The President of the Swiss Red Cross (SRC), Barbara Schmid-Federer, has resigned for “health reasons” following heavy criticism of her leadership style.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
Italiano
it
Il presidente della Croce Rossa Svizzera si dimette dopo un rapporto schiacciante
“The past few months have been intense and stressful for me. The attacks on the reputation of the SRC and on myself have pushed me to the limit of my resilience,” Schmid-Federer said in a statement on Friday.
Schmid-Federer’s leadership style was taken apart by an 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.
The report, made public last week, said Schmid-Federer of displaying “little suitability and will to lead and a lack of courage to face challenging or uncomfortable situations”.
Although Schmid-Federer rejected the report’s findings, she has now decided to step down.
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 were resolved.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Politics
Why cars still reign supreme in ‘rail-nation’ Switzerland
Valais voters reject plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040
This content was published on
Voters in canton Valais in southern Switzerland have turned down a proposal for the region to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
Swiss central banker wants to boost equity to head off risks
This content was published on
Equity levels at the Swiss National Bank (SNB) are much too low for the risks its large balance sheet poses, according to Martin Schlegel.
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
This content was published on
The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
Compensation for Syrian after pregnant wife denied help on Swiss train
This content was published on
Switzerland’s Federal Court has partially upheld the appeal of a Syrian family being deported from Switzerland to Italy in 2014. The man now also receives compensation.
Swiss-EU negotiations: Cassis to meet Sefcovic in Bern
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will meet the Vice-President of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, in Bern on Wednesday.
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 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.
Swiss Solidarity finances 11 projects in earthquake regions
This content was published on
Two months after the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, Swiss Solidarity has financed 11 projects of Swiss partner organisations.
Former ambassador and Swiss Red Cross president dies
This content was published on
The former Swiss ambassador Franz Muheim has died aged 89. He played a significant role in Switzerland’s attempt to join the United Nations.
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.