Federal Chancellor of Switzerland

Federal Chancellor of Switzerland
(German) Bundeskanzler(in)
(French) Chancelier(-ière) fédéral(e)
(Italian) Cancelliere(-a) della Confederazione
(Romansh) Chancelier(a) federal(a)
Incumbent
Walter Thurnherr
since 1 January 2016
Residence Federal Palace
Inaugural holder Jean-Marc Mousson
Formation 1803
Website www.bk.admin.ch
Switzerland
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Switzerland

The Federal Chancellor (German: Bundeskanzler(in); French: Chancelier(-ière) fédéral(e); Italian: Cancelliere(-a) della Confederazione; Romansh: Chancelier(a) federal(a)) is the head of the Federal Chancellery of Switzerland, which acts as the general staff of the seven-member Federal Council. The Swiss Chancellor is not a member of the government, and his or her position is not comparable to that of the Chancellor of Germany or Austria.

The Federal Chancellor is elected for a four-year term by the Federal Assembly, assembled together as the United Federal Assembly, at the same time as they elect the Federal Council. The current Chancellor, Walter Thurnherr, a member of the Christian Democratic People's Party from Aargau, was elected on 9 December 2015 and began his term on 1 January 2016.

Appointment mechanism

Although the chancellor only has a technocratic role, the position is a political appointment made by a vote of both houses of the Federal Assembly, sitting together as the United Federal Assembly, for a term of four years.

One or two Vice-Chancellors (before 1852 this position was called the State Secretary of the Confederation) are also appointed; in contrast to the chancellor, their appointment is made directly by the Federal Council.

The chancellor's role

The chancellor attends meetings of the Federal Council (although he or she does not have a vote), and prepares the Federal Council's reports to the Federal Assembly on its policy and activities. Nonetheless, his or her influential position is often referred to as that of an 'eighth Federal Councillor'. The chancellery is also responsible for the publication of all federal laws.

List of Federal Chancellors

# From-To Name Born-Died Party Canton
1 1803–1830 Jean Marc Samuel Isaac Mousson 1776–1861 Liberal Vaud
2 1830–1847 Karl Nikolaus von Flüe AmRhyn 1800–1849 Liberal Lucerne
3 1848–1881 Johann Ulrich Schiess 1813–1883 Liberal Appenzell Ausserrhoden
4 1882–1909 Gottlieb Ringier 1837–1929 Liberal Aargau
5 1910–1918 Hans Schatzmann 1848–1923 Free Democratic Party Aargau
6 1919–1925 Adolf von Steiger 1859–1925 Free Democratic Party Bern
7 1925–1934 Robert Käslin 1871–1934 Free Democratic Party Nidwalden
8 1934–1943 George Bovet 1874–1946 Free Democratic Party Neuchâtel
9 1944–1951 Oskar Leimgruber 1886–1976 Christian Democratic People's Party Fribourg
10 1951–1967 Charles Oser 1902–1994 Free Democratic Party Basel-City
11 1968–1981 Karl Huber 1915–2002 Christian Democratic People's Party St. Gallen
12 1981–1991 Walter Buser 1926– Social Democratic Party Basel-Landschaft
13 1991–1999 François Couchepin 1935– Free Democratic Party Valais
14 2000–2007 Annemarie Huber-Hotz 1948– Free Democratic Party Zug
15 2008–2015 Corina Casanova 1956– Christian Democratic People's Party Graubünden
16 2016–present Walter Thurnherr 1963– Christian Democratic People's Party Aargau

See also

Notes and references

    Bibliography

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