely linked to climate policy, with the aim of ensuring a climate-friendly, reliable and inexpensive energy supply for Switzerland in the future as well. It was already clear during Leuenberger's term of office that the oldest Swiss nuclear power plants ( Beznau I and II , Mühleberg ) would probably have to be decommissioned around 2020 . Then electricity import contracts with France will gradually expire. After his resignation and after the Fukushima disaster, the Federal Council decided to phase out nuclear energy. The government therefore wants to increase energy efficiency, promote renewable energies, replace large power plants and strengthen international cooperation. Smaller electricity producers who feed electricity from renewable sources into the grid now receive a cost-covering remuneration.

Media and communication

As media minister, Leuenberger advocated a strong state-owned SRG SSR idée suisse . This is to guarantee the public service. He opposed a further liberalization of television, so that after several failures of national private broadcasters, the state TV stations of the SRG now occupy a position of supremacy over other Swiss broadcasters.

In the area of ​​communication he pushed through a liberalization of the telephone market: On January 1st, 1998 the monopoly of the PTT was lifted and the Swiss Post and Swisscom were founded in their place . He advocates further liberalization steps, including the last mile or the post office, for which he had to take criticism from the unions.

Federal President

During his Federal Council career, Leuenberger was Federal President twice, in 2001 (where he had to speak to the public on the occasion of several disasters and accidents, 9/11 in the USA, the attack in Zug, fire in the Gotthard tunnel, etc.) and in 2006. In 2006, he struck as Federal President, among other things, at the UN climate conference in Nairobi, proposed a kind of global “CO 2 tax” as a measure for climate protection.

Mandates and cultural activities after resignation

In April 2011, Leuenberger was elected to the board of directors of the largest Swiss construction company, Implenia . In March 2013, he decided not to be re-elected for another term of office on Implenia's Board of Directors. In the same month, he switched to sustainable fund provider Susi Partners and was elected to its Board of Directors. He resigned from the Board of Directors of Susi Partners on May 13, 2016. From January 2011 to October 2015, he also chaired the Board of Trustees of the Swiss Aviation Foundation . This has achieved its purpose and has been dissolved.

Leuenberger is a member of the Club d'inspiration of Greenpeace Switzerland and the board of trustees of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Berlin, which is close to the SPD . In 2015, the Federal Council gave Moritz Leuenberger the mandate to set up and lead a round table so that a fair solution could be found for asbestos victims . The background to this was the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights , which criticized the Swiss statute of limitations as being contrary to human rights. The round table completed its work at the end of November 2016 by setting up a foundation that is temporarily fed by the private sector. The foundation organizes psychological help for asbestos victims and compensates victims who would go away empty-handed due to a lack of insurance cover or a statute of limitations.

Moritz Leuenberger has been heading the Bernhard Matinée since 2015 , a resumption of the earlier Bernhard aperitif by Hans Gmür and Karl Suter . Every month he welcomes guests from culture and cabaret on a Sunday morning.

Public perception, praise and criticism, honors

Leuenberger was considered to be a representative of an urban, urban class of the population in the Federal Council. He is considered an excellent speaker, for his speech "The evil, the good, the politics" given at the Lucerne Festival in September 2002, he received the Cicero speaker award for the best political speech of the year in German-speaking countries. According to a survey from March 2008, it was accepted by the population with an approval rate of almost 60 percent, although its popularity in 2008 was less than that of other Federal Council members. In 2006, his second year as President, he was considered the most popular Federal Councilor. Leuenberger also ran a personal blog from 2007 to 2010 , in which he wrote about current events in politics and society.

In 2009, Leuenberger received the European Railway Award in the “Politics” category for its commitment to promoting the shift of traffic from road to rail. In 2001 he received the Dr. hc. from the University of Udine for creative impulses for European traffic law. In 2011 he received the Heckerhut of the SPD Kreis Konstanz for services to direct democracy. He also received the Red Arrow from the Austrian Business Forum 2011 for his life's work as Minister of Infrastructure.

Leuenberger was criticized during his time as Zurich government councilor after the murder on Zollikerberg by a sex offender on custody leave. A legally relevant complicity was never up for discussion, but he still had to put up with harsh criticism. Leuenberger himself resolutely refused to share responsibility.

There was also criticism after the plane collision in Überlingen , the responsibility of which is attributed to the Skyguide, which is subordinate to DETEC . Moritz Leuenberger then admitted that Skyguide (a federally owned company that is affiliated to DETEC) was jointly responsible for the collision.

FDP General Secretary Stefan Brupbacher criticized, among others , that Leuenberger wanted to keep Raymond Cron as FOCA boss after he was convicted in March 2008 of illegal bonus payments at his former employer Batigroup . Leuenberger stood behind Cron, among other things on the grounds that the sanctioning of Cron's behavior at the time was a matter for the judiciary and that the matter had nothing to do with his position in the FOCA.

Moritz Leuenberger was heavily criticized for years in the aircraft noise dispute between Switzerland and Germany . In July 2003, at a demonstration, thousands of people from Zurich held the Minister of Transport responsible for the introduction of the southern approaches at Zurich Airport. These were introduced after Germany unilaterally restricted the northern approaches over German territory, which in turn was the result of the fact that the state treaty with Germany negotiated by Leuenberger had not been ratified by parliament. Today, the reasons for non-ratification are seen as partisan political motivations and an overestimation of the Swiss position towards Germany.

Book publications

literature

Web links

Commons : Moritz Leuenberger  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Curriculum vitae , Moritz Leuenberger's website, accessed on November 19, 2011.
  2. ↑ a b Media conference with Federal Councilor Moritz Leuenberger ( Memento of the original from September 27, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , The federal authorities of the Swiss Confederation ( admin.ch ), July 9, 2010 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.tv.admin.ch
  3. ↑ a b Speech by Federal Councilor Moritz Leuenberger , Federal Department for the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication (DETEC), July 9, 2010
  4. ↑ a b For Leuenberger, 15 years of the Federal Council are enough , article in SF Tagesschau, July 9, 2010
  5. ^ Federal Councilor Moritz Leuenberger prefers the date of his resignation , The Federal Authorities of the Swiss Confederation (admin.ch), August 9, 2010
  6. ↑ Clarification of the resignations of Federal Councilors Leuenberger and Merz ( Memento of the original from April 17, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , The Federal Authorities of the Swiss Confederation (admin.ch), 23 August 2010 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.news.admin.ch
  7. ↑ DETEC strategy ( Memento of the original dated November 10, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.uvek.admin.ch
  8. ^ New job for former Federal Councilor Leuenberger in: Schweizer Fernsehen from April 19, 2011
  9. ↑ Berner Zeitung of March 27, 2013
  10. ↑ Tages-Anzeiger of March 30, p. 43: Moritz Leuenberger changes to investment company ; View from March 30th: Leuenberger becomes a finance scout
  11. ^ Dissolution of the Swiss Aviation Foundation
  12. ^ Current and former company network of Moritz Leuenberger. In: monetas.ch. Retrieved May 19, 2011 .
  13. ↑ Moritz Leuenberger is to lead the round table. In: NZZ online, February 25, 2015
  14. ↑ NZZ, December 20, 2016 p. 14
  15. ↑ Leuenberger in the Bernhard Matinee ( memento of the original from March 9, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bernhard-theater.ch
  16. ↑ The Swiss are into women and Schmid , Blick Online, March 9, 2008
  17. ↑ Networked Federal Councilors , article in the NZZ of August 29, 2008
  18. ↑ UNIFE: European rail sector celebrates European Railway Award 2009 ( English ) January 20, 2009. Archived from the original on June 26, 2009. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved June 19, 2010. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.unife.org
  19. ^ Moritz Leuenberger: Speech on the occasion of the presentation of the European Railway Award for outstanding political achievements . January 20, 2009. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved June 19, 2010. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.uvek.admin.ch
  20. ↑ Corpse in the cellar ( Memento of the original from October 25, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Article in Weltwoche 36/2007 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.weltwoche.ch
  21. ↑ Experts to examine safety of Swiss aviation , article on swissinfo.ch , July 23, 2002
  22. ↑ Bazl director wants to remain in office despite conviction , article in the Tages-Anzeiger from March 25, 2008
  23. ^ Bazl director Cron accepts conviction , article in the NZZ from March 25, 2008
  24. ↑ Reaction of Federal Councilor Leuenberger to the overstepping of private competences by Raymond Cron , Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM), 22 November 2005
  25. ↑ Moritz Leuenberger leaves - and the aircraft noise victims breathe easy , Tages-Anzeiger , July 22, 2010
  26. ↑ When the Swiss parliament rejected the first treaty in 2002, it did so because it was criminally overestimating its own position of power and wanted to really show the Germans where the hammer was. The bourgeois forces also grudged the success of the Social Democrat Leuenberger, then Minister of Transport. (NZZ of November 1, 2012, No. 255 page 21)
predecessor Office successor
Otto Stich Member of the Swiss Federal Council
1995–2010 		Simonetta Sommaruga
personal data
SURNAME Leuenberger, Moritz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss politician, Federal Councilor
DATE OF BIRTH September 21, 1946
PLACE OF BIRTH Biel , Switzerland