«It is difficult to build a career without moving from home and the opportunities cannot be planned. Seizing them when they arise means knowing how to leave your comfort zone. To young people I say: work part-time if you want, but not at too low a percentage and be farsighted about your retirement income» (Ruth Metzler-Arnold).
Ruth Metzler-Arnold was still wearing braces when she was shortlisted for the Federal Council in 1998 at the age of just 34. Designated the following year, nicknamed "the little girl" under the Dome of the Palace, the second representative of the PPD in government next to her colleague Joseph Deiss, she was the third woman in Swiss history to be elected to the Federal Executive and among the youngest Federal Councilors of all time, preceded, apparently, only by Numa Droz in 1875, then thirty-one years old, and by Jakob Stämpfli in 1854, who was 34 years old.
From the outset and even before arriving in Bern, the pace of his political and professional career was rapid. She was a judge at the Cantonal Court of Appenzell Innerrhoden at the age of 31, a State Councilor in the same canton and the first woman ever to hold the position at 32, up to the great leap to the head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police.
"I learn quickly," she said with disarming frankness as soon as she arrived in Bern, leaving the right-thinking Swiss politicians astounded. Then the political posts at the highest level, difficult dossiers, many responsibilities, and - but it's old history - the intrigues of the palace and within his own party, which contributed to his non-reelection almost five years later, leaving the way cleared for Christoph Blocher, then for two SVP members in Federal Council and to the disavowal of the traditional "magic formula".
A pensioner of the Federal Executive who was not yet forty, Ruth Metzler then dedicated herself to teaching at the University of St. Gallen, was later (and still is) active in important groups in the private economy, without however losing her attachment to public affairs and participation in organizations linked to the Confederation, such as Switzerland Global Enterprise, of which he is Chairman of the Board of Directors and whose mission, on behalf of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and the Cantons, is to promote exports and the Swiss economic location.
His commitment to the country was also demonstrated in his previous function as President of the Swiss Sports Aid Foundation and in his current presidency of the Pontifical Swiss Guard Foundation.
Ruth Metzler-Arnold has followed an atypical path as a Federal Councilor. In fact, you conquered the seat within the Executive of the Swiss government at a very young age and only later did you continue your career in the private sector. Usually, however, the path is the opposite. You join the Federal Council after decades of active politics, cultivating, alongside, a professional curriculum full of solid experience.
In many ways, the then star of the popular democratic firmament therefore represented a unicum, a surprising element even today, as a young woman, trained in the ranks of a conservative party and raised politically in an even more conservative canton like Appenzell Innerrhoden .
Looking back at the films of the time, both before the election in Bern and after being catapulted into the arena of grown-up politics, the young minister is striking for her indestructible self-confidence, the frankness that some kept silent – one imagines for age association – of irreverence.
The Federal Council pupil of the time did not lose her cool even when she reluctantly and with presumably disappointment resigned from the Federal Assembly after her non-reelection. In front of the Swiss Parliament, which in the images of the time appears to be composed almost entirely of men and, in particular, of mature men (in 2003 the female quota in the Federal Assembly did not reach 25%), Ruth Metzler he gave a speech full of dignity, of thanksgiving for the exceptional experience he had had the privilege of living, without the shadow of harshness, without indulging in a few piqued words or easy emotions. In a nutshell: nerves of steel, demonstrating that federal councilors one becomes, albeit young, a woman with little experience, in spite of those who, still today, claim to claim the opposite. Indeed, in Federal Councilor Metzler already then many distinctive traits of the following generations were glimpsed: the will to learn continuously, the desire to forge ahead, the constant search for stimuli, the rejection of secular and obsolete dogmas, the firm faith in one's own abilities , the freedom to say what one thinks and to do what one thinks is right.
The joking question we asked her during the interview she granted us to talk about work, young people, perspectives and new professional paradigms was therefore spontaneous and that is whether she considered having been in some way a millennial twenty years before the millennials current.
«I don't believe in the definitions attributed to the generations. In fact, there are many scientific studies that demonstrate how the concepts of patience, impatience, risk taking, and so on, have remained stable over the past thirty years. Furthermore, I could have almost represented the antithesis of the millennial figure, if we only consider the negative meanings that are attributed to this specific generation. I've always loved working and working a lot and the balance between private sphere and professional activity was, and is, what I considered right for myself and not what someone else might want. I respect the choices of the younger generations, to work less, earn less, favoring time to dedicate to oneself, but like all choices it is also necessary to assume responsibility and accept the consequences".
Speaking of work: today you are President of the Switzerland Global Enterprise organization and therefore in direct contact with the business and professional world. What is your opinion on the Swiss labor market, its changes and the role played by young people in this regard?
“The labor market has changed over time. Today it is able to offer different opportunities to workers and therefore the possibilities of the latter have also changed. In this context, employees, and specifically young people, want a job with a purpose that represents them, as well as greater flexibility on the part of companies, since they consider their personal time as an asset equivalent, if not greater, to the salary and other incentives.
These dynamics are attributable to a lack of skilled workforce and a very low unemployment rate [according to SECO, in 2022, the unemployment rate in Switzerland fell to an annual average of 2,2%, the lowest of the last two decades, Ed], which encourage professionals to put forward their own requests, such as part-time employment or remote work.
The current economic conditions of the labor market stimulate phenomena of rupture with the past, such as the demand to work less to devote oneself to one's family or one's hobbies. I firmly believe that the key element in this type of negotiation is the search for balance, not only between employer and employee, but also keeping in mind the needs of customers or potential customers. Furthermore, it is important to remember the impact of the pandemic on the professional sphere. In fact, Covid has prompted many, and especially young people, to think about the meaning of their job and career according to a broader framework of thought. Switzerland Global Enterprise, for example, is very attentive to this type of request, such as flexible or partial work, without forgetting the value given to corporate culture.
Everyone talks to each other and even working from home is not imposed by management, but discussed and decided at team level. All this to underline how the needs of the employees are welcomed, without however neglecting those of the customers. Personally I am in favor of remote work, but not absolutely. Working from home should be organized during certain periods or according to specific days, also because, and I am sure of this, it is difficult to build a career without moving from your home.
At the same time, I am a supporter of part-time work, but I advise never to prefer percentages that are too low. The latter, in fact, not only generate disproportionate additional costs for companies, but also dissatisfaction among colleagues, who often see a greater amount of work fall on them».
How do you assess the condition of employment and the professional opportunities reserved for women in our country?
«What I mentioned about the low work rates refers above all to women, who tend to be employed part-time during maternity leave. In order to encourage a greater presence of women on the labor market, I participate in the initiative committee in favor of individual taxation, one of the elements necessary to increase the female employment rate. In fact, in an individual and non-cumulative tax regime, as in the case of a couple's taxation, the resulting greater additional income would not be immediately absorbed by taxes due to tax progression.
An individual taxation system independent of civil status would be not only a fair and modern model, but also an appropriate financial incentive for women and men, both for those who already work part-time, favoring an increase in the rate of employment, and for those without professional activity, who would be encouraged to return to the world of work".
First elected to the Council of State in Appenzell Innerrhoden, then to the Federal Council as the third woman in the history of the Swiss government at a very young age, she represented a reference figure for women and young people and an element of break with the Swiss policy observed up to that point. What impression do you have when you look at the then Ruth Metzler under the dome of the Federal Palace?
«My political and professional life has followed a path that I could never have imagined thirty years ago. When I married my first husband I thought I would have a family with children and that we would both work part-time to share the tasks that parenthood entails. Things turned out differently.
My desire to continuously learn and enrich my skills has never stopped and I have always seized the opportunities that presented themselves immediately, knowing that they might not come again a second time. All this forged me, made me courageous and my path became clear very quickly.
Another trait that distinguishes both my character and my way of acting is certainly resilience, a peculiarity that I have always possessed, perhaps because, from a very young age, I have practiced athletics, quickly getting used to the competition, to sometimes winning, but also to lose and to follow a certain sporting discipline.
When I joined the Federal Council I was aware that I had been elected with a very narrow result and I was equally aware of the fact that if a person reaches a certain position, be it in politics or in the corporate world, it is always a competition of circumstances. As a Minister I have never lost sight of the fact that I hold an institutional office and when I happened to receive compliments or my work was praised I knew that these were addressed to the function, not to Ruth Metzler-Arnold. The same also applies in the opposite direction, therefore for negative comments or critical considerations towards political initiatives».
What is your advice to young people entering the world of work or who aspire to grow professionally and/or politically?
«In a long-term perspective it is important to choose a job that you like, that you find meaning in and that offers, if possible, a good compromise between professional life and private life. Also, ideally, working closely with inspiring and challenge-ready people is certainly stimulating and enriching.
It is equally true that life does not always offer perfect conditions and easy and simple career paths. Hard times exist and when they come you can't just give up. In my opinion it is essential to leave the comfort zone if you want to advance in your professional life.
In general, I advise young people to take on as many challenges as possible early in their careers and to invest in extensive training. To those who work part-time, I recommend that you look further and think about your future retirement, which with too low a working percentage may not be enough. In particular, I encourage women to secure as much financial independence as possible, which, in most cases, is achieved through a professional activity.
To both men and women, if in a couple and with children, I suggest reconciling family and career without sacrificing the professional ambitions of one or the other. Having said that, it is however fair to remember that there are many couples who do not have the possibility of choosing to work less, since they depend on both incomes".
