Ex-minister called to help steer Swiss Red Cross out of crisis
Former minister Simonetta Sommaruga is being called to head the crisis-hit Swiss Red Cross and has shown interest, reports the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper.
This content was published on
1 minute
NZZ am Sonntag/Keystone-SDA/jc
Italiano
it
Ex ministro chiamato a contribuire a guidare la Croce Rossa Svizzera fuori dalla crisi
The paper says “influential circles in the field of politics and humanitarian aid are courting her” to head the charity and help steer it out of crisis.
The Swiss Red Cross (SRC), which is Switzerland’s biggest charity (not to be confused with the International Committee of the Red Cross), is in search of a new leader after its president Barbara Schmid-Federer resigned on Friday following a damning report. Schmid-Federer’s leadership style was taken apart by the independent report into the dismissal of SRC Director Markus Mader in December.
This led to the resignations of four members of the Red Cross Council that oversees the SRC. According to media reports, the leadership spat has resulted in a drop in donations to the SRC, with some major donors suspending their support until the problems are resolved.
Informal exploratory talks have been held with Sommaruga, sources confirmed to the NZZ am Sonntag, and she is said to have shown an interest. Sommaruga was a long-standing Social Democrat minister who stepped down at the end of last year.
“Having a former cabinet minister as president would be a very positive sign,” politician and head of an SRC organisation Philipp Matthias Bregy told the newspaper.
Popular Stories
More
Foreign affairs
European nations snub Swiss-made weapons over Ukraine restrictions
Switzerland will deliver rubble removal equipment to Ukraine
This content was published on
Thirty rubble removal machines and thirty fire-fighting pumps: this is the equipment that Switzerland will be delivering to the Ukraine in the next few days. The total value of these goods is 5.6 million Swiss francs.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss Red Cross president steps down after damning report
This content was published on
The President of the Swiss Red Cross has resigned for “health reasons” following heavy criticism of her leadership style.
Swiss Red Cross launches digital advice for Ukrainian refugees
This content was published on
The Swiss Red Cross has launched an online platform to help Ukrainian refugees navigate through the initial steps of arriving in Switzerland.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.