Federal Council Merz in critical condition

Talkietoaster · #1 21.09.2008, 17:22

Federal Council Hans-Rudolf Merz (FDP) is in critical condition after collapsing at home on saturday.

"Swiss Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf Merz has suffered a heart attack and has been placed in an artificial coma.
The Federal Chancellery announced on Sunday afternoon that Merz had suffered the attack on Saturday evening and was in a critical but stable condition."

from swissinfo

BaselLife · #2 21.09.2008, 20:00

Hi,

sad to hear when this happens to anyone. I am sure this week must have been stressful for a finance minister and we still don't know if UBS is safe.

Ironically, he had been saying in an interview that he would retired in 2010 when he would be 70 and joked at that time he would still be younger than John Mccain who wants to be the US president.

I wish him a speedy recovery.

Martin

tomcat · #3 21.09.2008, 21:16

Widmer Schlumpf is filling in.

I sure hope Merz recovers.

RetiredInNH · #4 21.09.2008, 23:10

Latest news: He was operated on: Finance Minister Merz has surgery after collapse.

	Quote:
	Swiss Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf Merz has undergone surgery in Bern after a heart attack on Saturday night. Heart specialist Professor Thierry Carrel told a news conference at Bern University hospital on Sunday evening that the multiple bypass operation had gone well but it was too early to say if the attack had affected the brain. Carrel described the two-and-a-half hour operation as routine and noted that the attack had not been severe.

Nathu · #5 21.09.2008, 23:46

Another irony is that his department wants to make REGA liable for VAT, and they flew him to Bern.

I hope he makes a full recovery.

acidrain · #6 22.09.2008, 14:54

Cabinet announces reorganisation

Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf has taken over the finance portfolio ad interim in the wake of a heart attack by the incumbent Hans-Rudolf Merz. A permanent solution, including a resignation or a cabinet reshuffle, has to be found within three months according to law.
Read More: http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/front/Ca...87044000&ty=st

Nathu · #7 22.09.2008, 15:12

The parliament will probably delay some of the discussions that involve the financial department, but it can't wait with financial crisis issues. The Green party has already announced that they'll nominate a candidate if Merz steps down. SVP's president has said that it's not the right time to aim for Schmid's resignation anymore.

RetiredInNH · #8 22.09.2008, 15:36

	Quote:	Nathu
	SVP's president has said that it's not the right time to aim for Schmid's resignation anymore.

Interesting!!!

The French article on SwissInfo (much more detail than the English one), Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf en attendant... saw the possibility of major changes in the mid-term future:

	Quote:
	Bouleversement en vue Quoi qu'il en soit, il apparaît de plus en plus que la configuration actuelle du gouvernement (Conseil fédéral) n'est pas faite pour durer. Le radical (PRD / droite ) Pascal Couchepin et le socialiste Moritz Leuenberger sont déjà en place depuis respectivement 1998 et 1995. Après plus de dix ans passés au gouvernement, leur retrait semble de plus en plus probable avant la fin de la présente législature. Samuel Schmid est quant à lui sur la sellette. Déjà en porte-à-faux avec son ancien parti, l'Union démocratique du centre (UDC / droite nationaliste), le ministre de la Défense a en plus été politiquement affaibli cet été par le scandale entourant le départ forcé du commandant en chef de l'armée Roland Nef. Sa démission est de plus en plus souvent évoquée. Et voici désormais qu'à ce triple départ éventuel s'ajoute désormais le grave problème de santé du ministre des Finances. Ce sont donc quatre ministres sur sept qui sont susceptibles de lâcher leur fauteuil au cours des prochains mois.

Google Translate (too lazy to translate it myself

) says:

	Quote:
	All change for Nevertheless, it appears increasingly that the current configuration of government (Federal Council) is not made to last. The radical (PRD / right) Pascal Couchepin and the Socialist Moritz Leuenberger are already in place since 1998 and 1995 respectively. After more than ten years in government, their withdrawal appears increasingly likely before the end of this parliament. Samuel Schmid is meanwhile on trial. Already door at odds with his former party, the Democratic Center Union (CDU / right nationalist), the defense minister has been politically weakened this summer by the scandal surrounding the forced departure of the Commander in Chief Army Roland Nef. His resignation is increasingly discussed. And here now than triple this possible departure is now a serious health problem the Minister of Finance. These are four ministers in September that are likely to drop their seats in the coming months.

swissotter · #9 22.09.2008, 15:45

thanks to those who are updating this thread, pls continue, as i am interested to know what will happen, my deutsch is ok but i need to know more accurate reports etc - thanks!

RetiredInNH · #10 22.09.2008, 19:02

The TDG has a story at 16:40 today (Monday) with the headline Merz ne devrait pas avoir de séquelles au cerveau (Merz should not have any neurological sequelae). The doctors do say that there are no indirect signs pointing to neurological damage, but to me the main point is that they will not know for sure until Wednesday at the earliest.

For the story in English, courtesy of Google Translate: Merz should not have sequelae of brain.

RetiredInNH · #11 24.09.2008, 18:05

More encouraging news: Hans-Rudolf Merz: état de santé "très satisfaisant" (synthèse). English version, courtesy of Google Translate: Hans-Rudolf Merz: state of health "very satisfactory" (summary).

	Quote:
	"It's the most positive that we could imagine", welcomed Professor Thierry Carrel Wednesday before the media at the Island Hospital in Bern. Three days after his quintuple bypass surgery, the state of consciousness of the Minister of Finance is also "very satisfactory". Mr. Merz woke up Tuesday evening and artificial respiration was arrested in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Nathu · #12 24.09.2008, 18:24

Glad to hear he's doing well so far!

swissotter · #13 24.09.2008, 20:39

also now swissinfo reports

	Quote:
	His condition was so good that there was no need to test his brain function straight away. He had even been able to discuss the upcoming news conference with him. However, Regli could not say whether Merz's brain would be completely unaffected. Tests are normally carried out three to six months after similar operations

let's hope in the coming months, he does make a full recovery....

Nathu · #14 25.09.2008, 22:00

The latest media ethics discussion has been initiated by some newspapers. Blick has printed a photography of Merz when he was recieved at the hospital from the helicopter. And some doctor probably was too talkative when he informed about the federal council's condition before he was able to approve it.

swissotter · #15 25.09.2008, 22:05

	Quote:	Nathu
	The latest media ethics discussion has been initiated by some newspapers. Blick has printed a photography of Merz when he was recieved at the hospital from the helicopter. And some doctor probably was too talkative when he informed about the federal council's condition before he was able to approve it.

my german teacher (who is swiss) told me that it was also too publicised as she said all the details (as you mentioned) and the speculation was not normally done (as merz was unconcious etc) so he would not have known about his conditon whereas the rest of switzerland did. She said it wasn't the "swiss way"
anyway, i hope he does make a full recovery

Nathu · #16 25.09.2008, 23:03

	Quote:	Nathu
	SVP's president has said that it's not the right time to aim for Schmid's resignation anymore.

That was a short-lived radio promise. The SVP parliamentarians of the big chamber have contributed with 46:4:8 votes to the rejection of the army program, mostly to weaken Schmid's position.

RetiredInNH · #17 02.10.2008, 15:58

Latest news from SwissInfo: Merz to return to finance post. He left the hospital yesterday (Wednesday) and will resume his duties when recovery is complete.

swissotter · #18 02.10.2008, 16:37

lets hope he takes as much time to rest till he rtns....thanks for the update

Nickj · #19 03.10.2008, 10:01

So suffering a heart attack and going into a coma wasn’t enough of a wake up call for him. At 68 you would of thought now is the time to retire and enjoy being with his family, take them on a nice holiday write his memoirs go for walks etc. He had my sympathy but he wont have it if he returns to work and suffers any more health problems.

Nathu · #20 03.10.2008, 18:14

	Quote:	swissotter
	my german teacher (who is swiss) told me that it was also too publicised as she said all the details (as you mentioned) and the speculation was not normally done (as merz was unconcious etc) so he would not have known about his conditon whereas the rest of switzerland did. She said it wasn't the "swiss way"

Weltwoche quotes unnamed surgeons working in Lugano, Lausanne and Zurich who stated that Merz' life "was safed in Herisau and St. Gallen" and the surgery in Berne were merely "cosmetics", and that Mr. Carrel uses the federal concil for self-promotion.

	Quote:	Nickj
	So suffering a heart attack and going into a coma wasn’t enough of a wake up call for him. At 68 you would of thought now is the time to retire and enjoy being with his family, take them on a nice holiday write his memoirs go for walks etc. He had my sympathy but he wont have it if he returns to work and suffers any more health problems.

Sixty-six... This probably isn't even retirement age once I get there. Perhaps he was stressed, but perhaps the problem lies elsewhere (nutrition, routine medical checks...) I don't know.