Flavio Cotti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Flavio Cotti
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Cotti in 1997
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| President of Switzerland | |
| In office 1 January 1991 – 31 December 1991 |
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| Preceded by | Arnold Koller |
| Succeeded by | René Felber |
| In office 1 January 1998 – 31 December 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Arnold Koller |
| Succeeded by | Ruth Dreifuss |
| Member of the Swiss Federal Council | |
| In office 1 January 1987 – 30 April 1999 |
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| Preceded by | Alphons Egli |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Deiss |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 October 1939 Prato-Sornico, Switzerland |
| Died | 16 December 2020 (aged 81) Locarno, Switzerland |
| Political party | Christian Democratic People's Party |
Flavio Cotti (born October 18, 1939 – died December 16, 2020) was an important Swiss politician. He was a member of the Federal Council, which is like Switzerland's government, from 1986 to 1999. He belonged to the Christian Democratic People's Party from the Ticino region.
During the 1990s, Cotti tried to help Switzerland become more connected with the European Union. He was also the President of Switzerland twice, in 1991 and 1998. He led departments dealing with things inside Switzerland and with other countries.
Contents
Early Life and Political Start
Flavio Cotti was born in Muralto, Switzerland. He studied law in Fribourg and then worked as a lawyer in Locarno. He also started his political journey in his home region of Ticino.
In 1962, he became the leader of a new political group called Partito popolare democratico ticinese. Later, he was elected president of the Christian Democratic Party in Ticino in 1981. He even led the national party from 1981 to 1984.
Cotti was a member of the Ticino regional parliament from 1962 to 1975. In 1975, he joined the regional government of Ticino. Then, in 1983, he was elected to the National Council, which is part of Switzerland's national parliament.
Time in the Swiss Government
Cotti was chosen to join the Federal Council of Switzerland on December 10, 1986. He served until April 30, 1999. During his time, he was in charge of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (1987–1993). This department handles things like culture, health, and social security within Switzerland.
From 1994 to 1999, he led the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. This department deals with Switzerland's relationships with other countries. As mentioned, he was the President of Switzerland in 1991 and again in 1998. The president is chosen from the Federal Council members for a one-year term.
Cotti believed in working closely with countries around the world. He was very supportive of Switzerland becoming more involved with Europe. In 1992, he helped the government decide to try and join the European Union. However, Swiss voters later said no to joining the European Economic Area. This decision made it harder for Switzerland to connect more with the EU. Because his big ideas sometimes didn't fit with Switzerland's slow way of making decisions, some people called him the "minister of announcements."
As Switzerland's foreign minister, Cotti worked hard to fix Switzerland's relationship with the EU. He helped create important agreements that still guide how Switzerland and the EU work together. He also led talks to resolve claims from Holocaust survivors against Swiss banks. Cotti strongly supported Switzerland joining the United Nations, which finally happened after he left office in 2002. He also gained international recognition as the first Swiss president of the OSCE, an organization focused on security.
After Politics
After leaving politics, Flavio Cotti took on important advisory roles. He served on the board of major Swiss companies, including Credit Suisse.
Flavio Cotti passed away on December 16, 2020, at the age of 81. He died from COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland.
Images for kids
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Flavio Cotti in 1997
See also
In Spanish: Flavio Cotti para niños
