Pascal Couchepin

Pascal Couchepin
President of Switzerland
In office
1 January 2008 – 31 December 2008
Vice PresidentHans-Rudolf Merz
Preceded byMicheline Calmy-Rey
Succeeded byHans-Rudolf Merz
In office
1 January 2003 – 31 December 2003
Vice PresidentRuth Metzler-Arnold
Preceded byKaspar Villiger
Succeeded byJoseph Deiss
Vice President of Switzerland
In office
1 January 2007 – 31 December 2007
PresidentMicheline Calmy-Rey
Preceded byMicheline Calmy-Rey
Succeeded byHans-Rudolf Merz
In office
1 January 2002 – 31 December 2002
PresidentKaspar Villiger
Preceded byKaspar Villiger
Succeeded byRuth Metzler
Head of the Department of Home Affairs
In office
1 January 2003 – 1 November 2009
Preceded byRuth Dreifuss
Succeeded byDidier Burkhalter
Head of the Department of Economic Affairs
In office
1 January 1998 – 31 December 2002
Preceded byJean-Pascal Delamuraz
Succeeded byJoseph Deiss
Member of the Swiss Federal Council
In office
1 January 1998 – 1 November 2009
Preceded byJean-Pascal Delamuraz
Succeeded byDidier Burkhalter
Personal details
Born (1942-04-05) 5 April 1942 (age 82)
Martigny, Switzerland
Political partyFree Democratic Party
SpouseBrigitte Rendu
Children3
Alma materUniversity of Lausanne
ProfessionLawyer

Pascal Couchepin (born 5 April 1942) is a Swiss politician who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 1998 to 2009. A member of the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD), he was President of the Swiss Confederation twice, in 2003 and 2008. Couchepin headed the Federal Department of Economic Affairs from 1998 to 2002 and Federal Department of Home Affairs from 2003 until 2009.