Christian Wasserfallen[1] (Swiss Standard German: [ˈkrɪsti.a(ː)n ˈvasərˌfalən]; born 30 June 1981) is a Swiss businessman, engineer and politician who currently served on the National Council (Switzerland) for The Liberals since 2007.[2] He concurrently served as vice-chair of The Liberals (Switzerland) from 2012 to 2019.[3] He is likely not related to Flavia Wasserfallen who serves on the Council of States (Switzerland).[4][5]
Christian Wasserfallen | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Member of the National Council (Switzerland) | |
| Assumed office 3 December 2007 | |
| Constituency | Canton of Bern |
| Vice-chair of The Liberals | |
| In office 21 April 2012 – 31 December 2019 | |
| President | Philipp Müller Petra Gössi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christian Wasserfallen 30 June 1981 Bern, Switzerland |
| Political party | The Liberals |
| Spouse | Alexandra Thalhammer |
| Parent | Kurt Wasserfallen (father) |
| Alma mater | University of Bern Bern University of Applied Sciences |
| Occupation | Businessman, mechanical engineer, politician |
| Website | Official website Parliament website |
Early life and education
editWasserfallen was born 30 June 1981 in Bern, Switzerland, the younger of two sons, to Kurt Wasserfallen (1947–2006), a chemist with a PhD and politician who later also served on the National Council, and Margret Wasserfallen (née Weilenmann; born 1948).[6] His older brother, Peter Wasserfallen (born 1980), served on the city council of Bern, from 2009 to 2012 (initially a member of the Swiss People's Party, he changed his affiliation to independent).[7]
He completed his Matura in 2001 and subsequently studied physics at the University of Bern for two semesters before switching his major to mechanical engineering. In 2007, he graduated from the Bern University of Applied Sciences.
Political career
editHis political career began in 2000 as a delegate of the Young Liberals. He chaired the Young Liberal Radicals of the City of Bern from 2002 to 2005. In 2003, he was elected to the legislative assembly of the city of Bern.[8]
In 2007 he was elected National Councillor for The Liberals. He was re-elected in the federal elections of 2011, 2015 and 2019. He has been a member of the Committee on the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy since 2009 and Chairman of the Committee on Science, Education and Culture since 2011, having previously been a member of the Management Committee from 2007 to 2011.[9]
Christian Wasserfallen was one of the five vice-presidents of the Liberal-Radical Party from 2012 to 2019.[10] Although he was approached for a second term as party president in 2015,[11] he finally withdrew at the beginning of 2016.[12] That same year, he stood as a candidate for the presidency of the Swiss Automobile Club: however, his election was contested, complaints were lodged and he eventually relinquished the post.[13][14] The following year, in 2017, he declared his interest in running for the government of the canton of Bern,[15] but was not selected by his party,[14] which preferred Philippe Müller.[16]
Personal life
editHe is married to Alexandra Thalhammer, who served on the city council of Bern for The Liberals from 2015 to 2018.[17] They have no children. Wasserfallen holds the rank of officer in the Swiss Armed Forces.[9]
Wasserfallen is a automobile enthusiast owning a Lotus Evora 400.[18] He also served briefly as president of the Automobile Club of Switzerland (ACS).[19]
References
edit- ^ "Dipl. Ing. Christian Wasserfallen". Moneyhouse (in German). Retrieved 2024-10-07.
- ^ "Ratsmitglied ansehen". Federal Assembly. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
- ^ "Knall bei der FDP - Christian Wasserfallen tritt als Vizepräsident zurück". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
- ^ "Politische Philosophie mit Wasserfallens". Berner Zeitung (in German). 2015-09-07. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
- ^ Zaslawski, Valerie (2018-05-29). "Nach zwei Wahlen und einem Todesfall: Die Berner Linke erlebt im Nationalrat eine Blutauffrischung". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in Swiss High German). ISSN 0376-6829. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
- ^ https://www.blick.ch/schweiz/eine-familie-tritt-an-4-mal-wasserfallen-id7430.html
- ^ https://ris.bern.ch/Mitglied.aspx?obj_guid=1bc3299ae0ff4d55876b9f6e1070a565
- ^ "Christian Wasserfallen – vom Hoffnungsträger zum Ämtli-Sammler? – Rendez-vous – SRF". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ a b "Ratsmitglied ansehen". Federal Assembly. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ "PLR: Christian Wasserfallen quitte son poste de vice-président". SWI swissinfo.ch (in French). 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ "Christian Wasserfallen semble favori pour reprendre les rênes du PLR". rts.ch (in French). 2015-12-16. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ "Le Bernois Christian Wasserfallen pas candidat à la présidence du PLR". rts.ch (in French). 2016-02-07. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ "L'ACS miné par des intrigues dignes d'un polar – Le Temps" (in French). 2016-08-10. ISSN 1423-3967. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ a b "Christian Wasserfallen ou la chute du "Macron bernois" – Le Temps" (in French). 2017-06-02. ISSN 1423-3967. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ "Le PLR Christian Wasserfallen veut être candidat au Conseil d'Etat bernois". rts.ch (in French). 2017-01-14. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ "Die FDP setzt auf Müller – und nicht auf Wasserfallen". Der Bund (in German). 2017-05-31. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ "Thalhammers Rücktritt mit Ansage". Berner Zeitung (in German). 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ "FDP-Wasserfallen baut Crash mit seinem Lotus". 20 Minuten (in German). 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
- ^ https://www.blick.ch/politik/kein-bock-auf-schlammschlacht-christian-wasserfallen-will-den-acs-nicht-mehr-fuehren-id5427587.html