Ueli Maurer Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Ueli Maurer
Official portrait in 2022

President of Switzerland
In office 1 January 2019 – 31 December 2019
Vice President	Simonetta Sommaruga
Preceded by	Alain Berset
Succeeded by	Simonetta Sommaruga
In office 1 January 2013 – 31 December 2013
Vice President	Didier Burkhalter
Preceded by	Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf
Succeeded by	Didier Burkhalter
Vice President of Switzerland
In office 1 January 2018 – 31 December 2018
President	Alain Berset
Preceded by	Alain Berset
Succeeded by	Simonetta Sommaruga
In office 1 January 2012 – 31 December 2012
President	Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf
Preceded by	Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf
Succeeded by	Didier Burkhalter
Head of the Department of Finance
In office 1 January 2016 – 31 December 2022
Preceded by	Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf
Succeeded by	Karin Keller-Sutter
Head of the Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
In office 1 January 2009 – 31 December 2015
Preceded by	Samuel Schmid
Succeeded by	Guy Parmelin
Member of the Swiss Federal Council
In office 1 January 2009 – 31 December 2022
Preceded by	Samuel Schmid
Succeeded by	Albert Rösti
Member of the Swiss National Council
In office 25 November 1991 – 31 December 2008
Parliamentary group	Swiss People's Party
Constituency	Zürich
Chairman of the Swiss People's Party
In office 27 January 1996 – 1 March 2008
Preceded by	Hans Uhlmann
Succeeded by	Toni Brunner

Personal details
Born	(1950-12-01) 1 December 1950 (age 74) Wetzikon, Zürich, Switzerland
Political party	Swiss People's Party
Spouse	Anne-Claude Peter (m. 1976)
Children	6
Residences	Hinwil, Zürich

Ulrich "Ueli" Maurer (born 1 December 1950) is a Swiss politician. He was a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2009 to 2022. This council is like the government's main team in Switzerland.

Ueli Maurer is part of the Swiss People's Party. He served as President of Switzerland in 2013 and again in 2019. Before that, he led the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports from 2009 to 2015. From 2016 to 2022, he was in charge of the Federal Department of Finance. He was the longest-serving member of the Federal Council from 2019 until he left office in 2022.

Maurer worked as an accountant. He was also the chairman of the Swiss People's Party from 1996 to 2008. He was chosen to join the Federal Council in 2008 and started his role on 1 January 2009. He was also Vice President of Switzerland in 2012 and 2018. He was re-elected to the Federal Council several times during his career.

Early Life and Education
Professional Career and Family Life
Political Journey
After His Time in Government
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Ueli Maurer was born on 1 December 1950 in Wetzikon, Switzerland. His father, Ulrich Maurer Sr., was a farmer. His mother was Annemarie Maurer.

He grew up in the Zürcher Oberland area. He learned a trade through a commercial apprenticeship. He also earned a special certificate in accounting. Ueli Maurer was the only member of the Federal Council without a university degree until he retired in 2022.

Professional Career and Family Life

Before joining the Federal Council, Maurer was the director of the Zürich Farmers' Association from 1994 to 2008. He also led the Swiss Vegetable Farmers' Association.

Ueli Maurer is married to Anne-Claude Peter, and they have six children. They live in Hinwil in the canton of Zürich. He also served in the Swiss Army as a major. He commanded a special unit that used bicycles.

Political Journey

Local and Regional Politics

Ueli Maurer started his political career in his hometown. From 1978 to 1986, he was a member of the local government in Hinwil.

In 1983, he was elected to the parliament of Zürich. He even led this parliament in 1991. In the same year, he was elected to the National Council, which is part of the Swiss national parliament.

Leading the Swiss People's Party

In 1996, Ueli Maurer became the president of the Swiss People's Party. At first, some people didn't take him seriously. However, under his leadership, the party grew a lot. It became the strongest political party in Switzerland.

Many people say Maurer's hard work helped the party succeed. He made sure party members followed strict rules. He also focused on popular issues like being against European integration and supporting Swiss independence. He was known for making strong statements that got attention.

As party president, Maurer helped create strong campaigns. These campaigns sometimes caused debate. Despite this, his colleagues in parliament respected him. They saw him as a person with integrity and a good understanding of political topics.

In October 2007, after the party won a big election, Maurer decided to step down as party president. He was replaced by Toni Brunner in March 2008.

Becoming a Federal Councillor

2013 Swiss Federal Council

2019 Swiss Federal Council

On 27 November 2008, Ueli Maurer was chosen as a candidate for the Swiss Federal Council. This is Switzerland's highest governing body. On 10 December 2008, he was elected to the Federal Council. He started his new role on 1 January 2009.

Maurer became Vice President of Switzerland for 2012. On 5 December 2012, he was elected President of Switzerland for 2013.

Maurer with US President Donald Trump at the White House in 2019

He was re-elected to the Federal Council in 2015. On 11 December 2015, he was chosen to lead the Federal Department of Finance. This meant he became Switzerland's finance minister. In this role, he attended the 2017 G20 Hamburg summit, which was a first for a Swiss Federal Councillor.

Ueli Maurer became President of Switzerland for a second time in 2019. During this year, he visited China and signed an agreement related to the Belt and Road Initiative. He also met with US President Donald Trump at the White House. They talked about important global issues.

On 20 September 2022, Ueli Maurer announced that he would leave the Federal Council. His last day was 31 December 2022.

After His Time in Government

After leaving the Federal Council, Ueli Maurer continued to be active. On 1 January 2023, he joined the ethics committee of the International Olympic Committee. This committee helps ensure fair play and good behavior in sports.

In February 2024, Maurer shared his thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic. He spoke about his actions as a Federal Councillor during that time.