2023 Swiss Federal Council election

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2023 Swiss Federal Council election
← 2019 (regular)
← 2022 (by-)		 13 December 2023 2027 (regular) →
All 7 Federal Councillors
  First party Second party
 
Beat Jans 2019.jpg
Party Swiss People's Social Democrats
Incumbent Guy Parmelin
215 votes 		Beat Jans
134 votes
(elected)
  Albert Rösti
189 votes 		Élisabeth Baume-Schneider
151 votes
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party FDP.The Liberals The Centre
Incumbent Karin Keller-Sutter
176 votes 		Viola Amherd
201 votes
  Ignazio Cassis
167 votes
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An election for all seven members of the Federal Council, Switzerland's government, were held on 13 December 2023 for the 2024–2028 term. It followed the federal election held a month earlier and partly depended on its results.

All Federal Councillors except Alain Berset were running for re-election. Per an informal agreement between the political parties known as the magic formula, incumbents are traditionally left unopposed and open seats are only contested by the incumbent's party, ensuring the partisan balance.

Elections for President of the Swiss Confederation and Vice President of the Federal Council, as well as for Chancellor of Switzerland, also took place; Federal Councillor Viola Amherd was voted for the position of the president for the year 2024 following the informal rotation agreement. After the election, the head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (currently held by Berset) will have to be allocated, leading to a potential reshuffle of the federal departments within the Council.

Background[edit]

In Switzerland, the 7-seat executive Federal Council is elected by the Federal Assembly (both chambers of the legislature sitting together); in practice it is apportioned between the parties following the unwritten agreement known as the "magic formula". The formula was followed from 1959 to 2007, and again since 2015. Since 2016 the composition has been: SVP 2 seats, SP 2 seats, FDP 2 seats, and Die Mitte (succeeding the CVP) 1 seat.

Federal councillors are traditionally re-elected until they step down; only four have ever lost re-election. Councillors tend to stand down during their term in order to ensure their party retains their seat and to allow their party to get more visibility at a moment other than shortly after a general election.[1] These by-elections were held only ten months before the 2023 federal election.

On 21 June 2023, a few days after the results of the June referendums, social-democratic councillor Alain Berset announced he would resign effective 31 December, after serving for 12 years. He described the referendum of the amendment to the COVID-19 Act as an end to "the Covid cycle", which defined his third term as head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs.[2] Following the existing precedent, only SP candidates are expected to stand for his seat.

The resignation of Berset leaves the Federal Department of Home Affairs open for the first time since 2011. There was speculation about which departments of the Federal administration would be attributed to whom after the election.

Electoral system[edit]

The seats are elected using an absolute majority with an exhaustive ballot, each seat being filled independently. In the first two rounds members of the Federal Assembly can vote for anyone eligible, but only those receiving at least ten votes are announced in the results; from the third round onwards only candidates who received at least ten votes in one of the first two rounds are eligible, the last-placed candidate is eliminated until someone reaches an overall majority.[3]

After the elections, the Council meets to attribute the departments of the Federal administration to each councillor. The departments are attributed by a council decision; in practice, each member announces their preference in order of seniority leaving the newly-elected members last, and the council adopts their preferences. In 2018, as Viola Amherd and Karin Keller-Sutter were elected on the same day, the council chose to let Keller-Sutter choose earlier despite having been elected slightly later.[4]

Federal Assembly[edit]

The composition of the Federal Assembly will depend on the composition of the National Council and Council of States after the 2023 Swiss federal election.

50
26
11
46
39
74
Parliamentary group Parties NR SR Total %
Group of the Swiss People's Party SVP, Lega, EDU, MCG 67 7 74 30.1%
Social Democratic group SP 41 9 50 20.3%
The Centre group. The Centre. EVP DM, EVP 31 15 46 18.7%
FDP-Liberal group FDP 28 11 39 15.8%
Green group GPS 23 3 26 10.6%
Green Liberal group GLP 10 1 11 4.5%

Candidates for the Federal Council[edit]

Incumbents[edit]

Incumbents, in descending order of seniority, including political party affiliation and department at the time of the election:

Candidates to Berset's seat[edit]

Declared[edit]

As of October 2023, the following individuals have announced their candidacy:

Beat Jans and Jon Pult have been officially nominated by their party on a ticket to fill the seat vacancy created by Alain Berset.

Potential[edit]

As of late September 2023, the following individuals have been subjects of speculation about their potential candidacy:[2][11]

Declined to be candidate[edit]

The following individual has been the subject of speculation about her possible candidacy, but has publicly denied interest in running.

Candidates to Other seats[edit]

Berset's resignation announcement quickly led to media speculation then candidacies announcements, which are to be open until 3 November. The Greens re-affirmed their claim to a seat in the Council, preferably the FDP seat of Ignazio Cassis, despite losing vote share in the October elections.[2][13]

Candidates for Federal Chancellor[edit]

Due to the vacancy created by the resignation of Federal Chancellor Walter Thurnherr (The Centre), the following individuals have announced their candidacy:

Results[edit]

Open seat vacated by Alain Berset[edit]

Following the resignation of the incumbent President and Federal Councillor Alain Berset (SP-FR), an election of the replacement has been held. Beat Jans (SP-BS), Basel-Stadt executive councillor since 2021, has been elected a new member of the Federal Council in the third round of voting with 134 votes, beating states councillor Daniel Jositsch (SP-ZH) and national councillor Jon Pult (SP-GR).

Candidate Party Round 1 Round 2 Round 3
Beat Jans SP 89 112 134
Daniel Jositsch SP 63 70 68
Jon Pult SP 49 54 43
Gerhard Andrey GPS 30
Others 12 10 0
Valid votes 243 246 245
Absolute majority 122 124 123
Invalid votes 0 0 0
Blank votes 3 0 0
Votes cast 246 246 245

Seat held by Guy Parmelin[edit]

Guy Parmelin (SVP-VD) was reelected in the first round of voting.

Candidate Party Round 1
Guy Parmelin SVP 215
Others 18
Valid votes 233
Absolute majority 117
Invalid votes 1
Blank votes 12
Votes cast 246

Seat held by Ignazio Cassis[edit]

Ignazio Cassis (FDP-TI) was reelected in the first round of voting. The Greens decided to yet again challenge both FDP.The Liberals seats in the Federal Council and fielded Green Party national councillor Gerhard Andrey to challenge the seats. His candidacy gathered green and some green liberal votes, but failed to get social democratic voters, thus Ignazio Cassis was re-elected without being challenged to a runoff.

Candidate Party Round 1
Ignazio Cassis FDP 167
Gerhard Andrey GPS 59
Others 13
Valid votes 239
Absolute majority 120
Invalid votes 2
Blank votes 5
Votes cast 246

Seat held by Viola Amherd[edit]

Viola Amherd (DM-VS) was reelected in the first round of voting.

Candidate Party Round 1
Viola Amherd DM 201
Others 27
Valid votes 228
Absolute majority 115
Invalid votes 2
Blank votes 16
Votes cast 246

Seat held by Karin Keller-Sutter[edit]

Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP-SG) was reelected in the first round of voting.

Candidate Party Round 1
Karin Keller-Sutter FDP 176
Anna Giacometti FDP 15
Gerhard Andrey GPS 15
Others 18
Valid votes 224
Absolute majority 11
Invalid votes 1
Blank votes 21
Votes cast 246

Seat held by Albert Rösti[edit]

Albert Rösti (SVP-BE) was reelected in the first round of voting.

Candidate Party Round 1
Albert Rösti SVP 189
Others 28
Valid votes 217
Absolute majority 109
Invalid votes 2
Blank votes 26
Votes cast 245

Seat held by Élisabeth Baume-Schneider[edit]

Élisabeth Baume-Schneider (SP-JU) was reelected in the first round of voting.

Candidate Party Round 1
Élisabeth Baume-Schneider SP 151
Gerhard Andrey GPS 23
Eva Herzog SP 15
Others 27
Valid votes 216
Absolute majority 109
Invalid votes 2
Blank votes 28
Votes cast 246

Additional votes[edit]

Chancellor of the Confederation[edit]

2023 Swiss chancellor election
← 2019 13 December 2023 2027 →
All 246 votes of the Federal Assembly
124 votes needed to win
 
GLP
SVP
Ind
Candidate Viktor Rossi Gabriel Lüchinger Lukas Gresch-Brunner
Party Green Liberals Swiss People's Independent
First ballot 98 78 45
Second ballot 135 103
 
SVP
Candidate Nathalie Goumaz
Party Swiss People's
First ballot 24
Chancellor before election

Walter Thurnherr
The Centre

Elected Chancellor

Viktor Rossi
Green Liberals

The Chancellor of the Confederation is a technocratic position and not a voting member of the Federal Council, but they are elected after the seven ministers using the same rules.

Following the resignation of the incumbent Chancellor Walter Thurnherr (The Centre), an election of the replacement has been held. Viktor Rossi (GLP), a Vice-Chancellor since 2019, has been elected a new Chancellor in the second round of voting with 135 votes, beating Gabriel Lüchinger (SVP).[14]

Candidate Party Round 1 Round 2
Viktor Rossi GLP 98 135
Gabriel Lüchinger SVP 78 103
Lukas Gresch-Brunner Independent 45
Nathalie Goumaz SVP 24
Others 1 7
Valid votes 246 245
Absolute majority 124 124
Invalid votes 0 1
Blank votes 0 0
Votes cast 246 246

President of the Confederation[edit]

2023 Swiss presidential election
← 2022 13 December 2023 2024 →
243 votes of the Federal Assembly
123 votes needed to win
 
Others
Candidate Viola Amherd Albert Rösti
Party The Centre Others Swiss People's
First ballot 158 25 21
President before election

Alain Berset
Social Democrats

Elected President

Viola Amherd
The Centre

The President of the Confederation is a member of the Federal Council elected every year, with no additional powers apart from chairing meetings of the Federal Council.

Viola Amherd (DM-VS) was elected in the first round of voting.[15]

Candidate Party Round 1
Viola Amherd DM 158
Albert Rösti SVP 21
Others 25
Valid votes 204
Absolute majority 103
Invalid votes 3
Blank votes 36
Votes cast 243

Vice President of the Federal Council[edit]

2023 Swiss vice presidential election
← 2022 13 December 2023 2024 →
240 votes of the Federal Assembly
121 votes needed to win
 
Candidate Karin Keller-Sutter Albert Rösti Élisabeth Baume-Schneider
Party FDP.The Liberals Swiss People's Social Democrats
First ballot 138 18 16
 
Beat Jans 2019.jpg
Candidate Ignazio Cassis Beat Jans Guy Parmelin
Party FDP.The Liberals Social Democrats Swiss People's
First ballot 10 10 4
Vice President before election

Viola Amherd
The Centre

Elected Vice President

Karin Keller-Sutter
FDP.The Liberals

The Vice President of the Federal Council is a member of the Federal Council elected every year like the President, and the presumptive president for the next year.

Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP-SG) was elected in the first round of voting.[15]

Candidate Party Round 1
Karin Keller-Sutter FDP 138
Albert Rösti SVP 18
Élisabeth Baume-Schneider SP 16
Ignazio Cassis FDP 10
Beat Jans SP 10
Guy Parmelin SVP 4
Others 0
Valid votes 196
Absolute majority 99
Invalid votes 3
Blank votes 41
Votes cast 240

References[edit]

  1. ^ Longchamp, Claude (2018-12-20). "L'élection du Conseil fédéral a-t-elle été vraiment normale?" [Has the Federal Council election really been normal?]. Swissinfo.ch (in French).
  2. ^ a b c "Alain Berset annonce qu'il va quitter le Conseil fédéral en décembre". rts.ch (in French). 2023-06-21. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  3. ^ Talos, Christine (2018-12-03). "Élection au Conseil fédéral: le mode d'emploi" [Election to the Federal Council: the manual]. Lematin.ch (in French). Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  4. ^ "Élections fédérales: En attendant le grand chambardement au Conseil fédéral". Le Matin (in French). 2022-11-30. ISSN 1018-3736. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
  5. ^ "Matthias Aebischer (BE) s'exprime sur sa candidature à la succession d'Alain Berset au Conseil fédéral". rts.ch (in French). 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  6. ^ "Evi Allemann est candidate à la succession d'Alain Berset au Conseil fédéral". rts.ch (in French). 2023-10-16. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  7. ^ "Le socialiste bâlois Beat Jans se lance dans la course au Conseil fédéral". rts.ch (in French). 2023-09-22. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  8. ^ "Daniel Jositsch est candidat au Conseil fédéral: interview". rts.ch (in French). 2023-09-05. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  9. ^ "Nordmann will Bundesrat werden". srf.ch (in German). 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  10. ^ "Jon Pult will SP-Bundesrat werden". srf.ch (in German). 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  11. ^ "Qui succédera à Alain Berset, président de la Confédération?". 20 minutes (in French). 2023-06-21. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  12. ^ "La Bâloise Eva Herzog renonce à une nouvelle candidature au Conseil fédéral". rts.ch (in French). 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  13. ^ "Suisse: Les Verts vont se lancer à l'assaut du Conseil fédéral". 20 minutes (in French). 2023-09-02. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  14. ^ "Amtliches Bulletin". www.parlament.ch. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  15. ^ a b "Amtliches Bulletin". www.parlament.ch. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
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