Walter Thurnherr

Thurnherr belongs to the Centre party. It was a surprise when he announced he would not be standing for election in parliament again. Thurnherr, 60, is well respected. Commentators agree that he threw himself into the role and exerted influence despite the purely advisory nature of his remit. Thurnherr always belied the assumption that you exercise such offices by being seen and not heard. He has an agile, analytical mind and is a popular and witty public speaker. Humour allows him a certain distance and reminds him that there is a world outside the Federal Palace, he once said. Thurnherr, a native of the canton of Aargau and son of a master builder, is no stranger to the world outside Switzerland either. After studying physics, he embarked on a diplomatic career that took him to Moscow and New York. The Swiss Abroad constituted his area of responsibility at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Many expatriates believe he was too slow in implementing e-voting later as Federal Chancellor. Thurnherr, who has plenty of digital savvy, countered by saying that e-voting needed majority backing, which took time in the Swiss political system. He has now stepped down of his own accord. The last legislative period had been difficult amid all the crises, he told the media. Thurnherr was non-committal on his future plans. He may now have more time to post on social media about strange mathematical and physical phenomena, as is his wont.

SUSANNE WENGER