Federal Council (Switzerland) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Federal Council

Incumbent Viktor Rossi (Chancellor) Ignazio Cassis Élisabeth Baume-Schneider Karin Keller-Sutter (President) Albert Rösti Guy Parmelin (Vice-President) Beat Jans Viola Amherd
Style	His/Her Excellency
Appointer	Federal Assembly
Term length	Four years, no term limits
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Switzerland (2000)
Inaugural holder	Ulrich Ochsenbein Jonas Furrer Martin J. Munzinger Henri Druey Friedrich Frey-Herosé Wilhelm Matthias Naeff Stefano Franscini
Formation	1848; 177 years ago (1848)
Salary	CHF 477,688 annually per councillor

The Federal Council is like the main team that runs the country of Switzerland. It's made up of seven members. These seven people act as both the country's head of state (the official representative) and the government (the one that makes decisions).

Since World War II, the Federal Council has usually been a "grand coalition." This means it includes members from Switzerland's main political parties and different language regions.

Each of the seven members of the Federal Council is in charge of one of the seven government departments. Think of them as ministers. The President of the Swiss Confederation leads the council meetings. However, the president doesn't have more power than the others. They are simply the "first among equals" and the role changes every year among the seven members.

The 246 members of the Federal Assembly (Switzerland's parliament) choose the Federal Council. They are elected for a four-year term after each national election. Once elected, they cannot be removed by a vote of no confidence. Most members serve for about 8 to 12 years.

Who are the Members?

As of 2025^[update] here are the current members of the Federal Council, listed by how long they have served:

	Joined	Party	Canton	Job
Guy Parmelin	1 January 2016	Swiss People's Party	Vaud	Vice President for 2025 Leads the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research
Ignazio Cassis	1 November 2017	Liberals	Ticino	Leads the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Viola Amherd	1 January 2019	Centre	Valais	Leads the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport
Karin Keller-Sutter	1 January 2019	Liberals	St. Gallen	President for 2025 Leads the Federal Department of Finance
Albert Rösti	1 January 2023	Swiss People's Party	Bern	Leads the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications
Élisabeth Baume-Schneider	1 January 2023	Social Democratic Party	Jura	Leads the Federal Department of Home Affairs
Beat Jans	1 January 2024	Social Democratic Party	Basel-City	Leads the Federal Department of Justice and Police
Martin Pfister	1 April 2025	Centre	Zug	Will lead the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport

How the Federal Council Started

Early Days of the Council

The Federal Council was created in 1848 with Switzerland's first Federal Constitution. It was meant to be the top executive and managing body for the country.

When the Constitution was written, countries were still figuring out how to have a democracy. Switzerland's founders looked at the United States Constitution for ideas on how to set up the federal government. But for the executive branch, they chose a "collegial" system instead of a presidential one. This meant a group of people would lead, not just one person.

This collegial system fit well with Switzerland's long history. For a long time, Swiss cantons (states) had been run by councils of important citizens. Even today, only a few other countries, like Bosnia and Herzegovina and San Marino, have a group of people as their head of state instead of just one person.

How the Council's Makeup Changed

This chart shows which political parties were part of the Federal Council from 1919 to 2017.

The way the Federal Council works has stayed largely the same since 1848. However, the groups of people who make up the council have changed over time.

Political Parties in the Council

At first, the "Radicals" (now called FDP. The Liberals) were the main group. They had led the country to victory in the Sonderbund War (a civil war in Switzerland). So, they filled all the seats on the Federal Council. Their opponents, the "Catholic-Conservatives" (now the Christian Democratic People's Party, CVP), were the opposition.

In 1891, after a failed public vote, the Radicals decided to include the Conservatives. They supported the election of Josef Zemp to the council. This was the start of including more parties.

More Parties Join the Government

Over the first half of the 20th century, more political groups joined the government. This happened as the FDP and CVP parties became less popular. New parties, like the Social Democratic Party (SP) and the Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents (BGB, now the People's Party, SVP), grew stronger.

The CVP gained a second seat in 1919. The BGB joined the council in 1929. During World War II, the Social Democrats were also included for a short time in 1943.

The "Magic Formula" (1959–2003)

In 1959, a special agreement called the Zauberformel (meaning "magic formula") was created. This formula decided how many seats each major party would get on the council. It made the council a permanent "grand coalition" where different parties worked together.

The seats were usually divided like this:

Free Democratic Party (FDP): 2 members
Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP): 2 members
Social Democratic Party (SP): 2 members
Swiss People's Party (SVP): 1 member

Over time, the FDP and CVP slowly lost voters to the SVP and SP.

Changes to the Grand Coalition (2008)

After the 2003 elections, the balance changed. The SVP gained a second seat for their leader, Christoph Blocher. This seat had previously belonged to the CVP. However, in 2007, the Federal Assembly did not re-elect Blocher. Instead, they chose Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, another SVP politician, but one who was more moderate.

This led to a split in the SVP in 2008. Some members, including Widmer-Schlumpf, formed a new party. The SVP was then in opposition for the first time since 1929. But they returned to the council in 2008 when Ueli Maurer was elected. The SVP regained its second seat in 2015.

Women in the Council

Women in Switzerland gained the right to vote in federal elections in 1971. However, it took until 1984 for the first woman, Elisabeth Kopp, to be elected to the Federal Council.

In 1999, for the first time, two women served on the council at the same time. From 2007 to 2010, three out of seven councillors were women. In 2010, Simonetta Sommaruga was elected, making women the majority for the first time.

Here are the women who have served on the Federal Council:

Elisabeth Kopp (FDP): Elected in 1984, she was the first woman councillor.
Ruth Dreifuss (SP): Served from 1993 to 2002. She was the first woman to become President of the Confederation in 1999. Since her election, there has always been at least one woman on the council.
Ruth Metzler (CVP): Served from 1999 to 2003.
Micheline Calmy-Rey (SP): Elected in 2003, served until 2011.
Doris Leuthard (CVP): Elected in 2006, served until 2018.
Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf: Elected in 2007, served until 2015.
Simonetta Sommaruga (SP): Elected in 2010. With her election, women became the majority in the Federal Council for the first time.
Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP) and Viola Amherd (Centre): Both elected in 2018 and are currently serving.
Élisabeth Baume-Schneider (SP): Elected in 2022, she is the most recent woman to join the council.

Balancing Regions and Languages

The Constitution now says that seats should be fairly spread out among the different cantons (states) and language groups in Switzerland.

Historically, at least two council seats have been held by French- or Italian-speakers. As of 2022, the council has four German-speakers, two French-speakers, and one Italian-speaker. In 2017, Ignazio Cassis became the first Italian speaker on the council since 1999. When choosing new members, it helps if candidates can speak German, French, and Italian well.

How the Council Works

The President's Role

The inside of the west wing of the Federal Palace in Bern, where the Council meetings happen.

A meeting of the Federal Council in 2006.

Each year, one of the seven councillors is chosen by the United Federal Assembly to be the President of the Confederation. A vice president is also chosen. By tradition, these roles rotate every year. This means each councillor becomes vice president and then president every seven years while they are in office.

The president is the highest-ranking Swiss official. They lead council meetings and do some official duties that a head of state would do in other countries. If there's an urgent situation, the president can act for the whole council. But otherwise, they are just "first among equals," meaning they don't have more power than the other six councillors.

The president is not the only head of state for Switzerland. The entire council acts as the head of state together. However, the president often acts as the head of state when visiting other countries. This is because the whole council doesn't usually travel together.

Council Meetings

Before a meeting in 1987.

The Federal Council usually meets every Wednesday at the Federal Palace in Bern. This is where the Swiss federal government is located.

Besides the seven councillors, a few other important people attend the meetings:

Federal Chancellor: Viktor Rossi. He is like the government's chief of staff. He joins the discussions but doesn't vote. People sometimes call him the "eighth Federal Councillor" because of his important role.
The Vice-Chancellor: André Simonazzi. He is the spokesperson for the Federal Council and gives weekly press briefings after meetings.
Another Vice-Chancellor: Jörg De Bernardi. He manages the Federal Council's work within the Swiss Federal Chancellery.

During meetings, councillors address each other formally, even if they are friends. This helps keep the focus on the topics being discussed, not on personal feelings. After meetings, the councillors often have lunch together.

Decisions and Responsibilities

Each Federal Councillor leads a government department, similar to how ministers work in other countries. For example, the person in charge of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport is often called the "Swiss defence minister," even though that's not their official title.

Councillors are responsible not only for their own department but also for the work of their colleagues' departments. They are also responsible for how the entire government and federal administration are run.

Before the council makes a decision, the department responsible for that topic prepares a proposal. For example, if there's a change to federal employee salaries, the head of the Federal Department of Finance would propose it. Before a vote, all proposals are shared with the heads of other departments. Their senior officials then write responses with feedback. This process helps build agreement before the meeting.

Sometimes, for big decisions, the public is asked for their opinion. Cantons, political parties, and other groups can participate. This also helps find out if people might try to stop a new law with a public vote.

Decisions are usually made by a majority vote of the councillors present. However, most decisions are reached by everyone agreeing, or by consensus.

Secrecy of Meetings

The meetings of the Federal Council are not open to the public. The records of their discussions are kept secret for 50 years. Some people think this secrecy goes against the idea of transparency. However, the council believes secrecy is needed to reach agreements and to keep councillors independent.

Unwritten Rules

The Federal Council has many unwritten rules, called constitutional conventions. This is because it's a unique group where political opponents work together. The most important rule is "collegiality." This means councillors are not supposed to publicly criticize each other, even if they disagree. They are expected to publicly support all council decisions, even if it's not their personal opinion or their party's view.

Traveling Abroad

For a long time, Federal Councillors did not travel abroad for official business. This was because the entire council, not just one person, is technically the head of state. Switzerland was mostly represented by diplomats.

However, after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, the council decided to send a councillor to his funeral. This helped open up Switzerland to more international travel. Since the end of the Soviet Union, official trips abroad by Federal Councillors have become normal.

How Members are Chosen

The most recent elections for the Federal Council happened on December 13, 2023. Two members decided not to run again. The other councillors were re-elected.

Here are the councillors who were re-elected:

Guy Parmelin (SVP/VD): Elected with 215 out of 233 votes.
Ignazio Cassis (FDP/TI): Elected with 167 out of 239 votes.
Viola Amherd (DM/VS): Elected with 201 out of 228 votes.
Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP/SG): Elected with 176 out of 224 votes.
Albert Rösti (SVP/BE): Elected with 189 out of 217 votes.
Élisabeth Baume-Schneider (SP/JU): Elected with 151 out of 216 votes.

Because a member resigned, a new election was held:

Beat Jans (SP/BS): Elected with 134 out of 245 votes.

Also, Viktor Rossi was elected as the new Federal Chancellor. Viola Amherd became President for 2024, and Karin Keller-Sutter became Vice President for 2024. After the elections, some councillors changed which department they led.

Election Process

The election of the Federal Council in the Federal Assembly.

Members of the Federal Council are elected for a four-year term. Both parts of the Federal Assembly (the United Federal Assembly) vote together. Each seat is voted on one by one, starting with the person who has served the longest.

The election is by secret ballot. A candidate needs more than half of the votes to win. Any adult Swiss citizen can be elected, even if they don't want the job! But usually, only members of parliament or cantonal governments are nominated by parties.

The voting happens in several rounds:

In the first two rounds, anyone with voting rights can be chosen.
After the second round, only candidates with at least ten votes can continue.
In later rounds, candidates with fewer than ten votes, or the candidate with the lowest votes, are removed.

After winning, the new councillor gives a short speech and accepts the job. They take an oath of office, even though their term officially starts a few weeks later on January 1.

Usually, the party that has a seat to fill suggests two candidates. The Federal Assembly then chooses one. Once elected, councillors remain part of their political parties, but they don't hold leadership roles in them. They often keep a distance from their party's leaders. This is because they might have to publicly support a council decision that their party (or they themselves) don't agree with.

Resigning from Office

Once elected for a four-year term, Federal Councillors cannot be removed from office by a motion of no confidence. They can be re-elected many times. It's very rare for Parliament not to re-elect a sitting councillor. This has only happened four times in history.

So, councillors usually serve until they decide to resign and retire. This usually happens after three to five terms.

What it's Like to be a Federal Councillor

Daily Life

The official photo of the Federal Council in 2008 showed them as everyday people, fitting with Switzerland's direct democracy.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis speaking in 2019, with a Bundesweibel (official attendant) nearby.

Unlike many top government officials in other countries, Federal Councillors don't get an official home. They usually rent apartments or hotel rooms in Bern at their own cost. However, they can use the Federal Council's country estate, Lohn, for holidays. This estate is also used to host official guests.

Councillors can have security if they need it, especially for official events. But you can often see them without any guards on the streets, in restaurants, or on trams in Bern. For example, Ueli Maurer was known to ride his bicycle to the Federal Palace most days. Councillors also have a personal attendant, called a huissier or Bundesweibel. This person wears a red and white uniform and accompanies them to official events.

The spouses of councillors don't have an official role in government, except for attending official parties.

Salary and Benefits

Federal councillors earn about CHF 472,958 (Swiss Francs) each year, plus another CHF 30,000 for expenses. They pay taxes on this income.

Former councillors who served for at least four years get a pension equal to half of a current councillor's salary. If a councillor leaves early due to health, they might still get a pension. If they leave before four years, they might get a partial pension.

After leaving office, former councillors often take on other jobs. However, their total earnings (from their new job plus their pension) cannot be more than a current councillor's salary. If it is, their pension is reduced.

Serving councillors get special benefits. These include free phone contracts, a car with a driver for official work, a car for personal use, and the use of federal planes or helicopters for official trips. Each councillor also gets a first-class train pass for life. They also have personal security, which is often very discreet.

The first Federal Council with a majority of women (2010).

Legal Protection

Federal Councillors, like members of parliament, have legal immunity for things they say in their official role. This means they cannot be sued for those statements.

If there are accusations of crimes related to their official duties, the Federal Assembly's immunity commissions must agree to any prosecution. In such cases, Parliament can also temporarily remove the councillor from office.

It's very rare for permission to prosecute a councillor to be granted. Usually, these cases involve statements that someone found offensive. However, one councillor reportedly gave up his immunity after a traffic accident. Also, Councillor Elisabeth Kopp chose to resign when she faced questions about sharing secret information.

Important "Firsts" in the Council

The first seven members, elected in 1848.

1848: The first seven members were elected: Ulrich Ochsenbein, Jonas Furrer, Martin J. Munzinger, Henri Druey, Friedrich Frey-Herosé, Wilhelm Matthias Naeff, and Stefano Franscini.
1854: Ulrich Ochsenbein was the first (and one of only four so far) sitting Federal Councillor not to be re-elected.
1855: Johann Jakob Stehlin was the first elected councillor to refuse the job.
1875: Numa Droz was elected and accepted the job after two others refused. He is still the youngest person ever to serve on the Federal Council.
1891: Josef Zemp was the first councillor from the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland.
1893: Eugène Ruffy was the first member whose father was also a council member. The second was Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf in 2007, whose father was Leon Schlumpf.
1911: Adolf Deucher (FDP) was the first (and only) person in their eighties to serve in office.
1913: Felix Calonder (FDP) was the first (and only) native Romansh speaker.
1917: Gustave Ador was the first (and only) councillor from the Liberal Party of Switzerland.
1917 - 1919: For the first time, most councillors spoke Romance languages (French, Italian, Romansh), making German speakers a minority. This happened again in 2023.
1930: Rudolf Minger was the first councillor from the Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents (now the Swiss People's Party).
1943: Ernst Nobs was the first councillor from the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland.
1973: Willi Ritschard (SP) was the first councillor from a working-class background. He was a heating engineer, and his father was a shoemaker.
1983: Lilian Uchtenhagen (SP) was the first female candidate for the council from a government party.
1984: Elisabeth Kopp (FDP) was the first woman councillor.
1993: Ruth Dreifuss (SP) was elected, becoming the first Jewish councillor.
1995: Moritz Leuenberger (SP) was the first councillor living in a domestic partnership.
1999: Ruth Dreifuss (SP) was the first woman President of the Confederation.
2010: With the election of Simonetta Sommaruga (SP), women became the majority in the Swiss Federal Council for the first time.
2019: From January 2019 to December 2022, most Federal Councillors did not have a university degree. This was unusual, as most councillors after 1900 had academic education.

How Popular is the Council?

As of August 2022, about half of the people in Switzerland were happy with the Federal Council's work.