Karl Huber

Studies and community activities

After studies with the College with Saint-Gall, it grants his Bern where it obtains the title of doctor in right in 1939. In 1941, he is legal collaborator at the Department of the economy. From 1954 to 1967 it directs the general secretary of the federal Department of the public economy, with the title of general secretary as from 1957 (during the negotiations on the creation of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

The revalorization of the role of the Chancellery

The discussions on the reform of the administration and the government following the “business of the Mirages” of 1964 (goings beyond of appropriations during the acquisition of a new fighter) lead in 1968 to a revalorization of the role of the chancellery which becomes the service of general staff of the Federal council. The chancellor obtains the right to present itself of the proposals to the Federal council.

A strong chancellor

Manager experienced and fine policy, Karl Huber is elected in 1967. The “magic formula” valid for the Federal council applies to the first time at the Chancellery: Xhancelier of the Huber Confederation is assisted of a radical vice-chancellor (Jean-Marc Saving) and by a socialist vice-chancellor (Walter Buser). Karl Huber reduces and rationalizes immediately the way in which the Federal council makes decisions, it standardizes the presentation of the files, prescribed the rules to be followed for the preparation of the legal texts (consultation procedure), works out the first Guiding lines of the policy of the Federal council for the legislature to come and recommends the research solution consensual by the governing parties which are from now on four (talks with Watteville). Huber makes Chancellery thus a solid instrument of direction and it registers these reforms in the law of 1978 on the organization of the administration. The political rights are condensed in only one law (popular voting of December 4th, 1977) whereas it rose from a multitude of texts before.

A political manager

Presented like the “eighth federal adviser” or “3eminence grise” of the Federal council, Karl Huber, energetic organizer and chief of warned staff, one great influence on the businesses of the Federal council did not exert any less. Equipped with a strong personality and an infallible memory, knowing well mankind and able to make pass the political ideas, it contributes to the research solution making it possible to overcome resistances, to reconcile the characters of the members of the Federal council and to channel energies towards the same goal. Karl Huber endeavors to make the language of the laws more comprehensible and to unify the structure of the legislative acts. The Services of the Parliament separate from the Chancellery, if not juridically still, at least already in the field of the organization. It maintains close relationship with the general secretary of the federal Parliament, Alois Pfister, him also PDC.

The Université of Freiburg decrees the title of honorary doctor to him.

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