When FIS President Johan Eliasch was to be re-elected president on the last day of the FIS Congress in Milan yesterday, there was an uproar. 

The FIS president is initially elected for four years but must be formally re-elected every year even if there are no other candidates. 

Eliasch was elected president during the digital FIS Congress last spring. The London-based multimillionaire of Swedish origin was already a relatively controversial candidate but won the election in 2021. 

But what the FIS Council had considered a formality would prove very controversial. The FIS Council originally wanted to re-elect Eliasch by acclamation. They were not heard for that. It had to be voted in writing.

Eliasch was re-elected this year with 70 votes out of 126 possible. Several nations left the hall in protest of what they perceived as an undemocratic process.

Croatia Took Action

The Croatian delegate Vedrak Pavlek took the initiative to question the procedures. He pointed out that the election should be formal and secret and demanded that the ballot papers have the necessary options: yes, no, or abstain. 

Pavlek was rejected by FIS election director Stephan Netzle, who said that only ballot papers with the candidate’s name would be accepted. There was no yes or no, and the only option was to abstain. 

“In that case, it is against democratic principles,” Pavlek replied and continued: 

“In this case, the delegates can only vote in favor. Then I ask everyone who agrees with me to leave the hall.” 

Thus, Pavlek and several other delegates left the room, including those from Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. 

The German delegate also expressed dissatisfaction with the re-election. Now they are threatening to go to court to consider the re-election of Eliasch invalid.