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Martin Chevallaz

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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)
PartyPRD (until 1993)
UDC (2002–2011, 2016–2024)
PBD (2011–2016)
RelationsGeorges-André Chevallaz (father)
Olivier Chevallaz (brother)
OccupationMilitary officer

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]

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 former Federal Council member Georges-André Chevallaz and the brother of former 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 – via Scriptorium.
  3. ↑ "Congé et mutations". 24 heures (in French). 10 December 1985. Retrieved 12 December 2024 – via Scriptorium.
  4. ↑ "Officiers supérieurs promu". 24 heures (in French). 4 January 1992. Retrieved 12 December 2024 – via Scriptorium.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Weit vom Stamm? Martin Chevallaz, SVP-Grossrat aus FDP-Haus". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). 13 May 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 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 – via Scriptorium.
  8. ↑ "Chez les officiers lausannois - Retentissante démissio". 24 heures (in French). 17 March 1988. Retrieved 12 December 2024 – via Scriptorium.
  9. ↑ "Combat vaudois contre l'EEE". 24 heures (in French). 3 April 1992. Retrieved 12 December 2024 – via Scriptorium.
  10. ↑ Tauxe, Chantal (24 July 1992). "Un Chevallaz, pas troi". 24 heures (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2024 – via Scriptorium.
  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 – via Scriptorium.
  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. 1 2 3 "Martin Chevallaz quitte la présidence du PBD Vaud". 24 heures (in French). 10 August 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2024 – via Scriptorium.
  25. ↑ "Vingt-et-un candidats à l'assaut du Conseil d'Etat". 24 heures (in French). 16 January 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2024 – via Scriptorium.
  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 – via Scriptorium.
  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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