Retiring Swiss Finance Minister Ueli Maurer has tried to explain a controversial comment on gender-neutral people – in which he said he doesn’t want to be replaced by an “it” – by saying it was a deliberate provocation.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Русский
ru
Ули Маурер и его «прощальный выстрел» в сторону «воук-культуры»
Maurer, 71, from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, was speaking at a delegate conference in Lucerne exactly a year before federal elections.
Maurer told delegates he was concerned not only by immigration but also by “woke” culture, a reference to people who are inclusive and alert to prejudice and discrimination. There is a rush to deal with the details instead of the big issues, he added.
When asked by a journalist at a press conference whether he would be happy if a woman succeeded him, Maurer replied: “I don’t really care whether my successor is a man or a woman – as long as the person isn’t an ‘it’, it’s OK.”
He claimed such a big controversy over such a small word showed society’s decadence. He said he didn’t care about a person’s gender.
More
Opinion
More
A gender-inclusive language to change the world
This content was published on
Swiss television moderator and writer Gülsha Adilji says it’s high time we watched our language.
When Maurer announced his retirement at the end of September, speculation quickly started about who would replace him. Parliament will elect his replacement on December 7.
People’s Party ‘virus’
On Saturday Maurer also praised the “excellent situation” of Switzerland, which, thanks to the People’s Party, has been able to retain its independence, he said. He called for the People’s Party “virus” to be spread – “this makes people happy and therefore doesn’t require masks or vaccines”.
The People’s Party was the strongest party in the 2019 federal elections with a voter share of 25.6%, although this was down from 29.4% four years earlier.
More
More
Ueli Maurer resignation signals end of era, says Swiss press
This content was published on
Outgoing Finance Minister Ueli Maurer pushed the boundaries of government collegiality without fully breaching the code of conduct, says the media.
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Myanmar earthquake: foreign ministry has no news on Swiss victims
This content was published on
The Swiss foreign ministry is not yet aware of any Swiss nationals among the victims or those affected by the earthquake that struck central Myanmar.
Swiss military jet crash: air traffic controller found guilty
This content was published on
Over eight and a half years after the fatal F/A-18 military jet accident in Switzerland, an air traffic controller has been found guilty of negligent homicide by a military appeals court.
Viola Amherd hands over keys of Swiss defence ministry to Martin Pfister
This content was published on
On Friday, the new Swiss government minister Martin Pfister was symbolically presented with the keys to the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport by outgoing minister Viola Amherd.
PostFinance cancels accounts of customers with Cuba links
This content was published on
The financial services arm of the Swiss post office, PostFinance, has cancelled the accounts of several customers with links to Cuba as a consequence of US sanctions against the Caribbean island state.
Basel cannabis study reports improvements in smokers’ mental health
This content was published on
After two years, a legal recreational cannabis study known as "Weedcare", carried out in Basel in northwestern Switzerland, has been given a positive assessment.
Group reports rise in anti-Semitic incidents in French-speaking Switzerland
This content was published on
Anti-Semitic incidents rose by almost 90% in French-speaking Switzerland last year, according to the Intercommunity Coordination Against Anti-Semitism and Defamation (known by its French name CICAD).
Number of Swiss around the world grew by 1.6% in 2024
This content was published on
Last year, 13,300 Swiss citizens moved abroad, taking the total number of Swiss Abroad to 826,700 (+1.6%). Three-quarters have more than one nationality, new figures show.
ICRC pleads for release of German nurse held in Somalia for seven years
This content was published on
The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called for the release of Sonja Nientiet, one of its nurses who was kidnapped in Somalia in 2018.
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
Green Party decides against targeting cabinet seat
This content was published on
The Green Party says it won’t make a move for the seat in Switzerland’s seven-person cabinet being made vacant by Finance Minister Ueli Maurer.
This content was published on
The resignation and replacement of a government minister may not be worth more than a shrug of the shoulders in most countries. Not 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.