Swiss Federal Council 2009

Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The two houses of the Swiss parliament, together referred to as the United Federal Assembly, is voting today, 16 September, on a new councilor for the ruling seven-member Federal Council, Switzerland’s cabinet. Councilor Pascal Couchpin, who served as president of the country in 2008, is resigning at the end of October 2009 and the vote is for his replacement. Members of the council are elected for four-year terms and the post of president, for one year, rotates among them, with parliamentary approval. Today’s new councilor will have a chance at the presidential position, but not every councilor becomes president, depending mainly on the length of their time in office.

Swiss media have speculated heavily in recent days about who will win the slot, with a large number of potential candidates putting their names forward and no clear front runner. At issue is the balance of power in the cabinet, which since 1959 has shared power among the political parties according to their share of the vote – although this “magic formula” was strained after the 2003 election, when the far right won a significant new percentage.

Today’s vote may show whether or not this traditional solution to power-sharing will remain in place.

The Federal Council rules through a “collegial” decision-making process where final decisions but not the group’s internal debates, are made public. The current cabinet members are: The members of the Federal Council (see photo, from left to right): Ueli Maurer, Micheline Calmy-Rey, Moritz Leuenberger, President Hans-Rudolf Merz, Doris Leuthard (Vice-President), Pascal Couchepin, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, with Federal Chancellor Corina Casanova.

Swiss political parties: note that most have French and German names and the government information site also provides their names in English, although these are rarely used.

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