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List of members of the Swiss Federal Council

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For a chronological list of Federal Councillors based upon first day in office, see List of members of the Swiss Federal Council by date.

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The seven members of the Swiss Federal Council (German: Schweizerischer Bundesrat; French: Conseil fédéral suisse; Italian: Consiglio federale svizzero; Romansh: Cussegl federal svizzer) constitute the federal government of Switzerland and collectively serve as the country's head of state. Each of the seven Federal Councillors heads a department of the Swiss federal administration.[1]

The current Swiss Federal Councillors are: Guy Parmelin (first elected in 2015), Ignazio Cassis (first elected in 2017), Viola Amherd (first elected in 2018), Karin Keller-Sutter (first elected in 2018), Albert Rösti (first elected in 2022), Élisabeth Baume-Schneider (first elected in 2022), and Beat Jans (first elected in 2023)

The members of the Federal Council are elected for a term of four years by both chambers of the federal parliament sitting together as the United Federal Assembly. Each Federal Councillor is elected individually by secret ballot by an absolute majority of votes. People elected to the Federal Council are considered a Federal Councillor even if they decline the election.[2] Accordingly, the five persons who were elected but never assumed office are listed in a separate table below. For the same reason, the principal table only records the date of election and not the date on which the Federal Councillors assumed their office.

Once elected for a four-year-term, Federal Councillors can neither be voted out of office by a motion of no confidence nor can they be impeached. Reelection is possible for an indefinite number of terms. The Federal Assembly has decided not to reelect a sitting Federal Councillor four times and only twice (in 2003 and 2007) since the beginning of the 20th century. In practice, therefore, Federal Councillors serve until they decide to resign and retire to private life, usually after three to five terms of office.[3]


Members

[edit]
№ Name Portrait Canton[4] Election Left office Department headed[5] Party Presidency Notes Seq[6]
1 Jonas Furrer Jonas Furrer ZH 16 November 1848 25 July 1861 Political[7] • Justice and Police FDP/PRD 1848–1849
1852
1855
1858		 Died in office. A01
2 Ulrich Ochsenbein BE 16 November 1848 6 December 1854 Military FDP/PRD — Not reelected.[8] B01
3 Henri Druey VD 16 November 1848 29 March 1855 Justice and Police • Political[7] • Finance FDP/PRD 1850 Died in office. C01
4 Josef Munzinger SO 16 November 1848 6 February 1855 Finance • Political[7] • Posts and Construction • Trade and Customs FDP/PRD 1851 Died in office. D01
5 Stefano Franscini TI 16 November 1848 19 July 1857 Home Affairs FDP/PRD — Died in office. E01
6 Friedrich Frey-Herosé AG 16 November 1848 31 December 1866 Trade and Customs • Political[7] • Military FDP/PRD 1854
1860		 F01
7 Wilhelm Matthias Naeff SG 16 November 1848 31 December 1875 Posts and Construction • Political[7] • Trade and Customs • Posts • Finance and Customs • Railway and Trade FDP/PRD 1853 G01
8 Jakob Stämpfli BE 6 December 1854 31 December 1863 Justice and Police • Political[7] • Finance • Military FDP/PRD 1856
1859
1862		 B02
9 Constant Fornerod VD 11 July 1855 31 October 1867 Trade and Customs • Political[7] • Finance • Military FDP/PRD 1857
1863
1867		 C02
10 Melchior Josef Martin Knüsel LU 14 July 1855 31 December 1875 Finance • Trade and Customs • Justice and Police • Political[7] • Home Affairs FDP/PRD 1861
1866		 Elected after Johann Jakob Stehlin declined the election. D02
11 Giovanni Battista Pioda TI 30 July 1857 26 January 1864 Home Affairs FDP/PRD — E02
12 Jakob Dubs ZH 30 July 1861 28 May 1872 Justice and Police • Political[7] • Home Affairs • Posts FDP/PRD 1864
1868
1870		 A02
13 Karl Schenk BE 12 December 1863 18 July 1895 Home Affairs • Political • Finance • Railway and Trade FDP/PRD 1865
1871
1874
1878
1885
1893		 Died in office. Longest serving member. B03
14 Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel GE 12 July 1864 7 December 1872 Finance • Posts FDP/PRD — Not reelected.[9] E03
15 Emil Welti AG 8 December 1866 31 December 1891 Military • Political • Posts and Telegraph • Justice and Police FDP/PRD 1869
1872
1876
1880
1884
1891		 F02
16 Victor Ruffy VD 6 December 1867 29 December 1869 Finance • Military FDP/PRD — Died in office. C03
17 Paul Cérésole VD 1 February 1870 31 December 1875 Finance • Military • Political[7] • Justice and Police FDP/PRD 1873 C04
18 Johann Jakob Scherer ZH 12 July 1872 23 December 1878 Finance • Railway and Trade • Political[7] • Military FDP/PRD 1875 Died in office. A03
19 Eugène Borel NE 7 December 1872 31 December 1875 Posts and Telegraph FDP/PRD — E04
20 Joachim Heer GL 10 December 1875 31 December 1878 Posts and Telegraph • Political[7] • Railway and Trade FDP/PRD 1877 D03
21 Fridolin Anderwert TG 10 December 1875 25 December 1880 Justice and Police FDP/PRD — Died in office
(committed suicide).[10]		 G02
22 Bernhard Hammer SO 10 December 1875 31 December 1890 Finance and Customs • Political FDP/PRD 1879
1889		 E05
23 Numa Droz NE 18 December 1875 18 December 1892 Home Affairs • Trade and Agriculture • Political FDP/PRD 1881
1887		 Elected after Louis Ruchonnet and Charles Estoppey declined the election. C05
24 Simeon Bavier GR 10 December 1878 5 January 1883 Finance and Customs • Posts and Railways • Political[7] FDP/PRD 1882 D04
25 Wilhelm Hertenstein ZH 21 March 1879 27 November 1888 Military FDP/PRD 1888 Died in office. A04
26 Louis Ruchonnet VD 3 March 1881 14 September 1893 Trade and Agriculture • Justice and Police • Political[7] FDP/PRD 1883
1890		 Elected after Karl Hoffmann declined his election. Died in office. G03
27 Adolf Deucher TG 10 April 1883 10 July 1912 Justice and Police • Posts and Railways • Trade and Agriculture • Political[7] FDP/PRD 1886
1897
1903
1909		 Died in office. D05
28 Walter Hauser ZH 13 December 1888 22 October 1902 Military • Finance and Customs • Political[7] FDP/PRD 1892
1900		 Died in office. A05
29 Emil Frey BL 11 December 1890 11 March 1897 Military FDP/PRD 1894 E06
30 Josef Zemp LU 17 December 1891 17 June 1908 Posts and Railways • Political[7] CVP/PDC 1895
1902		 F03
31 Adrien Lachenal GE 15 December 1892 31 December 1899 Exterior • Trade, Industry and Agriculture • Home Affairs FDP/PRD 1896 C06
32 Eugène Ruffy VD 14 December 1893 31 October 1899 Justice and Police • Home Affairs • Political[7] • Military FDP/PRD 1898 G04
33 Eduard Müller BE 16 August 1895 9 November 1919 Justice and Police • Military • Political[7] FDP/PRD 1899
1907
1913		 Died in office. B04
34 Ernst Brenner BS 25 March 1897 11 March 1911 Justice and Police • Political[7] FDP/PRD 1901
1908		 Died in office. E07
35 Robert Comtesse NE 14 December 1899 4 March 1912 Finance and Customs • Justice and Police • Posts and Railways • Political[7] FDP/PRD 1904
1910		 C07
36 Marc-Émile Ruchet VD 14 December 1899 9 July 1912 Home Affairs • Finance and Customs • Political[7] FDP/PRD 1905
1911		 G05
37 Ludwig Forrer ZH 11 December 1902 7 December 1917 Trade, Industry and Agriculture • Home Affairs • Political[7] • Military • Justice and Police • Posts and Railways FDP/PRD 1906
1912		 A06
38 Josef Anton Schobinger LU 17 June 1908 27 November 1911 Justice and Police • Trade, Industry and Agriculture • Finance and Customs • Home Affairs CVP/PDC — F04
39 Arthur Hoffmann SG 4 April 1911 19 June 1917 Justice and Police • Military • Political FDP/PRD 1914 E08
40 Giuseppe Motta TI 14 December 1911 23 January 1940 Finance and Customs • Political CVP/PDC 1915
1920
1927
1932
1937		 Died in office. F05
41 Louis Perrier NE 12 March 1912 16 May 1913 Posts and Railways • Home Affairs FDP/PRD — C08
42 Camille Decoppet VD 17 July 1912 7 November 1919 Home Affairs • Justice and Police • Military FDP/PRD 1916 G06
43 Edmund Schulthess AG 17 July 1912 15 April 1935 Trade, Industry and Agriculture FDP/PRD 1917
1921
1928
1933		 D06
44 Felix Calonder GR 12 June 1913 12 February 1920 Home Affairs • Political[7] FDP/PRD 1918 C09
45 Gustave Ador GE 26 June 1917 31 December 1919 Political • Home Affairs LPS/PLS 1919 E09
46 Robert Haab ZH 13 December 1917 31 December 1929 Posts and Railways FDP/PRD 1922
1929		 A07
47 Karl Scheurer BE 11 December 1919 14 November 1929 Military FDP/PRD 1923 Died in office. B05
48 Ernest Chuard VD 11 December 1919 31 December 1928 Home Affairs FDP/PRD 1924 G07
49 Jean-Marie Musy FR 11 December 1919 30 April 1934 Finance and Customs CVP/PDC 1925
1930		 E10
50 Heinrich Häberlin TG 12 February 1920 12 March 1934 Justice and Police FDP/PRD 1926
1931		 C10
51 Marcel Pilet-Golaz VD 13 December 1928 7 November 1944 Home Affairs • Posts and Railways • Political FDP/PRD 1934
1940		 G08
52 Rudolf Minger BE 12 December 1929 31 December 1940 Military SVP/UDC 1935 B06
53 Albert Meyer ZH 12 December 1929 31 December 1938 Home Affairs • Finance and Customs FDP/PRD 1936 A08
54 Johannes Baumann AR 22 March 1934 31 December 1940 Justice and Police FDP/PRD 1938 C11
55 Philipp Etter ZG 28 March 1934 19 November 1959 Home Affairs CVP/PDC 1939
1942
1947
1953		 E11
56 Hermann Obrecht SO 4 April 1935 20 June 1940 Economic Affairs FDP/PRD — D07
57 Ernst Wetter ZH 15 December 1938 31 December 1943 Finance and Customs FDP/PRD 1941 A09
58 Enrico Celio TI 22 February 1940 23 June 1950 Posts and Railways CVP/PDC 1943
1948		 F06
59 Walther Stampfli SO 18 July 1940 18 November 1947 Economic Affairs FDP/PRD 1944 D08
60 Eduard von Steiger BE 10 December 1940 9 November 1951 Justice and Police SVP/UDC 1945
1951		 B07
61 Karl Kobelt SG 10 December 1940 5 November 1954 Military FDP/PRD 1946
1952		 C12
62 Ernst Nobs ZH 15 December 1943 13 November 1951 Finance and Customs SPS/PSS 1949 A10
63 Max Petitpierre NE 14 December 1944 30 June 1961 Political FDP/PRD 1950
1955
1960		 G09
64 Rodolphe Rubattel VD 11 December 1947 1 November 1954 Economic Affairs FDP/PRD 1954 D09
65 Josef Escher VS 14 September 1950 26 November 1954 Posts and Railways CVP/PDC — F07
66 Markus Feldmann BE 13 December 1951 3 November 1958 Justice and Police SVP/UDC 1956 B08
67 Max Weber ZH 13 December 1951 8 December 1953 Finance and Customs SPS/PSS — A11
68 Hans Streuli ZH 22 December 1953 19 November 1959 Finance and Customs FDP/PRD 1957 A12
69 Thomas Holenstein SG 16 December 1954 20 November 1959 Economic Affairs CVP/PDC 1958 F08
70 Paul Chaudet VD 16 December 1954 28 November 1966 Military FDP/PRD 1959
1962		 D10
71 Giuseppe Lepori TI 16 December 1954 24 November 1959 Posts and Railways CVP/PDC — C13
72 Friedrich Traugott Wahlen BE 11 December 1958 31 December 1965 Justice and Police • Economic Affairs • Political SVP/UDC 1961 B09
73 Jean Bourgknecht FR 17 December 1959 3 September 1962 Finance and Research CVP/PDC — E12
74 Willy Spühler ZH 17 December 1959 31 January 1970 Posts and Railways • Political SPS/PSS 1963
1968		 A13
75 Ludwig von Moos OW 17 December 1959 31 December 1971 Justice and Police CVP/PDC 1964
1969		 F09
76 Hans-Peter Tschudi BS 17 December 1959 31 December 1973 Home Affairs SPS/PSS 1965
1970		 C14
77 Hans Schaffner AG 15 June 1961 31 December 1969 Economic Affairs FDP/PRD 1966 G10
78 Roger Bonvin VS 27 September 1962 31 December 1973 Finance and Customs • Transport, Energy, Communications CVP/PDC 1967
1973		 E13
79 Rudolf Gnägi BE 8 December 1965 31 December 1979 Transport, Energy, Communications • Military SVP/UDC 1971
1976		 B10
80 Nello Celio TI 15 December 1966 31 December 1973 Military • Finance and Customs FDP/PRD 1972 D11
81 Pierre Graber NE 10 December 1969 31 January 1978 Political SPS/PSS 1975 A14
82 Ernst Brugger ZH 10 December 1969 31 January 1978 Economic Affairs FDP/PRD 1974 G11
83 Kurt Furgler SG 8 December 1971 31 December 1986 Justice and Police • Economic Affairs CVP/PDC 1977
1981
1985		 F10
84 Willi Ritschard SO 5 December 1973 3 October 1983 Transport, Energy, Communications • Finance SPS/PSS 1978 Died in office. C15
85 Hans Hürlimann ZG 5 December 1973 31 December 1982 Home Affairs CVP/PDC 1979 E14
86 Georges-André Chevallaz VD 5 December 1973 31 December 1983 Finance and Customs • Military FDP/PRD 1980 D12
87 Fritz Honegger ZH 7 December 1977 31 December 1982 Economic Affairs FDP/PRD 1982 G12
88 Pierre Aubert NE 7 December 1977 31 December 1987 Political SPS/PSS 1983
1987		 A15
89 Leon Schlumpf GR 5 December 1979 31 December 1987 Transport, Energy, Communications SVP/UDC 1984 B11
90 Alphons Egli LU 8 December 1982 31 December 1986 Home Affairs CVP/PDC 1986 E15
91 Rudolf Friedrich ZH 8 December 1982 20 October 1984 Justice and Police FDP/PRD — G13
92 Otto Stich SO 7 December 1983 31 October 1995 Finance SPS/PSS 1988
1994		 C16
93 Jean-Pascal Delamuraz VD 7 December 1983 30 March 1998 Military • Economic Affairs FDP/PRD 1989
1996		 D13
94 Elisabeth Kopp ZH 2 October 1984 12 January 1989 Justice and Police FDP/PRD — First female Federal Councillor. G14
95 Arnold Koller AI 10 December 1986 13 January 1999 Justice and Police • Military CVP/PDC 1990
1997		 F11
96 Flavio Cotti TI 10 December 1986 13 January 1999 Home Affairs • Foreign Affairs CVP/PDC 1991
1998		 E16
97 René Felber NE 9 December 1987 31 March 1993 Foreign Affairs SPS/PSS 1992 A16
98 Adolf Ogi BE 9 December 1987 31 December 2000 Transport, Energy, Communications • Military SVP/UDC 1993
2000		 B12
99 Kaspar Villiger LU 1 February 1989 31 December 2003 Military • Finance FDP/PRD 1995
2002		 G15
100 Ruth Dreifuss GE 10 March 1993 31 December 2002 Home Affairs SPS/PSS 1999 Elected after Francis Matthey declined the election. A17
101 Moritz Leuenberger ZH 27 September 1995 1 November 2010 Transport, Energy, Communications SPS/PSS 2001
2006		 C17
102 Pascal Couchepin VS 11 March 1998 31 October 2009 Economic Affairs • Home Affairs FDP/PRD 2003
2008		 D14
103 Ruth Metzler AI 11 March 1999 31 December 2003 Justice and Police CVP/PDC — Not reelected.[11] F12
104 Joseph Deiss FR 11 March 1999 31 July 2006 Foreign Affairs • Economic Affairs CVP/PDC 2004 E17
105 Samuel Schmid BE 6 December 2000 31 December 2008[12] Defence, Civil Protection and Sport SVP/UDC 2005 Switched to the BDP/PBD in 2008. B13
106 Micheline Calmy-Rey GE 4 December 2002 31 December 2011 Foreign Affairs SPS/PSS 2007
2011		 A18
107 Christoph Blocher ZH 10 December 2003 31 December 2007 Justice and Police SVP/UDC — Not reelected.[13] F13
108 Hans-Rudolf Merz AR 10 December 2003 1 November 2010 Finance FDP/PRD 2009 G16
109 Doris Leuthard AG 14 June 2006 31 December 2018 Economic Affairs • Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications CVP/PDC 2010
2017		 E18
110 Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf GR 12 December 2007 31 December 2015 Justice and Police • Finance BDP/PBD 2012 First elected for the SVP/UDC, switched in 2008. F14
111 Ueli Maurer ZH 10 December 2008 31 December 2022 Defence, Civil Protection and Sport • Finance SVP/UDC 2013
2019		 B14
112 Didier Burkhalter NE 16 September 2009 31 October 2017 Home Affairs • Foreign Affairs FDP/PLR 2014 D15
113 Simonetta Sommaruga BE 22 September 2010 31 December 2022 Justice and Police • Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications SPS/PSS 2015
2020		 C18
114 Johann Schneider-Ammann BE 22 September 2010 31 December 2018 Economic Affairs FDP/PLR 2016 G17
115 Alain Berset FR 14 December 2011 31 December 2023 Home Affairs SPS/PSS 2018
2023		 A19
116 Guy Parmelin VD 9 December 2015 Incumbent Defence, Civil Protection and Sport • Economic Affairs, Education and Research SVP/UDC 2021 F15
117 Ignazio Cassis TI 20 September 2017 Incumbent Foreign Affairs FDP/PLR 2022 D16
118 Viola Amherd VS 5 December 2018 Incumbent Defence, Civil Protection and Sport CVP/PDC 2024 The CVP/PDC merged into The Centre in 2021. E19
119 Karin Keller-Sutter SG 5 December 2018 Incumbent Justice and Police • Finance FDP/PLR – G18
120 Albert Rösti BE 7 December 2022 Incumbent Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications SVP/UDC – B15
121 Élisabeth Baume-Schneider JU 7 December 2022 Incumbent Justice and Police・Home Affairs SPS/PSS – C19
122 Beat Jans BS 13 December 2023 Incumbent Justice and Police SPS/PSS – A20

Legend:
     Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD) after 1894; previously a more or less coherent group of Liberals, Radicals and Democrats.[14] In January 2009, it merged with the Liberal Party (LPS/PLS) and became FDP.The Liberals.
     Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC)
     Liberal Party (LPS/PLS); since January 2009, the party has merged with the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD) in order to form FDP.The Liberals.
     Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) after 1971; previously the Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents (BGB/PAI) and associated minor parties.
     Social Democratic Party (SPS/PSS)
     Conservative Democratic Party (BDP/PBD)

The Federal Councillors currently serving are indicated with bold type.

Members who declined their election

[edit]

Five people have declined their election to the Federal Council by the Federal Assembly. Their number here is that of the Federal Councillor in the list above who was later elected in their place.

№ Name Canton Election Party Notes
(10) Johann Jakob Stehlin BS 11 July 1855 FDP/PRD
(23) Louis Ruchonnet VD 10 December 1875 FDP/PRD Later elected as the 26th Councillor.
(23) Charles Estoppey VD 18 December 1875 FDP/PRD
(26) Karl Hoffmann SG 22 February 1881 FDP/PRD
(100) Francis Matthey NE 3 March 1993 SPS/PSS

Notes and references

[edit]
  1. ^ Swiss Federal Constitution / Bundesverfassung (BV) / Constitution fédérale (Cst.) / Costituzione federale (Cost.) of 1999-02-07, SR/RS 101 (E·D·F·I), art. 177 (E·D·F·I).
  2. ^ This is the prevailing reading of the relevant constitutional provision: Swiss Federal Constitution / Bundesverfassung (BV) / Constitution fédérale (Cst.) / Costituzione federale (Cost.) of 1999-02-07, SR/RS 101 (E·D·F·I), art. 175 (E·D·F·I).
  3. ^ Federal Council in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  4. ^ For the abbreviations, see Data codes for Switzerland: Cantons. Up until 1987, the Federal Chancellery recorded the Councillors' legal place of origin. From 1987 on, the canton in which the Councillors live has been recorded, or, for councillors who were members of the Federal Assembly, the canton whose population they represented.
  5. ^ The names of the federal departments have changed over the years. Generic names have been used as much as possible.
  6. ^ The sequence number indicates to which of the seven seats (denoted by the letters A to G) the Councillor was elected.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x As President of the Confederation. The department used to be held by Councillors during the annually changing office of President of the Confederation.
  8. ^ Ulrich Ochsenbein in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  9. ^ Philippe Chenaux: Jean-Jacques Challet (-Venel) in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 2003-09-16.
  10. ^ Fridolin Anderwert in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  11. ^ Franz Xaver Bischof: Ruth Metzler (-Arnold) in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 2007-11-27.
  12. ^ "Schmid announces resignation". Swissinfo. 12 November 2008. Archived from the original on 1 June 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  13. ^ "Blocher ousted by Swiss parliament". Swissinfo. 12 December 2007. Archived from the original on 26 December 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2008.
  14. ^ Beginnings of the Free Democratic Party in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
[edit]
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