Swiss Federal Council election

Last updated

The Swiss Federal Council is elected by the 246 members of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland by secret ballot. Regular elections take place every four years, in the first session following the Swiss federal elections. Additionally, an election is held to replace Federal Councillors who have announced their retirement or who have died in office.

Contents

The procedure of the election is guided both by legal requirements set down in the Swiss Constitution, and by informal understandings between the major parties, such as the magic formula which describes a long-standing Concordance system in which the four major Swiss parties, the Free Democratic Party, the Christian Democratic People's Party, the Swiss People's Party and the Social Democratic Party, mutually concede the right to a representation in the Federal Council roughly corresponding to each party's ballot in the general election.

The legal requirements for the election are as in article 175 of the constitution and in articles 132f of the parliamentary law of 2003.

It is customary to confirm sitting councillors seeking re-election. Non-reelection of a candidate has occurred only four times in the history of the Swiss federal state, twice in the 19th century (Ulrich Ochsenbein 1854, Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel 1872) and twice in the 21st (Ruth Metzler-Arnold 2003, Christoph Blocher 2007).

Councillors once elected have the right to serve their term and there is no mechanism by which the parliament could enforce their retirement. Each of the seven seats is subject to an individual election, held in sequence of seniority. It is customary for the major parties to nominate candidates, but these are not legally binding on the Assembly. Especially when there are several vacancies to be filled, the individual factions tend to honour these nominations in order to increase the likelihood of their own nominations being honoured. There have still been many cases where such candidacies have been ignored, with another, non-nominated member of the same party elected instead.

Since 1999, the constitution requires that the Federal Council duly represents all regions and linguistic groups. Prior to 1999, it was merely required that only one Councillor from any given canton may hold office at any time.

Beyond the legal requirements, there are a number of long-standing traditions in the composition of the Council: The Federal Council never consisted of German-speaking members only, in spite of the Swiss German cantons recruiting a clear majority of the Federal Assembly. Councillors from the German-speaking cantons have, however, always been in the majority, usually in a 4:3 or 5:2 ratio. A majority of six German-speaking Councillors occurred only once, in the 1876 to 1880 term. The "Stammlande" principle traditionally elected only Councillors whose party held a majority in their own canton of origin.

There have been repeated attempts to reform the system of election to one of direct popular election. A popular initiative to this effect was repudiated in 1900 and again in 1942. The main argument against a popular election is the problematic balance of linguistic and regional minorities. A pure plurality voting system would likely result in a Federal Council composed exclusively of representatives of the urban, German-speaking cantons, which account for a majority of the Swiss population.

Individual elections

yeardatenewly electedregular termpredecessor(s)notes
184816 November Ulrich Ochsenbein, Jonas Furrer, Martin J. Munzinger, Henri Druey, Friedrich Frey-Herosé, Wilhelm Matthias Naeff and Stefano Franscini first election following the foundation of the Swiss Confederacy as a federal state with the entering into force of the federal constitution on 12 September.
18546 December Jakob Stämpfli Ulrich Ochsenbein non-reelection of Ochsenbein
185511 July Constant Fornerod Henri Druey (died in office)
185514 July Josef Martin Knüsel Martin J. Munzinger (died in office)Knüsel was elected after Johann Jakob Stehlin refused to serve
185739 July Giovanni Battista Pioda Stefano Franscini (died in office)
186130 July Jakob Dubs Jonas Furrer (died in office)
186312 December Karl Schenk Jakob Stämpfli
186412 July Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel Giovanni Battista Pioda
18668 December Emil Welti Friedrich Frey-Herosé
18676 December Victor Ruffy Constant Fornerod
18701 February Paul Cérésole Victor Ruffy (died in office)
187212 July Eugène Borel, Johann Jakob Scherer Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel non-reelection of Challet-Venel
187510 December Bernhard Hammer, Numa Droz, Fridolin Anderwert, Joachim Heer Eugène Borel, Paul Cérésole, Wilhelm Matthias Naeff, Josef Martin Knüsel Droz was elected after Louis Ruchonnet and Charles Estoppey declined their election.
187810 December Simeon Bavier Joachim Heer
187921 March Wilhelm Friedrich Hertenstein Johann Jakob Scherer
18813 March Louis Ruchonnet Fridolin Anderwert (died in office) Karl Hoffmann refused to serve
188310 April Adolf Deucher Simeon Bavier
188813 December Walter Hauser Wilhelm Hertenstein (died in office)
189011 December Emil Frey Bernhard Hammer
189117 December Josef Zemp Emil Welti Zemp as a member of the Swiss Conservative People's Party (the predecessor of the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland) was the first councillor not of the Radical Party, beginning of the Swiss concordance system.
189215 December Adrien Lachenal Numa Droz
189314 December Eugène Ruffy Louis Ruchonnet (died in office)
189516 August Eduard Müller Karl Schenk (died in office)
189725 March Ernst Brenner Emil Frey
189914 December Marc-Emile Ruchet, Robert Comtesse Eugène Ruffy, Adrien Lachenal
190211 December Ludwig Forrer Walter Hauser (died in office)
190817 June Josef Anton Schobinger Josef Zemp
19114 April Arthur Hoffmann Ernst Brenner (died in office)
191114 December Giuseppe Motta Josef Anton Schobinger,
191212 March Louis Perrier Robert Comtesse
191217 July Edmund Schulthess, Camille Decoppet Adolf Deucher (died in office), Marc-Emile Ruchet
191312 June Felix-Louis Calonder Louis Perrier
191726 June Gustave Ador Arthur Hoffmann Ador was the first, and to date only, councillor of the Liberal Party of Switzerland
191713 December Robert Haab Ludwig Forrer
191911 December Jean-Marie Musy, Ernest Chuard, Karl Scheurer Gustave Ador, Camille Decoppet, Eduard Müller (died in office)
192012 February Heinrich Häberlin Felix-Louis Calonder
192813 December Marcel Pilet-Golaz 1928 Swiss federal election Ernest Chuard
192912 December Albert Meyer, Rudolf Minger Robert Haab, Karl Scheurer (died in office)Minger was the first representative of the Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents (BGB/PAI), the predecessor of the Swiss People's Party.
1931 1931 Swiss federal election
193422 March Johannes Baumann Heinrich Häberlin
193428 March Philipp Etter Jean-Marie Musy
19354 April Hermann Obrecht Edmund Schulthess
193815 December Ernst Wetter Albert Meyer
194018 July Walther Stampfli Hermann Obrecht
194010 December Enrico Celio, Walther Stampfli, Eduard von Steiger, Karl Kobelt Giuseppe Motta, Rudolf Minger, Johannes Baumann
194315 December Ernst Nobs Ernst Wetter First Councillor of the Social Democratic Party.
194414 December Max Petitpierre Marcel Pilet-Golaz
194711 December Rodolphe Rubattel 1947 Swiss federal election Walther Stampfli
195014 September Joseph Escher Enrico Celio
195113 December Markus Feldmann, Max Weber 1951 Swiss federal election Eduard von Steiger, Ernst Nobs
195322 December Hans Streuli Max Weber
195416 December Thomas Holenstein, Paul Chaudet, Giuseppe Lepori Karl Kobelt, Joseph Escher (died in office), Rodolphe Rubattel
1955 1955 Swiss federal election all sitting councillors confirmed
195811 December Friedrich Traugott Wahlen Markus Feldmann (died in office)
195917 December Jean Bourgknecht, Willy Spühler, Ludwig von Moos, Hans Peter Tschudi 1959 Swiss federal election Philipp Etter, Hans Streuli, Thomas Holenstein, Giuseppe Lepori beginning of the Zauberformel. Tschudi was elected instead of the nominated candidate Walther Bringolf.
196115 June Hans Schaffner Max Petitpierre
196227 September Roger Bonvin Jean Bourgknecht
1963 1963 Swiss federal election all sitting councillors confirmed
19658 December Rudolf Gnägi Friedrich Traugott Wahlen
196614 December Nello Celio Paul Chaudet
1967 1967 Swiss federal election all sitting councillors confirmed
196910 December Ernst Brugger, Pierre Graber Hans Schaffner, Willy Spühler
19718 December Kurt Furgler 1971 Swiss federal election Ludwig von Moos
19735 December Willi Ritschard, Hans Hürlimann, Georges-André Chevallaz Nello Celio, Roger Bonvin, Hans Peter Tschudi
1975 1975 Swiss federal election all sitting councillors confirmed
19777 December Fritz Honegger, Pierre Aubert Ernst Brugger, Pierre Graber
19795 December Leon Schlumpf 1979 Swiss federal election Rudolf Gnägi
19828 December Alphons Egli, Rudolf Friedrich Hans Hürlimann, Fritz Honegger
19837 December Otto Stich, Jean-Pascal Delamuraz 1983 Swiss federal election Willi Ritschard (died in office), Georges-André Chevallaz first female candidate (Lilian Uchtenhagen)
19842 October Elisabeth Kopp Rudolf Friedrich first successful female candidate
198610 December Flavio Cotti, Arnold Koller Alphons Egli, Kurt Furgler
19879 December Adolf Ogi, René Felber 1987 Swiss federal election Leon Schlumpf, Pierre Aubert
19891 February Kaspar Villiger Elisabeth Kopp Kopp was forced to resign after a political scandal.
1991 1991 Swiss federal election all sitting councillors confirmed
199310 March Ruth Dreifuss René Felber Francis Matthey was elected instead of the nominated Christiane Brunner. Matthey under pressure from his party refused to serve, after Dreifuss which was elected.
199527 September Moritz Leuenberger 1995 Swiss federal election Otto Stich
199811 March Pascal Couchepin Jean-Pascal Delamuraz
1999 11 March Ruth Metzler-Arnold Joseph Deiss 1999 Swiss federal election Arnold Koller Flavio Cotti The Council for the first time has two female members.
20006 December Samuel Schmid Adolf Ogi
20024 December Micheline Calmy-Rey Ruth Dreifuss
2003 10 December Christoph Blocher 2003 Swiss federal election Ruth Metzler-Arnold non-reelection of Metzler-Arnold, end of the established Zauberformel and creation of a new one
2006 14 June Doris Leuthard Joseph Deiss
2007 12 December Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf 2007 Swiss federal election Christoph Blocher non-reelection of Blocher. The Council for the first time includes three female members. New Zauberformel interrupted in 2008
2008 10 December Ueli Maurer Samuel Schmid Maurer was behind Hansjörg Walter in the first two rounds and won 122:121 in the third.
2009 16 September Didier Burkhalter Pascal Couchepin
2010 22 September Simonetta Sommaruga, Johann Schneider-Ammann Moritz Leuenberger, Hans-Rudolf Merz historical first female majority in the council
2011 14 December Alain Berset 2011 Swiss federal election Micheline Calmy-Rey
2015 9 December Guy Parmelin 2015 Swiss federal election Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf New Zauberformel re-established.
2017 20 September Ignazio Cassis Didier Burkhalter
2018 5 December Viola Amherd, Karin Keller-Sutter Doris Leuthard, Johann Schneider-Ammann
2019 2019 Swiss federal election all sitting councillors confirmed
2022 7 December Albert Rösti, Élisabeth Baume-Schneider Ueli Maurer, Simonetta Sommaruga
2023 13 December Beat Jans 2023 Swiss federal election Alain Berset

References

    See also