Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

Demographics of the Swiss Federal Council

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Demographics of the Swiss Federal Council
Remove ads

The tables below show information and statistics about the members of the Swiss Federal Council (in German: Bundesrat, in French: conseil fédéral, in Italian: consiglio federale), or Federal Councilors (in German: Bundesräte, in French: conseillers fédéraux, in Italian: consiglieri federali).

Thumb
The Swiss Federal Council, 2008. Official photograph.

The Swiss Federal Council (German: Schweizerischer Bundesrat, French: Conseil fédéral suisse, Italian: Consiglio federale svizzero, Romansh: Cussegl federal svizzer) is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the government as well as the head of state of Switzerland. Each of the seven Federal Councillors heads a department of the Swiss federal government. The members of the Federal Council are elected for a term of four years by both chambers of the federal parliament sitting together as the Federal Assembly. Each Councillor is elected individually by secret ballot by an absolute majority of votes. Since 1848, the seven Councillors have never been replaced simultaneously, thus guaranteeing a continuity of the government.

Once elected for a four-year-term, Federal Councillors can neither be voted out of office by a motion of no confidence nor can they be impeached. Reelection is possible for an indefinite number of terms, and it has historically been extremely rare for Parliament not to reelect a sitting Councillor and this has only happened four times. In practice, therefore, Councillors serve until they decide to resign and retire to private life, usually after three to five terms of office.

Remove ads

Parties

More information Parties, Members ...

Time in office

Thumb
Longest time:
Schenk died in his 32nd year in office.
Thumb
Shortest time:
Perrier died just 14 months after his election.

The following tables do not include councilors currently in office.

More information Years, Name ...
Remove ads

Age (oldest and youngest)

Thumb
The Oldest:
Ador was elected at age 72
Thumb
The Youngest:
Numa Droz was 31 years old at his election
More information Age, Name ...

Lifespan

Thumb
Ochsenbein lived for 36 years after being voted out of office
Thumb
The Oldest:
Schaffner died at age 95 in 2004
More information Years, Name ...
Remove ads

References

  • Federal Council in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  • The Swiss Confederation: A brief guide 2006, edited by the Swiss Federal Chancellery.
  • "Resultate der Wahlen des Bundesrats, der Bundeskanzler und des Generals" (PDF). Federal Assembly., compiled by the services of the Swiss Parliament.
  • Clive H. Church (2004). The Politics and Government of Switzerland. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-69277-2.
Remove ads
Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads