Willi Ritschard

Willi Ritschard (sometimes Willy Ritschard; 28 September 1918 – 16 October 1983) was a Swiss politician of the Social Democratic Party (SP). He is remembered as the first and to date only working class member of the Federal Council, the Swiss government. Prior to that, he was also a member of the cantonal government of Solothurn and a member of the National Council.

Early life and education

Willi Ritschard was born on 28 September 1918 as the son of Ernst Emil Ritschard, a shoemaker in Deitingen and Social Democrat and Frieda (née Ryf), in Canton of Solothurn.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> As a child, he was beaten by his neighbors for being a son of left-wing workers.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> He lost both parents at the age of sixteen.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> He made an apprenticeship as a heating engineer<ref name=":0" /> but later got involved in the workers' union.<ref name=":0" /> He attended numerous classes at the Swiss Workers' Education Central which was established by the SP politician Max Weber.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Career in the Workers Union

In 1945 he became the secretary of the Solothurn branch of the Construction and Woodworkers' Association (SBVH).<ref name=":2" /> On the Balmberg he established a Workers' Education School<ref name=":2" /> and in 1965, he became the president of the Association for the Furtherance of the Workers School, an office he held until he died.<ref name=":2" /> In the workers union, he argued that trade unions should not represent their demands for worker protection and social security on the streets, but instead together with the SP in the government.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref>

Political career

In 1947, Ritschard became the president (Gemeindeamman) of Luterbach, a position which he held until 1959.<ref name=":2" /> In 1955 he was elected to the National Council (the lower house of the Federal Assembly).<ref name=":0" /> In the National Council, he made himself known as a defender of workers' rights and demanded the limitation of foreign workers in 1962, which made him popular beyond party lines.<ref name=":4" /> In 1964 he was elected to the executive council (the cantonal government) of Solothurn.<ref name=":0" /> He supported the inter-cantonal commission for the harmonization of taxation.<ref name=":3" /> He also supported nuclear energy and was on the board of directors of Atel<ref name=":3" /> (now Alpiq).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The construction of the nuclear power plant in Gösgen, Solothurn, began in 1972.<ref name=":4" />

Federal Council

Willi Ritschard visiting Swissair in 1974

On 5 December 1973, Ritschard was elected to the Federal Council, where he assumed the leadership of the Department of Transport and Energy.<ref name=":3" /> He was elected despite not being the official candidate of his own party.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref> He observed his election in front of a TV at home.<ref name=":5" />

In 1974, he called the nuclear energy supporter Michael Kohn to the Energy Commission, which caused some controversy within the anti-nuclear movement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1975, as protestors occupied the construction site for the nuclear plant in Kaiseraugst, Ritschard was able to calm the situation offering the occupiers a halt for its construction for the time negotiations would take place.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1978 he presided over the Federal Council as that year's President of the Swiss Confederation.<ref name=":3" /> The Nuclear Energy Act, which the Swiss citizens accepted in a national referendum in 1979, was enacted under his lead.<ref name=":3" /> He was not amused when he had to attend a royal banquet dressed in black tie on 1 May, International Workers' Day, on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth's state visit to Switzerland in 1980.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

From 1980 onwards Ritschard was the head of the Federal Department of Finance.<ref name=":3" /> He announced his resignation on 28 September 1983<ref name=":1" /> but died on 16 October 1983 before it could take effect.<ref name=":0" />

Legacy

Ritschard is remembered as the first Federal Councilor who belonged to the working class.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" /> He was a celebrity politician, and the punk band Hertz released a song about him while he was in office.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1" /> His nickname was "Willi National".<ref name=":0" /> He was a well-known speaker, credited with being authentic.<ref name=":1" /> He acknowledged that he did not write all his speeches by himself;<ref name=":1" /> some were written by the writer and journalist Peter Bichsel, his neighbor.<ref name=":1" /> Two books with quotes of his were released during his tenure as a Federal Councilor, one in 1975 and another in 1982.<ref name=":0" /> Both were published by the Benteli publishing house.<ref name=":0" />

Personal life

Ritschard and Greti Hostettler married in 1941<ref name=":3" /> and had two children, Margaretha Ueker-Ritschard<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Rolf Ritschard, the latter becoming a member of the executive council of Solothurn.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Ritschard died on 16 October 1983, during a hike on the Grenchenberg near Grenchen.<ref name=":0" /> His funeral service took place in the St. Urs and Victor Cathedral in Solothurn on 20 October.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was buried in Luterbach, where in 2011 the Executive Council of Luterbach announced that Ritschard would be able to rest in Lautebach's graveyard without restriction, and extended this right to all of Luterbach's honorary citizens.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

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