Zug,24.04.2018

Manuela Weichelt-Picard decides to call it a day

The current head of the cantonal government, Manuela Weichelt-Picard has announced she will not be seeking a fourth term in office. At a press conference on Monday, members of the Alternative Green Party (ALG) to which she belongs announced their regret at her decision.

Weichelt-Picard, the only woman member of the government, said it had not been an easy decision to take. “The office of head of government is an exciting and enriching one but also one which makes many demands on one,” she said. “Having considered everything carefully, I came to the conclusion that, after twelve years as member of the cantonal government, the time had come for a change of career,” adding that she had not been offered a job elsewhere and was looking forward to being able to spend more time with her family. The 51-year-old mentioned how she left the house on many days at 8 am to return only at nearly midnight, working at weekends, too. She also mentioned how she had become very fond of her staff at her department.

As to the remainder of her time in office until the elections on Sunday 7 October, she said she wanted to concentrate on forward-looking political and digital matters relating to the canton.

The ALG praised its most prominent member for all she had done for the canton, not least for the way she had successfully set up the Child and Adult Office of Guardianship and overseen its subsequent development in a calm way. Furthermore, as head of the Department of Inner Cantonal Affairs, she had also been responsible for matters relating to asylum-seekers, carrying out this role most professionally, with much understanding and little fuss, while at the same time achieving the high goals she set herself in relation to the protection of nature, bio-diversity and forestry issues.

While, as mentioned, the ALG, the fourth largest party in the cantonal government, is sorry to see Manuela Weichelt-Picard leave, they are confident their party will remain represented in the cantonal government, whether it be by a man or a woman. A meeting at which nominations will be made is to take place on Wednesday 23 May.