Merz takes fast track to the top

Hans-Rudolf Merz was the final cabinet minister to be elected Keystone

Hans-Rudolf Merz, 61, of the centre-right Radicals has been elected to replace Kaspar Villiger, who is retiring as finance minister.

Only elected to the Senate in 1997, Merz has quickly become one of the rising stars of the Swiss political scene.

A self-confessed conservative, Merz speaks a language that hits home with much of the electorate, appealing to both the man in the street and business leaders.

He is comfortable in front of the camera and possesses a flair for public speaking, often appearing on Swiss television, which has helped him gain a reputation as a fair and honest politician.

As head of the Senate finance commission, Merz has gained a reputation as a man with a head for figures.

In 2002 he came out firmly against the Swiss Solidarity Foundation, which would have used the proceeds from the sale of excess national gold reserves to help the needy.

He was also against government funding of Expo.02, Switzerland’s national exhibition, and using the public purse to set up the national airline, Swiss, formed from the ashes of Swissair.

Business background

Merz – who worked mostly in business before joining the Senate – is also against Switzerland joining the European Union.

He claims to be attached to “traditional values”, but has come out in support of gay partnerships and maternity benefit.

As a senator for canton Appenzell Outer Rhodes – he was elected on a wildcard ticket thanks to support from the rightwing People’s Party – Merz has sat on Switzerland’s security and foreign policy commissions.

He worked for more than 20 years as a financial adviser to mostly personnel and management companies in Europe, the Americas and South Africa.

In 1996 Merz helped canton Appenzell Outer Rhodes, which lies in eastern Switzerland, avoid financial disaster when he helped it sell off the Union Bank of Switzerland (which through a merger with Swiss Bank Corporation formed UBS).

He is a member of the board of directors at Helvetia-Patria and Anova Holding, and is married with three grown sons.

swissinfo with agencies

Merz

Hans-Rudolf Merz was elected to the cabinet only six years after entering the Senate.
He is viewed as a financial specialist.
Merz has a reputation for loyalty and integrity.