New Federal Councillor(ess)

Yesterday was one of those good, rare days when Switzerland was in the international newspapers, for other than a silly ("Compulsory Cheese-Tasting Classes In Swiss Schools") or an ugly (murky financial dealings, banning minarets, Dignitas etc...) reason.

Following yesterday's elections in Bern, as of January 1st 2011, the Swiss government's cabinet of seven Federal Councillors won't be the only example of such an elite group constituted of a majority of women, but it will be one of a very small number of such cases. And, to my knowledge, it'll be the first instance of it happening in a country that only allowed women the vote as recently as 1971. Remarkable! (As a political about-turn, it could really only be surpassed, if, in the year 2049, the Swiss unveiled a new Parliament - in the shape of a giant minaret...)

Yes, all this is really very pleasing. But the honour here must go to Simonetta Sommaruga herself - she truly is a delight.

An accomplished classical concert pianist and linguist (she delivered her acceptance speech in four unaccented languages), she's everything we could have hoped for in the replacement to the genial, wily Moritz Leuenberger: wise, uncomplicated, economically socialist and socially liberal, as well as being Bernese, and, yes, a woman.

And I'm especially contented by this new appointment, because as head of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications, she'll now be in charge of the trains.