This is a list of all the presidents of Switzerland from 2000 till date:
| Name | Term of office | Political party |
|---|---|---|
| Adolf Ogi | 2000 | Swiss People's Party |
| Moritz Leuenberger | 2001 | Social Democratic Party |
| Kaspar Villiger | 2002 | Free Democratic Party |
| Pascal Couchepin | 2003, 2008 | Free Democratic Party |
| Joseph Deiss | 2004 | Christian Democratic People's Party |
| Samuel Schmid | 2005 | Swiss People's Party |
| Moritz Leuenberger | 2006 | Social Democratic Party |
| Micheline Calmy-Rey | 2007, 2011 | Social Democratic Party |
| Hans-Rudolf Merz | 2009 | FDP.The Liberals |
| Doris Leuthard | 2010, 2017 | Christian Democratic People's Party |
| Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf | 2012 | Conservative Democratic Party |
| Ueli Maurer | 2013, 2019 | Swiss People's Party |
| Didier Burkhalter | 2014 | FDP.The Liberals |
| Simonetta Sommaruga | 2015, 2020 | Social Democratic Party |
| Johann Schneider-Ammann | 2016 | FDP.The Liberals |
| Guy Parmelin | 2021 | Swiss People's Party |
| Ignazio Cassis | 2022 | FDP.The Liberals |
| Alain Berset | 2018, 2023 | Social Democratic Party |
| Viola Amherd | 2024 | The Centre |
First President Of Switzerland
The first president of Switzerland was Jonas Furrer, who served from November 21, 1848, to December 31, 1849. Furrer was a member of the Free Democratic Party and came from Zurich.
His presidency was essential during the early days of the Swiss federal state, which was established after the new constitution was adopted in 1848.
This constitution set up the federal government and introduced the role of the president. In Switzerland, the position of president is quite different from the role in many other countries.
Unlike presidents who have a lot of power elsewhere, the Swiss president has limited authority. The Swiss president is known as the “first among equals” in the Federal Council.
This means that the president is part of a group of seven leaders who make decisions together. The president is chosen by the Federal Assembly for just one year, and the job rotates among the seven members of the Federal Council.
Each member gets a chance to be president, usually in the order of their seniority. During his time as president, Jonas Furrer was in charge of leading meetings of the Federal Council and representing Switzerland in different matters.
Furrer served as president four times throughout his career, and he continued to serve on the Federal Council until he passed away in 1861.
READ ALSO: List Of Presidents Of Brazil (1889-Present)
Who Is Currently The President Of Switzerland?
Viola Amherd is currently the President of Switzerland, a position officially called the President of the Swiss Confederation.
She started her term on January 1, 2024, after being chosen for the role by the Federal Assembly on December 13, 2023.
Amherd is a member of The Centre party and comes from the canton of Valais. She was the Minister of Defence, Civil Protection, and Sports before she became president.
Her election as president makes her the 176th person to hold this office, taking over from Alain Berset, who was president in 2023.
As we’ve said, In Switzerland, the presidency changes every year and rotates among the seven members of the Federal Council. Each president usually leads a particular department during their term.
In Amherd’s case, she continues to oversee the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection, and Sport while serving as president. Viola Amherd is known for being the first woman to serve as Switzerland’s Minister of Defence.
Who Is Currently The Vice President Of Switzerland?
As of 2024, the Vice President of Switzerland is Karin Keller-Sutter, and she has been serving on the Federal Council since 2016.
The Swiss government is led by the Federal Council, which includes seven members who are all considered equal in their roles.
Each year, one of these members is chosen by the Federal Assembly to be the President of the Swiss Confederation, and another member is chosen as the Vice President.
The role of the President is to lead the meetings of the Federal Council and to handle special duties that involve representing Switzerland.
However, the President does not have more power than the other six members of the Council. The Vice President usually takes over the role of President the following year.