List of members of the Swiss Federal Council
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 serve as the country's head of state. Each of the seven Federal Councillors heads a department of the Swiss federal administration.[1]
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 Federal Assembly. Each Councillor is elected individually by secret ballot by an absolute majority of votes. A person elected to the Federal Council is considered a Federal Councillor even if he or she declines the election.[2] Accordingly, the five persons who did so and 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 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 Councillor four times and only twice (in 2003 and 2007) since the beginning of the 20th century. In practice, therefore, Councillors serve until they decide to resign and retire to private life, usually after three to five terms of office.[3]
Members
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Legend:
Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD) after 1894; previously a more or less coherent group of Liberals, Radicals and Democrats[14]
Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC)
Liberal Party (LPS/PLS)
Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) after 1971; previously 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
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 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
- 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).
- 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).
- Federal Council in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- 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.
- The names of the federal departments have changed over the years. Generic names have been used as much as possible.
- The sequence number indicates to which of the seven seats (denoted by the letters A to G) the Councillor was elected.
- As President of the Confederation. The department used to be held by councillors during the annually changing office of President of the Confederation.
- Ulrich Ochsenbein in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- Philippe Chenaux: Jean-Jacques Challet (-Venel) in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 2003-09-16.
- Fridolin Anderwert in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- Franz Xaver Bischof: Ruth Metzler (-Arnold) in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 2007-11-27.
- "Schmid announces resignation". Swissinfo. 12 November 2008. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
- "Blocher ousted by Swiss parliament". Swissinfo. 12 December 2007.
- Beginnings of the Free Democratic Party in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Members of the Swiss Federal Council. |
- Federal Council in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- Swiss Federal Chancellery. "The Swiss Confederation: A brief guide 2007". Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- Services of the Swiss Parliament. "Resultate der Wahlen des Bundesrats, der Bundeskanzler und des Generals" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- Swiss Federal Chancellery. "Chronological index of Federal Councillors". Archived from the original on 2 January 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- Swiss Federal Chancellery. "Members of the Federal Council who declined election". Archived from the original on 3 February 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- Church, Clive H. (2004). The Politics and Government of Switzerland. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-69277-2.
| Current members |  | |
|---|---|---|
| About | ||
| Lists of members | ||
| Lists by department | ||