Federal Chancellor of Switzerland
  • Bundeskanzler der Schweiz (German)
  • Chancelier fédéral de la Suisse (French)
  • Cancelliere federale della Svizzera (Italian)
  • Chancelier federal da la Svizra (Romansh)
Incumbent
Viktor Rossi
since 1 January 2024
Federal Chancellery of Switzerland
ResidenceFederal Palace
Term lengthFour years, renewable
Inaugural holderJean-Marc Mousson
Formation1803 (1803)
Websitewww.bk.admin.ch

The Federal Chancellor is the head of the Federal Chancellery of Switzerland, the oldest Swiss federal institution, established at the initiative of Napoleon in 1803. The officeholder acts as the general staff of the seven-member Federal Council. The Chancellor is not a member of the government and the office is not at all comparable to that of the Chancellor of Germany or the Chancellor of Austria.[1]

The current Chancellor, Viktor Rossi, a member of the Green Liberal Party from Bern, was elected on 13 December 2023. He began his term on 1 January 2024.

Election

The Federal Chancellor is elected for a four-year term by both chambers of the Federal Assembly, assembled together, at the same time (and by the same process) as it elects the Federal Council.[2] The election is conducted by secret ballot using an exhaustive ballot in which each member of the Assembly can vote for any eligible person in the first two rounds, but only remaining candidates in subsequent rounds.[3] If no candidate receives an absolute majority, the candidate(s) with the fewest votes is eliminated.[3]

Vice-Chancellors

One or two Vice-Chancellors are also appointed. In contrast to the Chancellor, they are appointed directly by the Federal Council. Prior to 1852, the position was called the State Secretary of the Confederation. The two current Vice-Chancellors are André Simonazzi from Valais (Independent) since 2009 (also spokesman of the Federal Council) and Jörg De Bernardi, reprising his role ad interim after the election of Viktor Rossi to the post of Chancellor.

Role

The position is a political appointment and has only a technocratic role.

The Chancellor attends meetings of the Federal Council but does not have a vote. The Chancellor also prepares the Federal Council's reports to the Federal Assembly on its policy and activities. Still, the Chancellor's position is often referred to as that of an "eighth Federal Councillor". The chancellery is also responsible for the publication of all federal laws.[4]

List of Federal Chancellors

# Tenure Chancellor Portrait Birth–death Party Canton
1 1803–1830 Jean-Marc Mousson Jean Marc Samuel Isaac Mousson 1776–1861 Liberal Vaud
2 1831–1847 Josef Franz Karl Amrhyn Josef Franz Karl Amrhyn 1800–1849 Liberal Lucerne
3 1848–1881 Johann Ulrich Schiess Johann Ulrich Schiess 1813–1883 Liberal Appenzell Ausserrhoden
4 1882–1909 Gottlieb Ringier Gottlieb Ringier 1837–1929 Liberal Aargau
5 1910–1918 Hans Schatzmann Hans Schatzmann 1848–1923 Free Democratic Party Aargau
6 1919–1925 Adolf von Steiger Adolf von Steiger 1859–1925 Free Democratic Party Bern
7 1925–1934 Robert Käslin Robert Käslin 1871–1934 Free Democratic Party Nidwalden
8 1934–1943 George Bovet George Bovet 1874–1946 Free Democratic Party Neuchâtel
9 1944–1951 Oskar Leimgruber Oskar Leimgruber 1886–1976 Christian Democratic People's Party Fribourg
10 1951–1967 Charles Oser Charles Oser 1902–1994 Free Democratic Party Basel-Stadt
11 1968–1981 Karl Huber Karl Huber 1915–2002 Christian Democratic People's Party St. Gallen
12 1981–1991 Walter Buser Walter Buser 1926–2019 Social Democratic Party Basel-Landschaft
13 1991–1999 François Couchepin François Couchepin 1935–2023 Free Democratic Party Valais
14 2000–2007 Annemarie Huber-Hotz Annemarie Huber-Hotz 1948–2019 Free Democratic Party Zug
15 2008–2015 Corina Casanova Corina Casanova 1956– Christian Democratic People's Party Grisons
16 2016–2023 Walter Thurnherr Walter Thurnherr 1963– Christian Democratic People's Party Aargau
The Centre[Note 1]
17 2024–present Viktor Rossi Viktor Rossi 1968– Green Liberal Party Bern

See also

Sources

References

  1. ↑ Siegenthaler, Peter (31 December 2019). "What does the Swiss chancellor actually do?". Swissinfo. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  2. ↑ "FAQ Élection du Conseil fédéral, Élection du Chancelier de la Confédération". L'Assemblée fédérale — Le Parlement suisse. Services du Parlement. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Loi du 13 décembre 2002 sur l'Assemblée fédérale (Loi sur le Parlement, LParl), Chaptire 2, Art. 132". FedLex. Chancellerie fédérale. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  4. ↑ "Federal Chancellor Walter Thurnherr", www.bk.admin.ch.

Notes

  1. ↑ Walter Thurnherr was twice elected while a member of the Christian Democratic People's Party, and has been a continuous member of its successor, The Centre party, since it was formed following a merger with the Conservative Democratic Party, in January 2021.
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