Pierre Maudet

Last updated
Pierre Maudet
Pierre Maudet (2017).jpg
Council of State of Geneva
Assumed office
1 June 2023
Political party Free Democratic Party (Before 2009)
FDP.The Liberals (2009–2020)
Independent (2020-2022)
Liberté et Justice sociale (2022-present)
Children3
Alma mater University of Fribourg
Pierre Maudet in 1995 Pierre Maudet (1995) by Erling Mandelmann.jpg
Pierre Maudet in 1995

Pierre Maudet (born 6 March 1978) is a Swiss and French politician. A former member of FDP.The Liberals, he was the mayor of Geneva from 1 June 2011 to 31 May 2012. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Long described as "prodigy" of Swiss politics, [4] Maudet became embroiled in a series of legal battles after a controversial undeclared all-expense trip to Abu Dhabi. Maudet ended up being expelled from the Geneva branch of the FDP, resigned from his position at the cantonal government in 2021 and lost his bid for re-election to Green Party candidate Fabienne Fischer.

Running again with his own party Liberté et Justice sociale ("Freedom and Social Justice"), Maudet is re-elected to the Geneva Council of State in April 2023. [5]

Biography

Pierre Maudet is the son of Henri Maudet (born 1948), a Frenchman who first studied theology in Paris before moving to Geneva, Switzerland and becoming a lawyer, and Susanna Willy (born 1943), a teacher. [6] [7] Maudet was born on 6 March 1978 in Geneva and attended the University of Fribourg.

On 17 June 2012, he was elected to the Council of State of Geneva, the executive council of the Canton of Geneva with 40,966 votes out of 104,375 cast. [8]

In 2017, he was nominated by his party to run for the Federal Council. He lost the election in the second ballot receiving 90 votes against Ignazio Cassis who received 125 votes and therefore achieved the absolute majority. The election took place on 20 September 2017. [9]

In 2018, he writes a regular column in the German-speaking newspaper Blick . [10]

Controversial 2015 expenses-paid trip to Abu Dhabi

In November 2015, Pierre Maudet and his family, his former chief of staff Patrick Baud-Lavigne and Antoine Daher, a friend active in real estate in Geneva, made a luxury trip to Abu Dhabi. Pierre Maudet initially claimed until May 2018 that the trip, including business class flights, accommodation at the Emirates Palace and access to the Formula One race was a private trip, paid for by his friend and it was by chance that he met Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Following this meeting, he held talks with senior officials on political issues. [11]

A police report on the trip was submitted to the courts in August 2017, and proceedings were opened against an unknown person, Pierre Maudet and his chief of staff.

In August 2018, the public prosecutor claims Pierre Maudet accepted flights and accommodation for an amount estimated at several tens of thousands of Swiss francs. [12]

While denying a conflict of interest, Pierre Maudet then admitted “having hidden part of the truth”. [13]

In September 2018, the Council of State of Geneva decided to temporarily withdraw the Presidential Department from Pierre Maudet, now entrusted to Antonio Hodgers. Pierre Maudet also lost responsibility for the police to Mauro Poggia and for Geneva Airport to Serge Dal Busco  [ fr ]. [14]

On 23 November 2018, an online petition on change.org was launched urging Maudet to resign and Pierre Maudet was criticized by Swiss Liberal Party president Petra Gössi, who stated: "If I were Pierre Maudet, I would have already resigned". [15]

In July 2020, Swiss FDP committee voted 22 for-1 opposed-1 abstention for expulsion of M. Pierre Maudet from Swiss FDP party for ethics violations regarding his acceptance and inaccurate reporting regarding Dubai travel and acceptance of related gratuities. On 29 October 2020 he announced his resignation from his government position, adding that he would run again in the subsequent March 2021 election. [16] He was found guilty of accepting illegal advantages on 22 February 2021 and given a suspended 300 day-fine sentence. [17] Maudet then lost his bid for re-election to the Geneva Cantonal government in a run-off to Green candidate Fabienne Fischer. He nevertheless indicated his intention to remain politically active. [18] On 3 May 2021 a local cybersecurity company announced his hiring. [19]

Return to politics

In January 2023, Pierre Maudet launches a re-election bid under the banner of the Liberté et Justice sociale ("Freedom and Social Justice") party that he created. [20] He finishes sixth, thus securing a seat at the Geneva Council of State. [21]

See also

Books

Related Research Articles

<i>Le Temps</i> Swiss French-language daily newspaper

Le Temps is a Swiss French-language daily newspaper published in Berliner format in Geneva by Le Temps SA. It is the sole nationwide French-language non-specialised daily newspaper of Switzerland. Since 2021, it has been owned by Fondation Aventinus, a not-for-profit organisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alain Berset</span> 97th President of the Swiss Confederation

Alain Berset is a Swiss politician who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2012 to 2023. A member of the Social Democratic Party (SP/PS), he headed the Federal Department of Home Affairs from when he took office. Berset served as President of the Swiss Confederation for 2018 and 2023.

Poverty in Switzerland refers to people who are living in relative poverty in Switzerland. In 2018, 7.9% of the population or some 660,000 people in Switzerland were affected by income poverty. Switzerland has also a significant number of working poor, estimated at 145,000 in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geneva Citizens' Movement</span> Political party in Switzerland

The Geneva Citizens' Movement, abbreviated to MCG, is a regionalist populist political party in the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. On its own initiative, it started, and is a part of, the wider Romandy Citizens' Movement, abbreviated to MCR.

Éric Stauffer is a Swiss politician from Homberg. He chaired the Genevan Citizens Movement from 2008 to 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bordier & Cie</span> Swiss independent private bankers

Bordier & Cie is a Swiss private banker founded in 1844 in Geneva and active in wealth management for private clients. It is the last French-speaking private banker in Switzerland, headed by three partners with unlimited responsibility on their own assets. The institution holds a banking license in Switzerland, Turks and Caicos Islands and Singapore and has branches in the United Kingdom, France and Uruguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy-Olivier Segond</span> Swiss politician (1945–2020)

Guy-Olivier Segond was a Swiss politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Hodgers</span> Swiss politician

Antonio Hodgers is a Swiss politician and member of the Green Party of Switzerland. He has been Councillor of State of Geneva since December 2013, and president of the Council of State from 13 September 2018 to 17 October 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabienne Fischer</span> Swiss lawyer and politician

Fabienne Fischer, born in 1961 in Zambia, is a lawyer and Swiss politician, a member of the Green Party of Switzerland, elected at the Council of State by-elections for the canton of Geneva on 21 March 2021. In charge of the Department of Economy and Employment, she lost her seat in the election in 2023 to Social-Democratic candidate Carol-Anne Kast.

Alfred Donath was a Swiss pediatrician and nuclear medicine specialist known for his tenure as president of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities. from 2000 to 2008 and vice president of the EJC from 2007 to 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benoît Genecand</span> Swiss politician (1964–2021)

Benoît Genecand was a Swiss politician. A member of FDP.The Liberals (PLR), he served on the National Council of Switzerland from 2015 to 2019 and the Grand Council of Geneva from 2013 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Céline Amaudruz</span> Swiss politician (born 1979)

Céline Marie-Claire Amaudruz is a Swiss banker, attorney and politician who currently serves on the National Council (Switzerland) for the Swiss People's Party since 2011. Amaudruz previously served as president of the Grand Council of Geneva between 2010 and 2016. She is among the richest Swiss politicians in the legislative estimated by Handelszeitung.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Swiss Federal Council election</span>

A by-election to the Swiss Federal Council was held on 20 September 2017, after federal councillor Didier Burkhalter (FDP-NE) announced he would leave the Council effective 31 October 2017. The by-election resulted in the election of Ignazio Cassis (FDP-TI), resulting in no change in the partisan composition of the council.

Stefan Catsicas, born in 1958, is a Swiss molecular biologist specialised in neurosciences of Italian and Greek origins. He was executive director of Nestlé from 2013 to 2018, vice-president of research of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne (EPFL) from 2000 to 2004 and director of the institute of cell biology at the School of Medicine in Lausanne from 1996 à 2000. He is currently the managing partner of Skyviews Life Science, a Swiss advisory company in life sciences; and the director of Precision Health Corp., a private investment company based in the Isle of Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Pierre Grin-Hofmann</span>

Jean-Pierre Grin stylized as Jean-Pierre Grin-Hofmann is a Swiss farmer and politician. He currently serves as a member of the National Council (Switzerland) for the Swiss People's Party since 2007. Grin is a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He previously served as a member of the Cantonal Council of Vaud from 1998 to 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloé Frammery</span> French-Swiss math teacher, activist, vlogger, and lecturer

Chloé Frammery, also known as Chloé F., is a French-Swiss math teacher, activist, vlogger, and lecturer. Her media coverage and popularity are due in particular for her contribution to the information about the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Wasserfallen</span> Swiss politician (born 1981)

Christian Wasserfallen is a Swiss politician and member of The Liberals Party. He has been a member of the National Council for the canton of Bern since December 2007.

Christa de Carouge was a Swiss fashion designer.

Maurine Mercier is a Swiss journalist. In 2023, she was awarded the 2023 Swiss Press Award and the Bayeux Calvados-Normandiw Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centre intercantonal d'information sur les croyances</span> Swiss cult watching organization

The Centre intercantonal d'information sur les croyances (CIC) is a publicly funded Swiss organization based in Geneva that provides information on religious beliefs in French-speaking Switzerland. Founded after the deaths of many members of the Order of the Solar Temple cult in the 1990s, it aims to provide neutral resources on information related to religious beliefs, particularly when it comes to new religious movements. It was established in 2001.

References

  1. "Pierre Maudet: "Amender les mendiants s'avère peu efficace"" (in French). Tribune de Genève. November 2, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  2. "Pierre Maudet déclare la guerre aux tags" (in French). 20 Minuten. December 11, 2008. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  3. "Pour Pierre Maudet, interdire la pub pour les crédits aux jeunes est insuffisant" (in French). Tribune de Genève. September 26, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  4. "Pierre Maudet, le prodige aux dents longues". Le Temps (in French). 2012-06-04. ISSN   1423-3967 . Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  5. "Pierre Maudet retourne au Conseil d'Etat, Fabienne Fischer est éjectée et la gauche perd sa majorité". rts.ch (in French). 2023-04-30. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  6. "Maudet est prêt à rendre son passeport français". Tribune de Genève. 2017-08-07.
  7. "L'arbre généalogique de Pierre Maudet". generations-plus.ch. 2017-09-01.
  8. Canton Announcement of results
  9. Official Announcement of results Archived 2017-08-01 at the Wayback Machine
  10. "Pierre Maudet devient chroniqueur pour le "Blick"". Tribune de Genève. 2018-01-03.
  11. "Hazza bin Zayed meets Geneva Canton's security minister, informs him about Abu Dhabi Police's operations room at Yas Island". wam.ae. 2015-11-29.
  12. "Maudet steps aside from Geneva presidency amid scandal". SWI swissinfo.ch. 2018-09-13.
  13. "Geneva president continues to deny conflict of interest". SWI swissinfo.ch. 2018-09-13. Retrieved 2018-09-15.
  14. "Pierre Maudet doit lâcher l'essentiel". Le Temps (in French). 2018-09-14.
  15. "Online petition calls for Geneva minister Pierre Maudet to resign". SWI swissinfo.ch. 2018-11-27.
  16. "Le conseiller d'Etat genevois Pierre Maudet démissionne". Le Temps (in French). 2020-10-29. ISSN   1423-3967 . Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  17. "Pierre Maudet est condamné pour le voyage d'Abu Dhabi". Le Temps (in French). 2021-02-22. ISSN   1423-3967 . Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  18. "Geneva politician Maudet concedes to Green rival". Swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  19. "Pierre Maudet est engagé par Wisekey". Le Temps (in French). 2021-05-03. ISSN   1423-3967 . Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  20. "Pierre Maudet lance sa campagne électorale en galvanisant sa base". Le Temps (in French). 2023-01-09. ISSN   1423-3967 . Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  21. "L'élection «déconcertante» de Pierre Maudet, ou la victoire d'un «homme d'action» à défaut des «vertus morales»". Le Temps (in French). 2023-05-01. ISSN   1423-3967 . Retrieved 2023-05-07.

Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Geneva
2011–2012
Succeeded by