Carlo Sommaruga (born 8 July 1959) is a Swiss lawyer and politician of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SP). He has been a National Councilor for over a decade and since 2019 he is a member of the Council of States.
Carlo Sommaruga | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Member of the Council of States of Switzerland | |
| Assumed office 2019 | |
| Member of the National Council | |
| In office 2003–2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 July 1959 Zürich, Switzerland |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party of Switzerland |
Early life and education edit
He was born into a family with a political background in Zürich. His father is Cornelio Sommaruga, a former diplomat and president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). He grew up in Geneva, where he studied law at the University of Geneva.[1] He obtained his lawyers license in 1989.[2] Subsequently, Sommaruga attended the Graduate Institute of Development Studies in 1984-1985.[3]
Political career edit
Between 1991 and 2001 he was a member of the municipal council of Thônex and a member of the Grand Council of Geneva from 2001 to 2003.[4] He became a member of the National Council in 2003[4] and was re-elected until 2019. In November 2019 he was elected into the Council of States representing the SP for the Canton of Geneva.[5]
Political positions edit
In 2007 he suggested that members of the Swiss diaspora were to be represented in Parliament, which in 2009 was voted down by the Council of States.[6] Since 2017 Sommaruga was a main force behind a law which would have prohibited nuclear weapons in Switzerland, both signed by the National council and the Counci of States,[7] but on request of the Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis, the Federal Council refused to sign it.[8]
As a member of the National Council, he was the co-president of the Parliamentarian Group for the relations to the Kurdish people.[9] He was also critical to the Israeli incursion into the Gaza strip in 2008–2009 and in 2017, he asked in the National Council if a prosecution would be launched against the Israeli politician Tzipi Livni, who visited Switzerland at the time.[10] Besides he is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement with other politicians of the SP.[11]
Professional career edit
He is a lawyer for the tenants' association of Switzerland in Geneva[1] and in November 2016, he was elected their president.[12][13] Since 2018, he is also the president of the board of directors of the Swiss branch of the European NGO for social justice Solidar.[14]
References edit
- ^ a b "Referentinnen und Referenten". www.eda.admin.ch (in German). Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ "Ordre des avocats de Genève / Ordre des Avocats de Genève". www.odage.ch. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ "Carlo Sommaruga | Accueil". 30 May 2021. Archived from the original on 30 May 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Ratsmitglied ansehen". www.parlament.ch. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ Fumagalli, Antonio. "Wahlen: Genf schickt rot-grünes Duo in den Ständerat". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ "Nein zu einer Vertretung der Fünften Schweiz". Swissinfo (in German). Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ Habegger, Henry. "Nuklearwaffen - Warum der Bundesrat kein Atombombenverbot will – trotz Parlamentsauftrag". Aargauer Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ Sommaruga, Carlo (22 January 2021). "Gastkommentar zur Aussenpolitik – Atomwaffen verbieten – jetzt!". Der Bund (in German). Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ "GRUPPEN DER BUNDESVERSAMMLUNG (ART. 63 PARLG)" (PDF). National Council of Switzerland. August 2011. p. 12. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 October 2011.
- ^ Renz, Frauke (2018). Internationales Strafrecht und humanitäres Völkerrecht: Entwicklungen 2017 (in German). Stämpfli Verlag. pp. 39–40. ISBN 978-3-7272-4486-5.
- ^ Klein, David (21 December 2018). "Mit Ihnen rede ich nicht!". Basler Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ "Nationalrat Carlo Sommaruga ist neuer Präsident des Mieterverbandes". SWI swissinfo.ch (in German). Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ "Medien". www.mieterverband.ch (in German). Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ "Vorstand | Solidar Suisse". www.solidar.ch. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
