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Swiss parliament elects new ministers to Federal Council

Helena Bachmann
Helena Bachmann - [email protected]
Swiss parliament elects new ministers to Federal Council
Newly elected Swiss Federal counsellors Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (L) and Albert Rosti (R) swear between two ushers after a meeting of the Federal Assembly at the House of Parliament in Bern, on December 7, 2022. (Photo by PETER SCHNEIDER / POOL / AFP)

Switzerland’s parliament has elected two new members of the Federal Council, Switzerland’s executive body. They will replace the departing ministers from January 1st, 2023.

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With the departure of Finance Minister Ueli Maurer and Transport and Environment Minister Simonetta Sommaruga on December 31st, their replacements were elected today.

Albert Rösti has been elected to replace Maurer.

Elisabeth Baume–Schneider was chosen to take Sommaruga's place.

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The Federal Council (often referred to as the Cabinet abroad) consists of seven members, each heading a specific Ministry and representing different political parties.

As Maurer is from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) and Sommaruga from Social Democratic (Socialist) party, new Councillors were chosen from these parties.

The new picks will not necessarily serve in the same positions as the outgoing ministers, due to the impending reshuffle.

All eyes will be on who gets which ministry in the neutral Alpine nation, and the implications for Switzerland's future direction, reported AFP. Portfolio talks begin on Thursday.

The newly composed Federal Council, (from L) Federal President Ignazio Cassis, Alain Berset, Guy Parmelin, Viola Amherd, Karin Keller-Sutter, the newly elected Albert Roesti and Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, and Federal Chancellor Walter Thurnherr. Photo by ALESSANDRO DELLA VALLE / POOL / AFP
 

This is important so that the balance of power in the Federal Council, which reflects that of the parliament, is maintained.

The MPs from both chambers of the parliament — the Federal Assembly — which is composed of the 200-seat National Council and the 46-seat Council of States, elect the Cabinet jointly. Votes are cast by secret ballot in several rounds, until someone receives the absolute majority of votes. (The parliament is elected by the voters).

The Swiss presidency rotates annually among the seven ministers.

It was unsurprisingly determined Wednesday that Interior Minister Alan Berset will duly take over as president from Ignazio Cassis, who also serves as foreign minister, on January 1st.

Why are there seven people in the Federal Council?

The Cabinet has been composed of the same four political parties for more than 60 years. They divide the seven seats according to the so-called “magic formula,” which is a uniquely Swiss phenomenon.

It is based on the "2-2-2-1” formula, which means two seats each for the SVP to the right, Social Democrats to the left, as well as The Center, and one seat for The Liberals — the latter two in the middle.

As mentioned above, this makeup represents the four major parties and political leanings in the parliament 

Each federal councillor also heads a government department, that is, a ministry.

Why is this formula referred to as “magic”? Possibly because the power is not vested in one individual, but is divided among seven people, therefore ensuring that a single person can't become too powerful, at the detriment of others.

Are there many disagreements among the federal councillors?

We don’t know what exactly goes on behind closed doors. But we do know that, publicly at least, Cabinet members practice the principle of collegiality and compromise. Such a “civilised” approach to governing means that all the decisions are taken collectively, regardless of personal politics or beliefs of individual members.

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Last but not least, what does the Federal Council do?

Unlike most other nations, Switzerland doesn’t have a single president or a prime minister. Instead, it has the executive branch, or Federal Council, whose seven members  serve as the collective head of state.

According to the official government site, "the main task of the Federal Council is to govern. It continuously assesses the political situation, determines the objectives of state governance and the means of achieving them."

Also, "the Federal Council deals with about 2,500 items of business a year. These mainly involve items of information and draft legislation presented to parliament."

Deciding how to implement laws that have been approved by voters in referendums is also among the Cabinet's main tasks.

READ MORE: A foreigner’s guide to understanding Swiss politics in five minutes

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