2015 Swiss Federal Council election

The official photograph of the Swiss Federal Council for 2016. From left to right: Alain Berset, Didier Burkhalter, Doris Leuthard (Vice President for 2016), Johann Schneider-Ammann (President for 2016), Ueli Maurer, Simonetta Sommaruga, Guy Parmelin and Federal Chancellor Walter Thurnherr. This article is part of a series on the

Politics of Switzerland

Constitution

* Human rights

Federal Council

* Members (by seniority)

Beat Jans
Guy Parmelin
Ignazio Cassis
Viola Amherd (President)
Karin Keller-Sutter (Vice President)
Albert Rösti
Élisabeth Baume-Schneider
* Federal Chancellor

Viktor Rossi
* Federal administration

Federal Assembly

* Council of States (members)
* National Council (members)
* Political parties

Elections

* Voting

* * *

Elections

* * *

* 1848
* 1851
* 1854
* 1857
* 1860
* 1863
* 1866
* 1869
* 1872
* 1875
* 1878
* 1881
* 1884
* 1887
* 1890
* 1893
* 1896
* 1899
* 1902
* 1905
* 1908
* 1911
* 1914
* 1917
* 1919
* 1922
* 1925
* 1928
* 1931
* 1935
* 1939
* 1943
* 1947
* 1951
* 1955
* 1959
* 1963
* 1967
* 1971
* 1975
* 1979
* 1983
* 1987
* 1991
* 1995
* 1999
* 2003
* 2007
* 2011
* 2015
* 2019
* 2023

* * *

Referendums

* * *

* 1798
* 1802
* 1848
* 1866
* 1872
* 1874
* 1875
* 1876
* 1877
* 1879
* 1880
* 1882
* 1884
* 1885
* 1887
* 1889
* 1890
* 1891
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1900
* 1902
* 1903
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1910
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

* Mandatory
* Optional

* Popular initiative

Federal courts

* Federal Supreme Court
* Federal Criminal Court
* Federal Administrative Court
* Federal Patent Court

Foreign relations

* European Union

Cantons

* Appenzell Ausserrhoden (AR)
* Appenzell Innerrhoden (AI)
* Aargau (AG)
* Basel-Landschaft (BL)
* Basel-Stadt (BS)
* Bern (BE)
* Fribourg (FR)
* Geneva (GE)
* Glarus (GL)
* Grisons (GR)
* Jura (JU)
* Lucerne (LU)
* Neuchâtel (NE)
* Nidwalden (NW)
* Obwalden (OW)
* Schaffhausen (SH)
* Schwyz (SZ)
* Solothurn (SO)
* St. Gallen (SG)
* Ticino (TI)
* Thurgau (TG)
* Uri (UR)
* Valais (VS)
* Vaud (VD)
* Zug (ZG)
* Zurich (ZH)

* * *

* Cantonal legislatures
* Cantonal executives
* Landsgemeinde

Municipalities

(Full list of Municipalities)

* Aargau
* Appenzell Innerrhoden
* Appenzell Ausserrhoden
* Basel-Landschaft
* Basel-Stadt
* Bern
* Fribourg
* Geneva
* Glarus
* Graubünden
* Jura
* Lucerne
* Neuchâtel
* Nidwalden
* Obwalden
* Schaffhausen
* Schwyz
* Solothurn
* St. Gallen
* Thurgau
* Ticino
* Uri
* Valais
* Vaud
* Zug
* Zurich

Switzerland portal

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

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.[1]

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.[2][3] 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.[4][5]

Guy Parmelin, of the SVP/UDC, was ultimately elected by the Federal Assembly on 9 December 2015.[1] 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.[1][6]

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.[7] 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

[edit]

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

[edit]

Source showing only the final tallies in favour of the winner of each seat:[1]

### Seat held by Doris Leuthard

[edit]

Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard

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

| Round 1

|

Doris Leuthard  | 215
Votes received by other persons  | 19
Votes cast  | 245
Invalid votes  | 3
Blank votes  | 8
Valid votes  | 234
Absolute majority  | 118

### Seat held by Ueli Maurer

[edit]

Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer

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

| Round 1

|

Ueli Maurer  | 173
Thomas Hurter  | 10
Votes received by other persons  | 27
Votes cast  | 245
Invalid votes  | 3
Blank votes  | 32
Valid votes  | 210
Absolute majority  | 106

### Seat held by Didier Burkhalter

[edit]

Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter

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

| Round 1

|

Didier Burkhalter  | 217
Votes received by other persons  | 14
Votes cast  | 244
Invalid votes  | 0
Blank votes  | 13
Valid votes  | 231
Absolute majority  | 116

### Seat held by Simonetta Sommaruga

[edit]

Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga

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

| Round 1

|

Simonetta Sommaruga  | 182
Daniel Jositsch | 11
Votes received by other persons  | 28
Votes cast  | 245
Invalid votes  | 5
Blank votes  | 19
Valid votes  | 221
Absolute majority  | 111

### Seat held by Johann Schneider-Ammann

[edit]

Federal Councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann

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

| Round 1

|

Johann Schneider-Ammann  | 191
Votes received by other persons  | 28
Votes cast  | 244
Invalid votes  | 2
Blank votes  | 23
Valid votes  | 219
Absolute majority  | 110

### Seat held by Alain Berset

[edit]

Federal Councillor Alain Berset

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

| Round 1

|

Alain Berset  | 210
Votes received by other persons  | 23
Votes cast  | 243
Invalid votes  | 2
Blank votes  | 8
Valid votes  | 233
Absolute majority  | 117

### Vacant seat

[edit]

Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin

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

| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3

|
|
|

Guy Parmelin  | 90 | 117 | 138
Thomas Aeschi  | 61 | 78 | 88
Norman Gobbi  | 50 | 30 | 11
Thomas Hurter  | 22 | - | \-
Viola Amherd | 16 | - | \-
Votes received by other persons  | 4 | 14 | \-
Votes cast  | 245 | 244 | 243
Invalid votes  | 0 | 0 | 0
Blank votes  | 2 | 5 | 6
Valid votes  | 243 | 239 | 237
Absolute majority  | 122 | 120 | 119

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Mombelli, Armando (10 December 2015). "People's Party Gains Second Seat in Cabinet". Swissinfo. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
2. ^ Jaberg, Samuel; Stephens, Thomas (28 October 2015). "Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf to Stand Down". Swissinfo. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
3. ^ Geiser, Urs (19 October 2015). "Parliament Shifts to the Right". Swissinfo. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
4. ^ "People's Party Posts Candidates for Cabinet Seat". Swissinfo. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
5. ^ "People's Party Tightens Grip on Second Cabinet Seat". Swissinfo. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
6. ^ Bradley, Simon (10 December 2015). "Wary Press Split Over Farmer Parmelin". Swissinfo. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
7. ^ "People's Party finally nails finance minister job". Swissinfo. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2015.

* v
* t
* e

Elections to the Swiss Federal Council

General elections|

* 1999
* 2003
* 2007
* 2011
* 2015
* 2019
* 2023

By-elections|

* 2006
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2017
* 2018
* 2022

Portals:

* Politics
* Switzerland

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template