2015 Swiss Federal Council Election

An election for all seven members of the Federal Council, the Government of Switzerland, was held on 9 December 2015, following the federal election on 19 October 2015, for the 2016–2020 term.

Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, a member of the Conservative Democratic Party (BDP/PBD), announced she would not run for reelection after the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) won a record 29.4% of the vote, whilst her own party received 4.1% of the vote. The SVP/UDC was widely expected to fill her seat in the election; it chose Thomas Aeschi ( Zug), Guy Parmelin (Vaud) and Norman Gobbi (Ticino) as candidates for the seat, with Aeschi being the favourite at the time.

Guy Parmelin, of the SVP/UDC, was ultimately elected by the Federal Assembly on 9 December 2015. Parmelin, a farmer and winegrower from Bursins in the canton of Vaud, became the first Federal Councillor of the Swiss People's Party from the French-speaking part of Switzerland.

There was a minor cabinet reshuffle after the election, as newly-elected Federal Councillor Parmelin was selected to become head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports, replacing fellow SVP/UDC member Ueli Maurer, who became head of the Federal Department of Finance. The SVP/UDC regained its second seat on the Federal Council, which it had lost in 2008, when the newly-created BDP/PBD split from the SVP/UDC.

Incumbents

Incumbents, in descending order of seniority, including political party affiliation and department at the time of the election:
* Doris Leuthard ( CVP/PDC), from Aargau, head of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications,
*Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf ( BDP/PBD), from Grisons, head of the Federal Department of Finance (did not run for reelection),
*Ueli Maurer ( SVP/UDC), from Zürich, head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports,
* Didier Burkhalter ( FDP.The Liberals), from Neuchâtel, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs,
*Simonetta Sommaruga ( SPS/PSS), from Bern, head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police,
*Johann Schneider-Ammann ( FDP.The Liberals), from Bern, head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research,
*Alain Berset ( SPS/PSS), from Fribourg, head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs.

Results

Source showing only the final tallies in favour of the winner of each seat:

Seat held by Doris Leuthard

Doris Leuthard ( CVP/PDC) was reelected in the first round of voting.

Seat held by Ueli Maurer

Ueli Maurer ( SVP/UDC) was reelected in the first round of voting.

Seat held by Didier Burkhalter

Didier Burkhalter ( FDP.The Liberals) was reelected in the first round of voting.

Seat held by Simonetta Sommaruga

Simonetta Sommaruga ( SPS/PSS) was reelected in the first round of voting.

Seat held by Johann Schneider-Ammann

Johann Schneider-Ammann ( FDP.The Liberals) was reelected in the first round of voting.

Seat held by Alain Berset

Alain Berset ( SPS/PSS) was reelected in the first round of voting.

Vacant seat

Guy Parmelin ( SVP/UDC) was elected to the Federal Council after three rounds of voting.

References

{{Portal bar, Politics, Switzerland

Federal Council
2015
December 2015 events in Switzerland