President of the Swiss Confederation

For a list, see List of presidents of the Swiss Confederation.

President of the Swiss Confederation
  • Bundespräsident(in) (German)
  • Président(e) de la Confédération (French)
  • Presidente della Confederazione (Italian)
  • President(a) da la Confederaziun (Romansh)
Incumbent
Viola Amherd
since 1 January 2024
StatusPresiding member
ResidenceFederal Palace
Term lengthUnlimited non-consecutive one-year terms
Inaugural holderJonas Furrer
Formation21 November 1848; 176 years ago (1848-11-21)
DeputyVice President of the Federal Council
SalaryCHF 445,163 annually[1]
WebsiteFederal Presidency
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The president of the Swiss Confederation, also known as the president of the confederation, federal president or colloquially as the president of Switzerland, is as primus inter pares among the other members of the Federal Council formally the head of Switzerland's seven-member executive branch. Elected by the Federal Assembly for one year, the officeholder chairs the meetings of the Federal Council and undertakes special representational duties.

First among equals, the president of the Confederation has no powers over and above the other six councillors and continues to head the assigned department. Traditionally the duty rotates among the members in order of seniority; the vice president of the Federal Council assumes the presidency the year after the officeholder's tenure. The president of the Confederation is not the head of state because the entire Federal Council is the collective head of state.[2]

The constitutional provisions relating to the organisation of the Federal Government and federal administration are set out in Section 1 Organisation and Procedure of Chapter 3 Federal Council and Federal Administration of the Title 5 Federal Authorities of the Swiss Federal Constitution[3] at articles 174 to 179. Article 176 specifically relates to the presidency.

The current incumbent president is Viola Amherd, since 1 January 2024.[4]

  1. ^ "How much does a federal councillor earn?" (official site). Berne, Switzerland: The Federal Council. 24 April 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  2. ^ "Tasks of the Federal Presidency". The portal of the Swiss government. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  3. ^ "SR 101 Federal constitution of the Swiss Confederation of 18 April 1999 (Status as of 12 February 2017), unauthorized English version" (official site) (in German, French, Italian, and English). Berne, Switzerland: The Federal Council. 12 February 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  4. ^ "Swiss President 2023 Elections Results". The Federal Council The portal of the Swiss government. admin.ch. Retrieved 25 November 2023.