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Flavia Wasserfallen

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Flavia Wasserfallen
Official portrait, 2019
Member of the Council of States (Switzerland)
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 December 2023
ConstituencyCanton of Bern
Member of the National Council (Switzerland)
In office
28 May 2018 – 3 December 2023
Personal details
Born
Flavia Alessandra Wasserfallen

(1979-02-07) 7 February 1979 (age 45)
Bern, Switzerland
Spouse
Omar El Mohib
​
​
(m. 2007)​
Children3
ResidenceBern, Switzerland
Alma materUniversity of Bern (Master's degree)
University of Bologna
WebsiteOfficial website
Parliament website

Flavia Alessandra Wasserfallen[1] (Swiss Standard German: [ˈflaːvi̯a ˈvasərˌfalən]; born 7 February 1979) is a Swiss politician who serves on the Council of States (Switzerland) the Social Democratic Party since 2023.[2] She previously served on the National Council (Switzerland) from 2018 to 2023 and the Grand Council of Bern between 2002 and 2012.[3] She is likely not related to Christian Wasserfallen of The Liberals.[4][5]

Early life and education

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Wasserfallen was born 7 February 1979 in Bern, Switzerland, the oldest of three children, to Bruno Wasserfallen (born 1948) and Anna Wasserfallen (née Mastrocola), both municipal politicians for the Social Democratic Party.[6][7][8] Her maternal grandfather, Mario Mastrocola (1914–1978), was an Italian bassoon musician, who naturalized as a Swiss citizen in 1960.[9][10]

She has two younger brothers and was raised in the hamlet of Hinterkappelen (part of Wohlen bei Bern). In 1998, Wasserfallen completed her Matura, at Gymnasium Bern-Neufeld, followed by a gap year spent working as a snowboard teacher.[11] Between 2000–2007, she completed studies with a major in political science and a minor in economics, at the University of Bern and erasmus exchange at the University of Bologna, graduating with a Master's degree.[12]

Professional career

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Wasserfallen was a freelance snowboard teacher for a gap year in 1999 and thereafter during her studies at the University of Bern. In 2006, she started her professional career working in a variety of positions at the Federal Office of Energy.[13]

In 2010 she established a local service who distributes organic vegetables to the city of Bern. She credits this with keeping her in contact with working people.[14][15]

Political career

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Between 2012 and 2018 she was a member of the Grand Council of Bern and the co-secretary of the SP.[16] She succeeded Evi Alleman (who was elected into the executive council of Bern) in the National Council in June 2018.[16] After Simonetta Sommaruga announced her resignation from the Federal Council in November 2022, she was considered a potential candidate, but she declined, alleging her envisioned candidacy to the Council of States. [17] During the 2023 Swiss federal election, Wasserfallen was elected into the Council of States (Switzerland).[18]

Political views

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She advocates for equal pay and affordable health care.[16] She advocates for better working conditions in relation to the patients[19] and she is the president of the Mother and Father Counseling Association.[20] In September 2020, she was a co-founder of FC Helvetia, the female football team of the Swiss Parliament.[21] In November 2022, Wasserfallen cut her hair in solidarity with the women in Iran, who were protesting against the Government in Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini.[22]

Personal life

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Wasserfallen is married to Omar El Mohib.[23] They have three children (born 2008, 2012 and 2016).[16]

Her place of origin is Langnau im Emmental and Ferenbalm.[24]

References

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  1. ^ "Flavia Alessandra Wasserfallen à Bern". Moneyhouse (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  2. ^ "Ratsmitglied ansehen". Federal Assembly. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  3. ^ https://www.gr.be.ch/de/start/grosser-rat/mitglieder/mitgliedersuche/mitgliederdetail.html?guid=1b47fe9ace6c4c9786b783136764b9b4
  4. ^ "Politische Philosophie mit Wasserfallens". Berner Zeitung (in German). 2015-09-07. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  5. ^ 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 2024-10-06.
  6. ^ "Die Linke, die niemanden triggern darf". Der Bund (in German). 2023-09-12. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  7. ^ "Berner Tagwacht 2. September 1993 — e-newspaperarchives.ch". www.e-newspaperarchives.ch (in German). Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  8. ^ https://spplus-wohlen.spbe.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/sp-be/sp-sektion-wohlen/pdf/wahlprospekt_2013_web.pdf
  9. ^ "Der Bund 27. Dezember 1959 — e-newspaperarchives.ch". www.e-newspaperarchives.ch (in German). Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  10. ^ https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/famn/index.php Mastrocola von Bern (BE)
  11. ^ J, Plattform. "Grossräte trotzten dem Föhnsturm - Plattform J". www.plattformj.ch (in German). Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  12. ^ ameerstetter (2023-03-28). "ÜBER MICH - Flavia Wasserfallen" (in German). Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  13. ^ "Flavia Wasserfallen". SP Schweiz (in German). Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  14. ^ "Flavia Wasserfallen: "Was für ein Klischee!"". Schweizer Illustrierte (in German). Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  15. ^ "Bioabi" (in German). Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  16. ^ a b c d "Flavia Wasserfallen neu im Nationalrat". www.spbe.ch (in German). Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  17. ^ "Sommaruga-Nachfolge im Bundesrat – Flavia Wasserfallen verzichtet auf Kandidatur". Tages-Anzeiger (in German). Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  18. ^ "Ständerat Kanton Bern - Salzmann (SVP) und Wasserfallen (SP) sind still gewählt". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 2023-10-21. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  19. ^ "Medienmitteilung: Flavia Wasserfallen ist neue Präsidentin des Dachverbands | Patientenstelle Zürich". zh.patientenstelle.ch. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  20. ^ "Schweizerischer Fachverband Mütter- und Väterberatung Jahresbericht 2020" (PDF).
  21. ^ Kobel, Philipp. "Gründung FC Helvetia: Nun kicken auch die Frauen im Parlament". Nau (in German). Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  22. ^ "Iran-Demo in Bern: Flavia Wasserfallen schneidet sich Haare ab". Aargauer Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  23. ^ "Berner Ständeratsduo setzt auf die Wirkung der Familie". Berner Zeitung (in German). 2023-10-24. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  24. ^ "Kurzbiografien und Porträts". epaper.vsdruck.ch. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
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