statesman’. This helped him in the race to become the next secretary general. His rivals for the post, Indrek Saar (Estonia) and Didier Reynders (Belgium), lacked such experience. Berset also knows about crises, having been the face of the government’s Covid response from the outset as health minister. He, and the rest of the Federal Council, were widely praised for Covid restrictions that were relatively measured compared to those of other countries. But he also came in for fierce criticism from those who were against rules like social distancing and the wearing of face coverings. Berset made headlines in government when an alleged former lover reportedly tried to blackmail him. And in summer 2022, he was intercepted by two military aircraft after flying his rented Cessna 182 into restricted French airspace. The media had a field day, but the SP politician batted off awkward questions with aplomb. His nonchalance, as critics called it, may have rubbed some people the wrong way, yet Berset’s approval ratings were largely unaffected. During his last year in office, he was still viewed by the public as the most influential member of the Federal Council. It appears that the Council of Europe was also looking for someone like Berset. You should never forget where you come from, Berset told the “Tages-Anzeiger”, noting pointedly that he was a federal councillor from Fribourg who was joining the Council of Europe as a Swiss national. Incidentally, Berset rejects criticism of the ECtHR for its verdict on the ‘climate seniors’ case (see “Swiss Review” 4/2024). Switzerland ratified the European Convention on Human Rights and is obliged to implement rulings by the Strasbourg judges, he said. “We lie in the heart of Europe and share Europe’s values.” the organisation as a whole. He intends to push back against media manipulation and disinformation, which has taken on a new dimension through AI. After being elected, he talked of the big responsibility he was taking on, noting that the Council of Europe was committed to democracy, human rights and the rule of law. “These are the values that make our continent stable, and we must fight for them every day.” No stranger to the limelight Charismatic, eloquent and self-assured, Berset is very much at ease on the international stage. A former junior 800-metres champion, the Frenchspeaking Swiss from Fribourg was an accomplished athlete when he was younger. Single-mindedness on the running track seems to have rubbed off on his political career. Berset was elected to the Council of States in 2003, becoming the youngest member of the smaller chamber at 31. He was voted onto the Federal Council in 2011. As head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs, Berset was notably responsible for health and social policy. He was the president of the Swiss Confederation in 2018 and 2023, representing the federal government at the highest level – and enjoying the limelight that this afforded him. From welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron to Berne on a state visit, to rubbing shoulders with Donald Trump and Olaf Scholz, Berset has earned a reputation as ‘Switzerland’s The future of Ukraine is the main priority, said Berset even before being elected as general secretary. Photo: Keystone Rarely seen outside without his Borsalino – the Alain Berset that Switzerland remembers well. The hat became Berset’s trademark particularly during the Covid pandemic. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / October 2024 / No.5 13
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