2011 Swiss Federal Council election

Last updated

An election for all seven members of the Federal Council, the government of Switzerland, was held on 14 December 2011, following the federal election on 23 October 2011. [1] Micheline Calmy-Rey announced she would not run for re-election to the council. According to a traditional informal convention, the successor has to come from the French-speaking or Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. The candidates for her post announced by their respective cantonal sections are Alain Berset (Fribourg), Pierre-Yves Maillard (Vaud), Stéphane Rossini (Valais), and Marina Carobbio (Ticino). [2]

Contents

Berset and Maillard were favourites. Jean Studer, Liliane Maury Pasquier and Elisabeth Baume-Schneider declined to stand in the election. [2] [3] In the end, the SP decided to nominate Berset and Maillard. [4]

Apart from Calmy-Rey's successor, the controversial aspects of the election included, whether the SVP would hold their seat or gain another, which they had lost after one of their incumbents defected to the BDP; and whether the CVP or the FDP would gain the second seat held by the FDP, which both lay claim to.

The SVP's possible candidates are Heinz Tännler (Zug), Bruno Zuppiger (Zürich), Jakob Stark (Thurgau), Guy Parmelin (Vaud) and Hannes Germann (Schaffhausen). Jean-François Rime (Fribourg) was unofficially nominated, as well. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] Rime and Zuppiger were nominated as the SVP's candidates; after a scandal involving Zuppiger's professional activities emerged very shortly after the nomination meeting, Hansjörg Walter (Thurgau) was nominated in his stead. [11] [12]

Candidates

The following candidates participated in the election:

(Micheline Calmy-Rey (SPS), from Geneva, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs decided not to seek re-election)

Results

Results: [13]

Seat held by Doris Leuthard

Doris Leuthard was re-elected during the first ballot. Her re-election was supported by all parliamentary groups.

Round 1
Doris Leuthard216
Votes received by other persons11
Votes cast245
Invalid votes1
Blank votes17
Valid votes227
Absolute majority114

Seat held by Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf

Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf was re-elected during the first ballot. Her re-election was supported by all parliamentary groups except that of the SVP and part of the FDP.

Round 1
Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf131
Hansjörg Walter63
Jean-François Rime41
Votes received by other persons4
Votes cast245
Invalid votes1
Blank votes5
Valid votes239
Absolute majority120

Seat held by Ueli Maurer

Ueli Maurer was re-elected during the first ballot. His re-election was supported by all parliamentary groups except the GPS

Round 1
Ueli Maurer159
Hansjörg Walter41
Luc Recordon13
Votes received by other persons13
Votes cast245
Invalid votes3
Blank votes16
Valid votes226
Absolute majority114

Seat held by Didier Burkhalter

Didier Burkhalter was re-elected during the first ballot. His re-election was supported by all parliamentary groups.

Round 1
Didier Burkhalter194
Jean-François Rime24
Votes received by other persons14
Votes cast245
Invalid votes1
Blank votes12
Valid votes232
Absolute majority117

Seat held by Simonetta Sommaruga

Simonetta Sommaruga was re-elected during the first ballot. Her re-election was supported by all parliamentary groups except that of SVP

Round 1
Simonetta Sommaruga179
Jean-François Rime61
Votes received by other persons2
Votes cast245
Invalid votes0
Blank votes3
Valid votes242
Absolute majority122

Seat held by Johann Schneider-Ammann

Johann Schneider-Ammann was re-elected during the first ballot. His re-election was supported by all parliamentary groups except that of SVP

Round 1
Johann Schneider-Ammann159
Jean-François Rime64
Votes received by other persons11
Votes cast245
Invalid votes2
Blank votes9
Valid votes234
Absolute majority118

Vacant seat

A vacant seat was to be filled following the retirement of Micheline Calmy-Rey (SPS).

Alain Berset (SPS) was elected in the second round. His election was supported by all parliamentary groups except the SVP's.

Round 1Round 2
Alain Berset114126
Pierre-Yves Maillard5963
Jean-François Rime5954
Marina Carobbio10
Votes received by other persons12
Votes cast243245
Invalid votes00
Blank votes00
Valid votes243245
Absolute majority122123

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Council (Switzerland)</span> Federal government of Switzerland

The Federal Council is the federal cabinet of the Swiss Confederation. Its seven members also serve as the collective head of state and government of Switzerland. Since after World War II, the Federal Council is by convention a permanent grand coalition government composed of representatives of the country's major parties and language regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alain Berset</span> 97th President of the Swiss Confederation

Alain Berset is a Swiss politician who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2012 to 2023. A member of the Social Democratic Party (SP/PS), he headed the Federal Department of Home Affairs from when he took office. Berset served as President of the Swiss Confederation for 2018 and 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doris Leuthard</span> 91st President of the Swiss Confederation

Doris Leuthard is a Swiss politician and lawyer who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2006 to 2018. A member of the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC), she was elected as President of the Swiss Confederation for 2010 and 2017. Leuthard headed the Federal Department of Economic Affairs until 2010, when she became head of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications. As of 19 December 2019 she is a member of the board of the Kofi Annan Foundation and Stadler Rail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic formula (Swiss politics)</span> Agreement in Swiss politics

In Swiss politics, the magic formula is an arithmetic formula for dividing the seven executive seats on the Federal Council among the four coalition parties. The formula was first applied in 1959. It gave the Free Democratic Party, the Catholic Conservative Party and the Social Democratic Party two seats each, while the Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents received one seat.

On December 12, 2007, all seven members of the Federal Council, the government of Switzerland, were elected by the joint chambers of the Federal Assembly for the 2008–2012 term of office. Councillors are elected individually by an absolute majority of votes, with the incumbent councillors defending their seats in descending order of seniority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf</span> 92nd President of the Swiss Confederation

Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf is a Swiss politician and lawyer who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2008 to 2015. A member of the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) until 2008, she was then a member of the splinter Conservative Democratic Party (BDP/PBD) until 2021, when that party merged into The Centre. Widmer-Schlumpf was the head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police from 2008 to 2010, when she became head of the Federal Department of Finance. She served as President of the Swiss Confederation in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland</span> Swiss political party

The Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland was a conservative political party in Switzerland from 2008 to 2020. After the 2019 federal election, the BDP had three members in the National Council.

A by-election to the Swiss Federal Council was held in Switzerland on 16 September 2009, after incumbent Federal Councillor Pascal Couchepin announced his intention to retire on 31 October 2009.

Two by-elections to the Swiss Federal Council were held in Switzerland on 22 September 2010, after federal councillors Moritz Leuenberger (SP) and Hans-Rudolf Merz announced they would step down from the Federal Council towards the end of the year. The by-elections resulted in the elections of Simonetta Sommaruga from the SP and Johann Schneider-Ammann from the FDP, resulting in no change in the partisan composition of the council. It also resulted in the first majority of women on the Federal Council in its history, with Sommaruga joining Micheline Calmy-Rey, Doris Leuthard and Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simonetta Sommaruga</span> 95th President of the Swiss Confederation

Simonetta Myriam Sommaruga is a Swiss politician who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2010 to 2022. A member of the Social Democratic Party (SP/PS), she was President of the Swiss Confederation in 2015 and 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre-Yves Maillard</span> Swiss politician

Pierre-Yves Maillard is a Swiss politician of the Social Democratic Party. He was successively a deputy for the canton of Vaud on the National Council, a member of the Council of State of Vaud at the head of the department of health and social action, again national advisor and advisor to the states since the end of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Swiss federal election</span>

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 18 October 2015 for the National Council and the first round of elections to the Council of States, with runoff elections to the Council of States being held in various cantons until 22 November.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Parmelin</span> 98th President of Switzerland

Guy Bernard Parmelin is a Swiss Federal Councillor and head of the Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research. A member of the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC), he has been a member of the Federal Council since 2016, and has led the Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research since 2019. He previously led the Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports between 2016 and 2018. He served as president of Switzerland in 2021, having previously served as vice president of Switzerland in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stéphane Rossini</span> Swiss politician

Stéphane Rossini is a Swiss politician and the former vice President of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (2008–2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Swiss Federal Council election</span>

An election for all seven members of the Federal Council, the Government of Switzerland, was held on 9 December 2015, following the federal election on 19 October 2015, for the 2016–2020 term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Centre (political party)</span> Political party in Switzerland

The Centre or Alliance of the Centre is a centre-right political party in Switzerland. It was formed through the merger of the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland (CVP/PDC) and the Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland (BDP/PBD). Following the formal merger of the parties on 1 January 2021, it has 28 of 200 seats in the National Council and 13 of 46 seats in the Council of States. Viola Amherd is the party's representative on the Federal Council.

An election for all seven members of the Federal Council, the Government of Switzerland, was held on 11 December 2019, following the federal election on 20 October 2019, for the 2020–2024 term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Swiss Federal Council election</span> Governmental by-election, 7 December 2022

By-elections to the Swiss Federal Council were held on 7 December 2022, after federal councillors Ueli Maurer (SVP-ZH) and Simonetta Sommaruga (SP-BE) announced they would leave the Council effective 31 December of the same year. The parliament elected Albert Rösti and Élisabeth Baume-Schneider respectively to replace them.

An election for all seven members of the Federal Council, Switzerland's government, were held on 13 December 2023 for the 2024–2028 term. It followed the federal election held a month earlier and partly depended on its results.

References

  1. ↑ "Electoral Calendar -worldwide elections" . Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Die Kantonalparteien melden vier Kandidaturen an: Das SP-Kandidatenquartett steht". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  3. ↑ "Neuenburger Regierungsrat Studer will Calmy-Rey nicht beerben". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "Kommentar vom NZZ Inlandchef René Zeller zum Bundesrats-Zweierticket der SP: Selbstbewusste Genossen". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 25 November 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  5. ↑ "Bruno Zuppiger präsentiert sich als Kandidat zur Wiederherstellung der Konkordanz: Von seiner Partei getragen". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  6. ↑ "Einstimmiges Votum der Waadtländer SVP für Kandidatur des Nationalrats: Auch Guy Parmelin will in den Bundesrat". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 18 November 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "Thurgauer Regierungsrat Jakob Stark tritt zu den Bundesratswahlen an: Ein Konsenspolitiker steigt für die SVP in den Ring". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 25 November 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  8. ↑ "Die Nationalräte Jean-François Rime und Guy Parmelin kommen als Bundesratskandidaten in Frage: Auch in der welschen SVP heisst's "hie Freiburg, hie Waadt"". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  9. ↑ "Zwei weitere SVP-Kandidaten für die Bundesratswahlen – Fraktionsentscheid am Donnerstag: Zuppiger und Tännler vorgeschlagen". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  10. ↑ "Sechs SVP-Politiker mц╤chten auf das Bundesrats-Ticket | Sц╪dostschweiz" (in German). Suedostschweiz.ch. 2011-11-30. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  11. ↑ "Die Demontage des SVP-Bundesratskandidaten als Etappe Richtung Opposition: Zuppigers Fall". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 8 December 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "Der Lückenbüsser". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 9 December 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "Renouvellement intégral". Archived from the original on 5 December 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.