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 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: Alain Berset (first elected in 2011), 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), and Élisabeth Baume-Schneider (first elected in 2022)

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

Name Portrait Canton[4] Election Left office Department headed[5] Party Presidency Notes Seq[6]
1 Jonas FurrerJonas FurrerZH16 November 184825 July 1861Political[7]Justice and PoliceFDP/PRD1848–1849
1852
1855
1858
Died in office.A01
2 Ulrich OchsenbeinBE16 November 18486 December 1854MilitaryFDP/PRDNot reelected.[8]B01
3 Henri DrueyVD16 November 184829 March 1855Justice and PolicePolitical[7]FinanceFDP/PRD1850Died in office.C01
4 Josef MunzingerSO16 November 18486 February 1855FinancePolitical[7]Posts and ConstructionTrade and CustomsFDP/PRD1851Died in office.D01
5 Stefano FransciniTI16 November 184819 July 1857Home AffairsFDP/PRDDied in office.E01
6 Friedrich Frey-HeroséAG16 November 184831 December 1866Trade and CustomsPolitical[7]MilitaryFDP/PRD1854
1860
F01
7 Wilhelm Matthias NaeffSG16 November 184831 December 1875Posts and ConstructionPolitical[7]Trade and CustomsPostsFinance and CustomsRailway and TradeFDP/PRD1853G01
8 Jakob StämpfliBE6 December 185431 December 1863Justice and PolicePolitical[7]FinanceMilitaryFDP/PRD1856
1859
1862
B02
9 Constant FornerodVD11 July 185531 October 1867Trade and CustomsPolitical[7]FinanceMilitaryFDP/PRD1857
1863
1867
C02
10 Melchior Josef Martin KnüselLU14 July 185531 December 1875FinanceTrade and CustomsJustice and PolicePolitical[7]Home AffairsFDP/PRD1861
1866
Elected after Johann Jakob Stehlin declined the election.D02
11 Giovanni Battista PiodaTI30 July 185726 January 1864Home AffairsFDP/PRDE02
12 Jakob DubsZH30 July 186128 May 1872Justice and PolicePolitical[7]Home AffairsPostsFDP/PRD1864
1868
1870
A02
13 Karl SchenkBE12 December 186318 July 1895Home AffairsPoliticalFinanceRailway and TradeFDP/PRD1865
1871
1874
1878
1885
1893
Died in office. Longest serving member.B03
14 Jean-Jacques Challet-VenelGE12 July 18647 December 1872FinancePostsFDP/PRDNot reelected.[9]E03
15 Emil WeltiAG8 December 186631 December 1891MilitaryPoliticalPosts and TelegraphJustice and PoliceFDP/PRD1869
1872
1876
1880
1884
1891
F02
16 Victor RuffyVD6 December 186729 December 1869FinanceMilitaryFDP/PRDDied in office.C03
17 Paul CérésoleVD1 February 187031 December 1875FinanceMilitaryPolitical[7]Justice and PoliceFDP/PRD1873C04
18 Johann Jakob SchererZH12 July 187223 December 1878FinanceRailway and TradePolitical[7]MilitaryFDP/PRD1875Died in office.A03
19 Eugène BorelNE7 December 187231 December 1875Posts and TelegraphFDP/PRDE04
20 Joachim HeerGL10 December 187531 December 1878Posts and TelegraphPolitical[7]Railway and TradeFDP/PRD1877D03
21 Fridolin AnderwertTG10 December 187525 December 1880Justice and PoliceFDP/PRDDied in office
(committed suicide).[10]
G02
22 Bernhard HammerSO10 December 187531 December 1890Finance and CustomsPoliticalFDP/PRD1879
1889
E05
23 Numa DrozNE18 December 187518 December 1892Home AffairsTrade and AgriculturePoliticalFDP/PRD1881
1887
Elected after Louis Ruchonnet and Charles Estoppey declined the election.C05
24 Simeon BavierGR10 December 18785 January 1883Finance and CustomsPosts and RailwaysPolitical[7]FDP/PRD1882D04
25 Wilhelm HertensteinZH21 March 187927 November 1888MilitaryFDP/PRD1888Died in office.A04
26 Louis RuchonnetVD3 March 188114 September 1893Trade and AgricultureJustice and PolicePolitical[7]FDP/PRD1883
1890
Elected after Karl Hoffmann declined his election. Died in office.G03
27 Adolf DeucherTG10 April 188310 July 1912Justice and PolicePosts and RailwaysTrade and AgriculturePolitical[7]FDP/PRD1886
1897
1903
1909
Died in office.D05
28 Walter HauserZH13 December 188822 October 1902MilitaryFinance and CustomsPolitical[7]FDP/PRD1892
1900
Died in office.A05
29 Emil FreyBL11 December 189011 March 1897MilitaryFDP/PRD1894E06
30 Josef ZempLU17 December 189117 June 1908Posts and RailwaysPolitical[7]CVP/PDC1895
1902
F03
31 Adrien LachenalGE15 December 189231 December 1899ExteriorTrade, Industry and AgricultureHome AffairsFDP/PRD1896C06
32 Eugène RuffyVD14 December 189331 October 1899Justice and PoliceHome AffairsPolitical[7]MilitaryFDP/PRD1898G04
33 Eduard MüllerBE16 August 18959 November 1919Justice and PoliceMilitaryPolitical[7]FDP/PRD1899
1907
1913
Died in office.B04
34 Ernst BrennerBS25 March 189711 March 1911Justice and PolicePolitical[7]FDP/PRD1901
1908
Died in office.E07
35 Robert ComtesseNE14 December 18994 March 1912Finance and CustomsJustice and PolicePosts and RailwaysPolitical[7]FDP/PRD1904
1910
C07
36 Marc-Émile RuchetVD14 December 18999 July 1912Home AffairsFinance and CustomsPolitical[7]FDP/PRD1905
1911
G05
37 Ludwig ForrerZH11 December 19027 December 1917Trade, Industry and AgricultureHome AffairsPolitical[7]MilitaryJustice and PolicePosts and RailwaysFDP/PRD1906
1912
A06
38 Josef Anton SchobingerLU17 June 190827 November 1911Justice and PoliceTrade, Industry and AgricultureFinance and CustomsHome AffairsCVP/PDCF04
39 Arthur HoffmannSG4 April 191119 June 1917Justice and PoliceMilitaryPoliticalFDP/PRD1914E08
40 Giuseppe MottaTI14 December 191123 January 1940Finance and CustomsPoliticalCVP/PDC1915
1920
1927
1932
1937
Died in office.F05
41 Louis PerrierNE12 March 191216 May 1913Posts and RailwaysHome AffairsFDP/PRDC08
42 Camille DecoppetVD17 July 19127 November 1919Home AffairsJustice and PoliceMilitaryFDP/PRD1916G06
43 Edmund SchulthessAG17 July 191215 April 1935Trade, Industry and AgricultureFDP/PRD1917
1921
1928
1933
D06
44 Felix CalonderGR12 June 191312 February 1920Home AffairsPolitical[7]FDP/PRD1918C09
45 Gustave AdorGE26 June 191731 December 1919PoliticalHome AffairsLPS/PLS1919E09
46 Robert HaabZH13 December 191731 December 1929Posts and RailwaysFDP/PRD1922
1929
A07
47 Karl ScheurerBE11 December 191914 November 1929MilitaryFDP/PRD1923Died in office.B05
48 Ernest ChuardVD11 December 191931 December 1928Home AffairsFDP/PRD1924G07
49 Jean-Marie MusyFR11 December 191930 April 1934Finance and CustomsCVP/PDC1925
1930
E10
50 Heinrich HäberlinTG12 February 192012 March 1934Justice and PoliceFDP/PRD1926
1931
C10
51 Marcel Pilet-GolazVD13 December 19287 November 1944Home AffairsPosts and RailwaysPoliticalFDP/PRD1934
1940
G08
52 Rudolf MingerBE12 December 192931 December 1940MilitarySVP/UDC1935B06
53 Albert MeyerZH12 December 192931 December 1938Home AffairsFinance and CustomsFDP/PRD1936A08
54 Johannes BaumannAR22 March 193431 December 1940Justice and PoliceFDP/PRD1938C11
55 Philipp EtterZG28 March 193419 November 1959Home AffairsCVP/PDC1939
1942
1947
1953
E11
56 Hermann ObrechtSO4 April 193520 June 1940Economic AffairsFDP/PRDD07
57 Ernst WetterZH15 December 193831 December 1943Finance and CustomsFDP/PRD1941A09
58 Enrico CelioTI22 February 194023 June 1950Posts and RailwaysCVP/PDC1943
1948
F06
59 Walther StampfliSO18 July 194018 November 1947Economic AffairsFDP/PRD1944D08
60 Eduard von SteigerBE10 December 19409 November 1951Justice and PoliceSVP/UDC1945
1951
B07
61 Karl KobeltSG10 December 19405 November 1954MilitaryFDP/PRD1946
1952
C12
62 Ernst NobsZH15 December 194313 November 1951Finance and CustomsSPS/PSS1949A10
63 Max PetitpierreNE14 December 194430 June 1961PoliticalFDP/PRD1950
1955
1960
G09
64 Rodolphe RubattelVD11 December 19471 November 1954Economic AffairsFDP/PRD1954D09
65 Josef EscherVS14 September 195026 November 1954Posts and RailwaysCVP/PDCF07
66 Markus FeldmannBE13 December 19513 November 1958Justice and PoliceSVP/UDC1956B08
67 Max WeberZH13 December 19518 December 1953Finance and CustomsSPS/PSSA11
68 Hans StreuliZH22 December 195319 November 1959Finance and CustomsFDP/PRD1957A12
69 Thomas HolensteinSG16 December 195420 November 1959Economic AffairsCVP/PDC1958F08
70 Paul ChaudetVD16 December 195428 November 1966MilitaryFDP/PRD1959
1962
D10
71 Giuseppe LeporiTI16 December 195424 November 1959Posts and RailwaysCVP/PDCC13
72 Friedrich Traugott WahlenBE11 December 195831 December 1965Justice and PoliceEconomic AffairsPoliticalSVP/UDC1961B09
73 Jean BourgknechtFR17 December 19593 September 1962Finance and ResearchCVP/PDCE12
74 Willy SpühlerZH17 December 195931 January 1970Posts and RailwaysPoliticalSPS/PSS1963
1968
A13
75 Ludwig von MoosOW17 December 195931 December 1971Justice and PoliceCVP/PDC1964
1969
F09
76 Hans-Peter TschudiBS17 December 195931 December 1973Home AffairsSPS/PSS1965
1970
C14
77 Hans SchaffnerAG15 June 196131 December 1969Economic AffairsFDP/PRD1966G10
78 Roger BonvinVS27 September 196231 December 1973Finance and CustomsTransport, Energy, CommunicationsCVP/PDC1967
1973
E13
79 Rudolf GnägiBE8 December 196531 December 1979Transport, Energy, CommunicationsMilitarySVP/UDC1971
1976
B10
80 Nello CelioTI15 December 196631 December 1973MilitaryFinance and CustomsFDP/PRD1972D11
81 Pierre GraberNE10 December 196931 January 1978PoliticalSPS/PSS1975A14
82 Ernst BruggerZH10 December 196931 January 1978Economic AffairsFDP/PRD1974G11
83 Kurt FurglerSG8 December 197131 December 1986Justice and PoliceEconomic AffairsCVP/PDC1977
1981
1985
F10
84 Willi RitschardSO5 December 19733 October 1983Transport, Energy, CommunicationsFinanceSPS/PSS1978Died in office.C15
85 Hans HürlimannZG5 December 197331 December 1982Home AffairsCVP/PDC1979E14
86 Georges-André ChevallazVD5 December 197331 December 1983Finance and CustomsMilitaryFDP/PRD1980D12
87 Fritz HoneggerZH7 December 197731 December 1982Economic AffairsFDP/PRD1982G12
88 Pierre AubertNE7 December 197731 December 1987PoliticalSPS/PSS1983
1987
A15
89 Leon SchlumpfGR5 December 197931 December 1987Transport, Energy, CommunicationsSVP/UDC1984B11
90 Alphons EgliLU8 December 198231 December 1986Home AffairsCVP/PDC1986E15
91 Rudolf FriedrichZH8 December 198220 October 1984Justice and PoliceFDP/PRDG13
92 Otto StichSO7 December 198331 October 1995FinanceSPS/PSS1988
1994
C16
93 Jean-Pascal DelamurazVD7 December 198330 March 1998MilitaryEconomic AffairsFDP/PRD1989
1996
D13
94 Elisabeth KoppZH2 October 198412 January 1989Justice and PoliceFDP/PRDFirst female Federal Councillor.G14
95 Arnold KollerAI10 December 198613 January 1999Justice and PoliceMilitaryCVP/PDC1990
1997
F11
96 Flavio CottiTI10 December 198613 January 1999Home AffairsForeign AffairsCVP/PDC1991
1998
E16
97 René FelberNE9 December 198731 March 1993Foreign AffairsSPS/PSS1992A16
98 Adolf OgiBE9 December 198731 December 2000Transport, Energy, CommunicationsMilitarySVP/UDC1993
2000
B12
99 Kaspar VilligerLU1 February 198931 December 2003MilitaryFinanceFDP/PRD1995
2002
G15
100 Ruth DreifussGE10 March 199331 December 2002Home AffairsSPS/PSS1999Elected after Francis Matthey declined the election.A17
101 Moritz LeuenbergerZH27 September 19951 November 2010Transport, Energy, CommunicationsSPS/PSS2001
2006
C17
102 Pascal CouchepinVS11 March 199831 October 2009Economic AffairsHome AffairsFDP/PRD2003
2008
D14
103 Ruth MetzlerAI11 March 199931 December 2003Justice and PoliceCVP/PDCNot reelected.[11]F12
104 Joseph DeissFR11 March 199931 July 2006Foreign AffairsEconomic AffairsCVP/PDC2004E17
105 Samuel SchmidBE6 December 200031 December 2008[12]Defence, Civil Protection and SportSVP/UDC2005Switched to the BDP/PBD in 2008.B13
106 Micheline Calmy-ReyGE4 December 200231 December 2011Foreign AffairsSPS/PSS2007
2011
A18
107 Christoph BlocherZH10 December 200331 December 2007Justice and PoliceSVP/UDCNot reelected.[13]F13
108 Hans-Rudolf MerzAR10 December 20031 November 2010FinanceFDP/PRD2009G16
109 Doris LeuthardAG14 June 200631 December 2018Economic AffairsEnvironment, Transport, Energy and CommunicationsCVP/PDC2010
2017
E18
110 Eveline Widmer-SchlumpfGR12 December 200731 December 2015Justice and PoliceFinanceBDP/PBD2012First elected for the SVP/UDC, switched in 2008.F14
111 Ueli MaurerZH10 December 200831 December 2022Defence, Civil Protection and SportFinanceSVP/UDC2013
2019
B14
112 Didier BurkhalterNE16 September 200931 October 2017Home AffairsForeign AffairsFDP/PLR2014D15
113 Simonetta SommarugaBE22 September 201031 December 2022Justice and PoliceEnvironment, Transport, Energy and CommunicationsSPS/PSS2015
2020
C18
114 Johann Schneider-AmmannBE22 September 201031 December 2018Economic AffairsFDP/PLR2016G17
115 Alain BersetFR14 December 2011IncumbentHome AffairsSPS/PSS2018
2023
A19
116 Guy ParmelinVD9 December 2015IncumbentDefence, Civil Protection and SportEconomic Affairs, Education and ResearchSVP/UDC2021F15
117 Ignazio CassisTI20 September 2017IncumbentForeign AffairsFDP/PLR2022D16
118 Viola AmherdVS5 December 2018IncumbentDefence, Civil Protection and SportCVP/PDCThe CVP/PDC merged into The Centre in 2021.E19
119 Karin Keller-SutterSG5 December 2018IncumbentJustice and PoliceFinanceFDP/PLRG18
120 Albert RöstiBE7 December 2022IncumbentEnvironment, Transport, Energy and CommunicationsSVP/UDCB15
121 Élisabeth Baume-SchneiderJU7 December 2022IncumbentJustice and PoliceSPS/PSSC19

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

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 StehlinBS11 July 1855FDP/PRD
(23) Louis RuchonnetVD10 December 1875FDP/PRDLater elected as the 26th Councillor.
(23) Charles EstoppeyVD18 December 1875FDP/PRD
(26) Karl HoffmannSG22 February 1881FDP/PRD
(100) Francis MattheyNE3 March 1993SPS/PSS

Notes and references

  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. 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. 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.

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