Controversial Swiss attorney general wins re-election
Lauber (centre) looks visibly marked by the weeks of controversy ahead of his re-election by parliament on Wednesday.
Keystone/Peter Schneider
Parliament has re-elected the attorney general, Michael Lauber, amid months of controversy over his handling of an investigation into corruption in world football.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/urs
Español
es
Reelección de fiscal general suizo envuelto en polémica
Lauber won 129 of the 243 votes of the House of Representatives and the Senate on Wednesday despite recommendations by a key parliamentary committee not to re-elect him for a third four-year term.
His supporters argued that a re-election would undermine the authority of the attorney general, while others called for a reform of the office.
However, opponents of Lauber believe that a scandal surrounding undocumented meetings with FIFA President Gianni Infantino puts at risk his credibility and ability to act. Lauber held at least three confidential meetings with Infantino while the prosecutor’s office was carrying out an ongoing five-year investigation into the Zurich-based world football governing body, FIFA.
Lauber himself has defended his handling of the case.
High-profile position
The move comes after weeks of discussions over Lauber’s violation of procedural rules in a major ongoing investigation into FIFA.
Lauber was also embroiled in a dispute with the watchdog authority of the federal prosecutor’s office and disciplinary proceedings.
Parliament had put off the election for three months for further hearings and probes by parliamentary committees and political parties.
The Swiss attorney generalExternal link prosecutes criminal offences involving major cases of white-collar crime, including corruption, money laundering as well as espionage. However, the prosecutors in the 26 cantons handle the bulk of the other criminal cases.
Lauber was first elected in 2011 following the ousting and resignation respectively of two of his predecessors over the past 20 years. Following a reform of the election procedure nine years ago, parliament took over from the government as electoral body of the high-profile position.
More
More
Scandal circles Swiss prosecutor at heart of FIFA case
This content was published on
Why is Michael Lauber, Switzerland’s federal prosecutor, fighting for his political survival?
Swiss investigate four people linked to Russian oligarch
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland is investigating four individuals linked to Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov.
Swiss government scrambles to deal with egg shortage
This content was published on
From September 1, more eggs intended for consumption may be imported into Switzerland. In allowing this, the government wants to secure the supply of eggs for consumers.
This content was published on
Agricultural research sees new development opportunities for Swiss sparkling wines in the face of declining wine consumption. In a survey, half of consumers expressed a willingness to pay more for local products than for foreign ones.
Locarno spotlights filmmakers from South America and Caribbean
This content was published on
The Open Doors section of the Locarno Film Festival has named the winners for 2024. The spotlight is on the South American and Caribbean regions.
Storm paralyses trains to popular Swiss tourist resort
This content was published on
The railway line between Zweilütschinen and Grindelwald in central Switzerland is expected to remain closed until Friday following heavy rains.
Attorney general under pressure over alleged meeting with FIFA boss
This content was published on
A probe has been opened to shed light on an alleged third meeting between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber.
Attorney General to seek re-election despite Football Leaks scandal
This content was published on
Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber says he did nothing wrong meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, despite a FIFA corruption probe.
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.