Wikipedia

Martin Chevallaz

Martin Chevallaz (9 August 1948 – 5 December 2024) was a Swiss military officer and politician of the Radical Democratic Party (PRD), the Democratic Union of the Centre (UDC), and the Swiss Democratic Bourgeois Party (PBD).[1]

Martin Chevallaz
Chevallaz in 2012
Member of the Grand Council of Vaud
In office
3 March 2002 – 31 December 2005
Personal details
Born(1948-08-09)9 August 1948
Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
Died5 December 2024(2024-12-05) (aged 76)
Political partyPRD (until 1993)
UDC (2002–2011, 2016–2024)
PBD (2011–2016)
OccupationMilitary officer

He gained notoriety for his campaign in Romandy for the Campaign for an Independent and Neutral Switzerland, which opposed Swiss accession into the European Economic Area.

Biography

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Family and military career

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Born in Lausanne on 9 August 1948, Chevallaz was the son of Federal Council member Georges-André Chevallaz and the brother of National Council member Olivier Chevallaz [fr].[2] He spent the early part of his career in the Swiss Armed Forces, receiving a promotion to major in 1985[3] and later to lieutenant-colonel.[4] However, his campaigning against the accession of Switzerland into the European Economic Area slowed down his military career, finally being promoted to brigadier in 1999.[5][6] In 1987, he was named Vice-President of the Lausanne section of the Swiss Officers Association [fr], then to President the following year.[7][8] He co-authored a French-language manifesto opposed to the reform of Army 95 [de] titled Manifeste pour une armée digne de ce nom.[9]

Opposition to the European Economic Area

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In 1992, during the campaigning for the Referendum on Switzerland's accession to the European Economic Area [fr], Chevallaz was one of the most vocal French-language advocates against the measure.[5] He opposed the Maastricht Treaty, criticizing its "socialist-inspired" ideals despite the fact that he "felt European".[10] At the end of 1991, he led the Campaign for an Independent and Neutral Switzerland (ASIN), which employed him until the end of the referendum campaign.[11] To support the campaign, he resigned from his post as a drill instructor.[12] Throughout the campaign, he found himself at odds with the PRD, of which he was a member.[5] The referendum narrowly failed on 6 December 1992, though more than 60% of votes in Romandy were in favor.[13]

Following the campaign, Chevallaz was not reinstated as a drill instructor despite his disputed claims of a promised return.[14] He continued to do temporary work for ASIN before obtaining an administrative position with the Armed Forces in 1993, finally receiving his promotion to brigadier in 1999.[6] In 1993, he decided to leave the PRD.[5] In 1994, he resigned as vice-president of ASIN over the association's opposition to the creation of a Swiss corps of United Nations peacekeeping forces, which he supported.[15] He later left ASIN altogether over the tone it used in campaigns.[16]

Political career

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In 2002, Chevallaz joined the UDC despite disagreeing with its communication style. In that year's election [fr] to the Grand Council of Vaud, he won a mandate to represent the district of Pully.[17][18] He held his seat until 31 December 2005.[19][20] In 2004, following the resignation of Socialist Party member Pierre Chiffelle [fr], he named himself a candidate for the Council of State of Vaud without receiving approval from his party.[6] However, he was still supported by the UDC, the PRD, and the Liberal Party.[21] He was handily defeated by Socialist Party member Pierre-Yves Maillard, receiving 30% of the vote to Maillard's 63%.[22] In 2005, he announced his retirement from politics after his promotion to Infantry Brigadier II.[23]

In 2011, Chevallaz changed parties again due to the UDC's alleged "radicalization".[24] That April, he was a founding member of the Vaud section of the PBD and became its first president.[24] In 2012, he again ran for a seat on the Vaud Council of State but received 6% of the vote.[25][26] He resigned as Vaud section president in 2012 following its "rapprochement" with the Christian Democratic Party.[24] He then rejoined the UDC in 2016 and unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Épalinges.[27] He was also a member of several environmental organizations, including the World Wide Fund for Nature, Pro Alps [fr], and Écologie libérale [fr], which was committed to phasing out nuclear power.[5][6]

Death

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Martin Chevallaz died on 5 December 2024, at the age of 76.[28]

References

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  1. ^ Cachin, Jérôme (7 December 2024). "Martin Chevallaz, politicien à contre-courant et militaire contrarié". 24 heures (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  2. ^ Stauffer, Pierre-André (27 May 1992). "Le Chevallaz qui dit non". L'Hebdo (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Congé et mutations". 24 heures (in French). 10 December 1985. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Officiers supérieurs promu". 24 heures (in French). 4 January 1992. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Weit vom Stamm? Martin Chevallaz, SVP-Grossrat aus FDP-Haus". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). 13 May 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d Roulet, Yelmarc (12 August 2004). "La revanche de Martin Chevallaz, candidat UDC au Conseil d'Etat vaudois". Le Temps (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  7. ^ "L'assiduité laisse à désirer". 24 heures (in French). 12 March 1987. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  8. ^ "Chez les officiers lausannois - Retentissante démissio". 24 heures (in French). 17 March 1988. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  9. ^ "Combat vaudois contre l'EEE". 24 heures (in French). 3 April 1992. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  10. ^ Tauxe, Chantal (24 July 1992). "Un Chevallaz, pas troi". 24 heures (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  11. ^ Etienne, Denis (12 November 1992). "L'ambassadeur du non dans son univers hostile". L'Hebdo (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  12. ^ "Le lieutenant-colonel Chevallaz démissionne". 24 heures (in French). 29 August 1992. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  13. ^ Miéville, D. S. (30 December 1992). "Martin Chevallaz - Le héraut martyr du non à l'Europe". Journal de Genève (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  14. ^ de Diesbach, Roger (2 November 1993). "Martin Chevallaz: "On m'a cassé pour délit d'opinion"". Le Nouveau Quotidien (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  15. ^ Boder, Willy (22 April 1994). "L'ex-lieutenant de Blocher est pour les casques bleus". Le Nouveau Quotidien (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  16. ^ Roulet, Yelmarc (30 September 2004). "Martin Chevallaz, candidat au Conseil d'Etat, comment pouvez-vous encore être de l'UDC?". Le Temps (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  17. ^ "Députés au Grand Conseil, par ordre alphabétique". Canton of Vaud (in French). Archived from the original on 2 October 2002.
  18. ^ "Dossier: Kantonale Wahlen - Waadt". Année politique suisse (in German).
  19. ^ "Martin Chevallaz poursuit son errance politique". Le Temps (in French). 27 January 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  20. ^ "Démission de M. Martin Chevallaz, député". Bulletin du Grand Conseil vaudois (in French). 20 December 2005. Retrieved 12 December 2004.
  21. ^ Roulet, Yelmarc (23 October 2004). "Entrer au premier tour au gouvernement vaudois, le vrai test pour Pierre-Yves Maillard". Le Temps (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  22. ^ Dufour, Nicolas (12 March 2007). "Pierre-Yves Maillard, première vaudoise". Le Temps (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  23. ^ Cachin, Jérôme (22 December 2005). "L'UDC Martin Chevallaz se retire de la politique". La Liberté (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  24. ^ a b c "Martin Chevallaz quitte la présidence du PBD Vaud". 24 heures (in French). 10 August 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  25. ^ "Vingt-et-un candidats à l'assaut du Conseil d'Etat". 24 heures (in French). 16 January 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  26. ^ "Election du Conseil d'Etat du 11 mars 2012". Canton of Vaud (in French).
  27. ^ Antonoff, Laurent (28 February 2016). "La gauche d'Epalinges en force au premier tour". 24 heures (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  28. ^ "Figure romande du non à l'EEE, Martin Chevallaz est décédé". Le Temps (in French). 7 December 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
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