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: 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

NamePortraitCanton[4]ElectionLeft officeDepartment headed[5]PartyPresidencyNotesSeq[6]
1Jonas Furrer ZH16 November 184825 July 1861Political[7]Justice and PoliceFDP/PRD1848–1849
1852
1855
1858
Died in office.A01
2Ulrich Ochsenbein BE16 November 18486 December 1854MilitaryFDP/PRDNot reelected.[8]B01
3Henri Druey VD16 November 184829 March 1855Justice and PolicePolitical[7]FinanceFDP/PRD1850Died in office.C01
4Josef Munzinger SO16 November 18486 February 1855FinancePolitical[7]Posts and ConstructionTrade and CustomsFDP/PRD1851Died in office.D01
5Stefano Franscini TI16 November 184819 July 1857Home AffairsFDP/PRDDied in office.E01
6Friedrich Frey-Herosé AG16 November 184831 December 1866Trade and CustomsPolitical[7]MilitaryFDP/PRD1854
1860
F01
7Wilhelm Matthias Naeff SG16 November 184831 December 1875Posts and ConstructionPolitical[7]Trade and CustomsPostsFinance and CustomsRailway and TradeFDP/PRD1853G01
8Jakob Stämpfli BE6 December 185431 December 1863Justice and PolicePolitical[7]FinanceMilitaryFDP/PRD1856
1859
1862
B02
9Constant Fornerod VD11 July 185531 October 1867Trade and CustomsPolitical[7]FinanceMilitaryFDP/PRD1857
1863
1867
C02
10Melchior Josef Martin Knüsel LU14 July 185531 December 1875FinanceTrade and CustomsJustice and PolicePolitical[7]Home AffairsFDP/PRD1861
1866
Elected after Johann Jakob Stehlin declined the election.D02
11Giovanni Battista Pioda TI30 July 185726 January 1864Home AffairsFDP/PRDE02
12Jakob Dubs ZH30 July 186128 May 1872Justice and PolicePolitical[7]Home AffairsPostsFDP/PRD1864
1868
1870
A02
13Karl Schenk BE12 December 186318 July 1895Home AffairsPoliticalFinanceRailway and TradeFDP/PRD1865
1871
1874
1878
1885
1893
Died in office. Longest serving member.B03
14Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel GE12 July 18647 December 1872FinancePostsFDP/PRDNot reelected.[9]E03
15Emil Welti AG8 December 186631 December 1891MilitaryPoliticalPosts and TelegraphJustice and PoliceFDP/PRD1869
1872
1876
1880
1884
1891
F02
16Victor Ruffy VD6 December 186729 December 1869FinanceMilitaryFDP/PRDDied in office.C03
17Paul Cérésole VD1 February 187031 December 1875FinanceMilitaryPolitical[7]Justice and PoliceFDP/PRD1873C04
18Johann Jakob Scherer ZH12 July 187223 December 1878FinanceRailway and TradePolitical[7]MilitaryFDP/PRD1875Died in office.A03
19Eugène Borel NE7 December 187231 December 1875Posts and TelegraphFDP/PRDE04
20Joachim Heer GL10 December 187531 December 1878Posts and TelegraphPolitical[7]Railway and TradeFDP/PRD1877D03
21Fridolin Anderwert TG10 December 187525 December 1880Justice and PoliceFDP/PRDDied in office
(committed suicide).[10]
G02
22Bernhard Hammer SO10 December 187531 December 1890Finance and CustomsPoliticalFDP/PRD1879
1889
E05
23Numa Droz NE18 December 187518 December 1892Home AffairsTrade and AgriculturePoliticalFDP/PRD1881
1887
Elected after Louis Ruchonnet and Charles Estoppey declined the election.C05
24Simeon Bavier GR10 December 18785 January 1883Finance and CustomsPosts and RailwaysPolitical[7]FDP/PRD1882D04
25Wilhelm Hertenstein ZH21 March 187927 November 1888MilitaryFDP/PRD1888Died in office.A04
26Louis Ruchonnet VD3 March 188114 September 1893Trade and AgricultureJustice and PolicePolitical[7]FDP/PRD1883
1890
Elected after Karl Hoffmann declined his election. Died in office.G03
27Adolf Deucher TG10 April 188310 July 1912Justice and PolicePosts and RailwaysTrade and AgriculturePolitical[7]FDP/PRD1886
1897
1903
1909
Died in office.D05
28Walter Hauser ZH13 December 188822 October 1902MilitaryFinance and CustomsPolitical[7]FDP/PRD1892
1900
Died in office.A05
29Emil Frey BL11 December 189011 March 1897MilitaryFDP/PRD1894E06
30Josef Zemp LU17 December 189117 June 1908Posts and RailwaysPolitical[7]CVP/PDC1895
1902
F03
31Adrien Lachenal GE15 December 189231 December 1899ExteriorTrade, Industry and AgricultureHome AffairsFDP/PRD1896C06
32Eugène Ruffy VD14 December 189331 October 1899Justice and PoliceHome AffairsPolitical[7]MilitaryFDP/PRD1898G04
33Eduard Müller BE16 August 18959 November 1919Justice and PoliceMilitaryPolitical[7]FDP/PRD1899
1907
1913
Died in office.B04
34Ernst Brenner BS25 March 189711 March 1911Justice and PolicePolitical[7]FDP/PRD1901
1908
Died in office.E07
35Robert Comtesse NE14 December 18994 March 1912Finance and CustomsJustice and PolicePosts and RailwaysPolitical[7]FDP/PRD1904
1910
C07
36Marc-Émile Ruchet VD14 December 18999 July 1912Home AffairsFinance and CustomsPolitical[7]FDP/PRD1905
1911
G05
37Ludwig Forrer ZH11 December 19027 December 1917Trade, Industry and AgricultureHome AffairsPolitical[7]MilitaryJustice and PolicePosts and RailwaysFDP/PRD1906
1912
A06
38Josef Anton Schobinger LU17 June 190827 November 1911Justice and PoliceTrade, Industry and AgricultureFinance and CustomsHome AffairsCVP/PDCF04
39Arthur Hoffmann SG4 April 191119 June 1917Justice and PoliceMilitaryPoliticalFDP/PRD1914E08
40Giuseppe Motta TI14 December 191123 January 1940Finance and CustomsPoliticalCVP/PDC1915
1920
1927
1932
1937
Died in office.F05
41Louis Perrier NE12 March 191216 May 1913Posts and RailwaysHome AffairsFDP/PRDC08
42Camille Decoppet VD17 July 19127 November 1919Home AffairsJustice and PoliceMilitaryFDP/PRD1916G06
43Edmund Schulthess AG17 July 191215 April 1935Trade, Industry and AgricultureFDP/PRD1917
1921
1928
1933
D06
44Felix Calonder GR12 June 191312 February 1920Home AffairsPolitical[7]FDP/PRD1918C09
45Gustave Ador GE26 June 191731 December 1919PoliticalHome AffairsLPS/PLS1919E09
46Robert Haab ZH13 December 191731 December 1929Posts and RailwaysFDP/PRD1922
1929
A07
47Karl Scheurer BE11 December 191914 November 1929MilitaryFDP/PRD1923Died in office.B05
48Ernest Chuard VD11 December 191931 December 1928Home AffairsFDP/PRD1924G07
49Jean-Marie Musy FR11 December 191930 April 1934Finance and CustomsCVP/PDC1925
1930
E10
50Heinrich Häberlin TG12 February 192012 March 1934Justice and PoliceFDP/PRD1926
1931
C10
51Marcel Pilet-Golaz VD13 December 19287 November 1944Home AffairsPosts and RailwaysPoliticalFDP/PRD1934
1940
G08
52Rudolf Minger BE12 December 192931 December 1940MilitarySVP/UDC1935B06
53Albert Meyer ZH12 December 192931 December 1938Home AffairsFinance and CustomsFDP/PRD1936A08
54Johannes Baumann AR22 March 193431 December 1940Justice and PoliceFDP/PRD1938C11
55Philipp Etter ZG28 March 193419 November 1959Home AffairsCVP/PDC1939
1942
1947
1953
E11
56Hermann Obrecht SO4 April 193520 June 1940Economic AffairsFDP/PRDD07
57Ernst Wetter ZH15 December 193831 December 1943Finance and CustomsFDP/PRD1941A09
58Enrico Celio TI22 February 194023 June 1950Posts and RailwaysCVP/PDC1943
1948
F06
59Walther Stampfli SO18 July 194018 November 1947Economic AffairsFDP/PRD1944D08
60Eduard von Steiger BE10 December 19409 November 1951Justice and PoliceSVP/UDC1945
1951
B07
61Karl Kobelt SG10 December 19405 November 1954MilitaryFDP/PRD1946
1952
C12
62Ernst Nobs ZH15 December 194313 November 1951Finance and CustomsSPS/PSS1949A10
63Max Petitpierre NE14 December 194430 June 1961PoliticalFDP/PRD1950
1955
1960
G09
64Rodolphe Rubattel VD11 December 19471 November 1954Economic AffairsFDP/PRD1954D09
65Josef Escher VS14 September 195026 November 1954Posts and RailwaysCVP/PDCF07
66Markus Feldmann BE13 December 19513 November 1958Justice and PoliceSVP/UDC1956B08
67Max Weber ZH13 December 19518 December 1953Finance and CustomsSPS/PSSA11
68Hans Streuli ZH22 December 195319 November 1959Finance and CustomsFDP/PRD1957A12
69Thomas Holenstein SG16 December 195420 November 1959Economic AffairsCVP/PDC1958F08
70Paul Chaudet VD16 December 195428 November 1966MilitaryFDP/PRD1959
1962
D10
71Giuseppe Lepori TI16 December 195424 November 1959Posts and RailwaysCVP/PDCC13
72Friedrich Traugott Wahlen BE11 December 195831 December 1965Justice and PoliceEconomic AffairsPoliticalSVP/UDC1961B09
73Jean Bourgknecht FR17 December 19593 September 1962Finance and ResearchCVP/PDCE12
74Willy Spühler ZH17 December 195931 January 1970Posts and RailwaysPoliticalSPS/PSS1963
1968
A13
75Ludwig von Moos OW17 December 195931 December 1971Justice and PoliceCVP/PDC1964
1969
F09
76Hans-Peter Tschudi BS17 December 195931 December 1973Home AffairsSPS/PSS1965
1970
C14
77Hans Schaffner AG15 June 196131 December 1969Economic AffairsFDP/PRD1966G10
78Roger Bonvin VS27 September 196231 December 1973Finance and CustomsTransport, Energy, CommunicationsCVP/PDC1967
1973
E13
79Rudolf Gnägi BE8 December 196531 December 1979Transport, Energy, CommunicationsMilitarySVP/UDC1971
1976
B10
80Nello Celio TI15 December 196631 December 1973MilitaryFinance and CustomsFDP/PRD1972D11
81Pierre Graber NE10 December 196931 January 1978PoliticalSPS/PSS1975A14
82Ernst Brugger ZH10 December 196931 January 1978Economic AffairsFDP/PRD1974G11
83Kurt Furgler SG8 December 197131 December 1986Justice and PoliceEconomic AffairsCVP/PDC1977
1981
1985
F10
84Willi Ritschard SO5 December 19733 October 1983Transport, Energy, CommunicationsFinanceSPS/PSS1978Died in office.C15
85Hans Hürlimann ZG5 December 197331 December 1982Home AffairsCVP/PDC1979E14
86Georges-André Chevallaz VD5 December 197331 December 1983Finance and CustomsMilitaryFDP/PRD1980D12
87Fritz Honegger ZH7 December 197731 December 1982Economic AffairsFDP/PRD1982G12
88Pierre Aubert NE7 December 197731 December 1987PoliticalSPS/PSS1983
1987
A15
89Leon Schlumpf GR5 December 197931 December 1987Transport, Energy, CommunicationsSVP/UDC1984B11
90Alphons Egli LU8 December 198231 December 1986Home AffairsCVP/PDC1986E15
91Rudolf Friedrich ZH8 December 198220 October 1984Justice and PoliceFDP/PRDG13
92Otto Stich SO7 December 198331 October 1995FinanceSPS/PSS1988
1994
C16
93Jean-Pascal Delamuraz VD7 December 198330 March 1998MilitaryEconomic AffairsFDP/PRD1989
1996
D13
94Elisabeth Kopp ZH2 October 198412 January 1989Justice and PoliceFDP/PRDFirst female Federal Councillor.G14
95Arnold Koller AI10 December 198613 January 1999Justice and PoliceMilitaryCVP/PDC1990
1997
F11
96Flavio Cotti TI10 December 198613 January 1999Home AffairsForeign AffairsCVP/PDC1991
1998
E16
97René Felber NE9 December 198731 March 1993Foreign AffairsSPS/PSS1992A16
98Adolf Ogi BE9 December 198731 December 2000Transport, Energy, CommunicationsMilitarySVP/UDC1993
2000
B12
99Kaspar Villiger LU1 February 198931 December 2003MilitaryFinanceFDP/PRD1995
2002
G15
100Ruth Dreifuss GE10 March 199331 December 2002Home AffairsSPS/PSS1999Elected after Francis Matthey declined the election.A17
101Moritz Leuenberger ZH27 September 19951 November 2010Transport, Energy, CommunicationsSPS/PSS2001
2006
C17
102Pascal Couchepin VS11 March 199831 October 2009Economic AffairsHome AffairsFDP/PRD2003
2008
D14
103Ruth Metzler AI11 March 199931 December 2003Justice and PoliceCVP/PDCNot reelected.[11]F12
104Joseph Deiss FR11 March 199931 July 2006Foreign AffairsEconomic AffairsCVP/PDC2004E17
105Samuel Schmid BE6 December 200031 December 2008[12]Defence, Civil Protection and SportSVP/UDC2005Switched to the BDP/PBD in 2008.B13
106Micheline Calmy-Rey GE4 December 200231 December 2011Foreign AffairsSPS/PSS2007
2011
A18
107Christoph Blocher ZH10 December 200331 December 2007Justice and PoliceSVP/UDCNot reelected.[13]F13
108Hans-Rudolf Merz AR10 December 20031 November 2010FinanceFDP/PRD2009G16
109Doris Leuthard AG14 June 200631 December 2018Economic AffairsEnvironment, Transport, Energy and CommunicationsCVP/PDC2010
2017
E18
110Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf GR12 December 200731 December 2015Justice and PoliceFinanceBDP/PBD2012First elected for the SVP/UDC, switched in 2008.F14
111Ueli Maurer ZH10 December 200831 December 2022Defence, Civil Protection and SportFinanceSVP/UDC2013
2019
B14
112Didier Burkhalter NE16 September 200931 October 2017Home AffairsForeign AffairsFDP/PLR2014D15
113Simonetta Sommaruga BE22 September 201031 December 2022Justice and PoliceEnvironment, Transport, Energy and CommunicationsSPS/PSS2015
2020
C18
114Johann Schneider-Ammann BE22 September 201031 December 2018Economic AffairsFDP/PLR2016G17
115Alain Berset FR14 December 201131 December 2023Home AffairsSPS/PSS2018
2023
A19
116Guy Parmelin VD9 December 2015IncumbentDefence, Civil Protection and SportEconomic Affairs, Education and ResearchSVP/UDC2021F15
117Ignazio Cassis TI20 September 2017IncumbentForeign AffairsFDP/PLR2022D16
118Viola Amherd VS5 December 2018IncumbentDefence, Civil Protection and SportCVP/PDC2024The CVP/PDC merged into The Centre in 2021.E19
119Karin Keller-Sutter SG5 December 2018IncumbentJustice and PoliceFinanceFDP/PLRG18
120Albert Rösti BE7 December 2022IncumbentEnvironment, Transport, Energy and CommunicationsSVP/UDCB15
121Élisabeth Baume-Schneider JU7 December 2022IncumbentJustice and PoliceHome AffairsSPS/PSSC19
122Beat Jans BS13 December 2023IncumbentJustice and PoliceSPS/PSSA20

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.

NameCantonElectionPartyNotes
(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

External links