An election for all seven members of the Federal Council, the Government of Switzerland, was held on 11 December 2019, following the federal election on 20 October 2019, for the 2020–2024 term.

All Federal Councillors were reelected to their seats by the Federal Assembly in the first round of voting, either for another full four-year term (Ueli Maurer, Simonetta Sommaruga, Alain Berset, Guy Parmelin) or a first full four-year term (Ignazio Cassis, Viola Amherd, Karin Keller-Sutter)."Election du Conseil fédéral, le 11 décembre 2019", Le Temps (in French), 11 December 2019."Le Conseil fédéral élu est le moins représentatif depuis 1959", RTS (in French), 11 December 2019. No portfolio changes were made after the election.

Background

The Federal Council is the federal executive of Switzerland. It is composed of 7 members, elected for a 4-year term by both houses of the Swiss parliament sitting together as the Federal Assembly after each federal election. Decisions are taken collegially, only deferring to a vote when no consensus can be reached; decisions once taken are then defended by the entire council acting as a single decision-maker.

Any Swiss eligible to the National Council is eligible to the Federal Council,BV/Csv. art. 143, art. 175 but historically most councillors elected are members of the legislature. Elections are held using secret ballot and candidate need an overall majority of valid votes to be elected. Each seat is elected independently and sequentially, in order of seniority (the seat of the longest-serving federal councillor is first up).

The parliament cannot remove from office any councillor nor vote a non-confidence motion against it. Federal councillors are usually re-elected until they resign, sometimes during their term (calling for a by-election); only four have been unseated in the Council's history.

Magic formula

The Magic formula is an unwritten agreement between the parties to share the seats on the Federal Council as a national unity coalition. The three largest parties (SVP, SP, and FDP) receive 2 seats each, and the fourth largest party (CVP) receives the last seat (2–2–2–1). It was used since 1959, with the exception of a period between 2007 and 2015 after the SVP/UDC expelled its two federal councillors.

The formula was put in question after the surge in votes of the greens and green-liberals in the federal election a month earlier; the traditional 4 parties only represented 68.9% of the National Council which was the lowest in history. Calls were made either to replace the formula with a five-party coalition (2–2–1–1–1) or expand its size to nine seats, the latter was rejected by referendum last time in 1942 but it is also seen as a way to split the two largest federal departments.

Federal Assembly

Parliamentary group Parties NR/CN SR/CdÉ Total Group of the Swiss People's Party SVP/UDC, Lega, EDU/UDF, 55 7 62 25.2% Social-democratic group SP/PS 39 9 48 19.5% Center Group CVP-EVP-BDP CVP/PDC, EVP/PEV, BDP/PBD 31 13 44 17.9% FDP-Liberal group FDP/PLR 29 12 41 16.7% Green group GPS/PÉS, PST, SolS 30 5 35 14.2% Green-liberal group GLP/PVL 16 0 16 6.5%

Incumbents Incumbents, in descending order of seniority, including political party affiliation and department at the time of the election: Ueli Maurer (SVP/UDC), from Zürich, head of the Federal Department of Finance, Simonetta Sommaruga (SPS/PSS), from Bern, head of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications, Alain Berset (SPS/PSS), from Fribourg, head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs, Guy Parmelin (SVP/UDC), from Vaud, head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, Ignazio Cassis (FDP.The Liberals), from Ticino, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Viola Amherd (CVP/PDC), from Valais, head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP.The Liberals), from St. Gallen, head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police.

All groups supported the re-election of all federal councillors, with the exception of the greens and social-democrats who supported Green Party leader Regula Rytz to take Ignazio Cassis' seat.

Results

Seat held by Ueli Maurer Ueli Maurer (SVP-ZH) was reelected in the first round of voting.

Candidate Party Round 1 Ueli Maurer SVP213 Others 8 Valid votes 221 Absolute majority 111 Invalid votes 0 Blank votes 23 Votes cast 244

Seat held by Simonetta Sommaruga Simonetta Sommaruga (SP-BE) was reelected in the first round of voting.

Candidate Party Round 1 Simonetta Sommaruga SP192 Regula Rytz GPS13 Others 13 Valid votes 218 Absolute majority 110 Invalid votes 1 Blank votes 25 Votes cast 244

Seat held by Alain Berset Alain Berset (PS-FR) was reelected in the first round of voting.

Candidate Party Round 1 Alain Berset SP214 Others 16 Valid votes 230 Absolute majority 116 Invalid votes 0 Blank votes 14 Votes cast 244

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

Candidate Party Round 1 Guy Parmelin SVP191 Others 13 Valid votes 204 Absolute majority 103 Invalid votes 1 Blank votes 39 Votes cast 244

Seat held by Ignazio Cassis Ignazio Cassis (FDP-TI) was reelected in the first round of voting. The Greens and Socialists considered FDP.The Liberals to no longer deserve a seat in the Federal Council and fielded Green Party leader Regula Rytz to challenge his seat. Her candidacy mobilized the green and social-democratic groups almost unanimously, but failed to appeal to the centrist parties and Ignazio Cassis was re-elected without being challenged to a runoff.

Candidate Party Round 1 Ignazio Cassis FDP145 Regula Rytz GPS82 Others 11 Valid votes 238 Absolute majority 120 Invalid votes 0 Blank votes 6 Votes cast 244

Seat held by Viola Amherd Viola Amherd (CVP-VS) was reelected in the first round of voting.

Candidate Party Round 1 Viola Amherd CVP218 Others 14 Valid votes 232 Absolute majority 117 Invalid votes 0 Blank votes 11 Votes cast 243

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

Candidate Party Round 1 Karin Keller-Sutter FDP169 Marcel Dobler FDP21 Others 16 Valid votes 206 Absolute majority 104 Invalid votes 1 Blank votes 37 Votes cast 244

Additional votes

Chancellor of the Confederation

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. Walter Thurnherr (CVP-AG) was reelected chancellor in the first round of voting, with a majority higher than the ministers.

Candidate Party Round 1 Walter Thurnherr CVP219 Others 5 Valid votes 224 Absolute majority 113 Invalid votes 3 Blank votes 14 Votes cast 241

President of the Confederation

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. Simonetta Sommaruga (SP-BE) was supported by all groups, as she had served the longest on the Federal Council since her last presidency in 2015 and was vice-president the previous year.

Candidate Party Round 1 Simonetta Sommaruga SP186 Others 14 Valid votes 200 Absolute majority 101 Invalid votes 6 Blank votes 37 Votes cast 243

Vice President of the Federal Council 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. Guy Parmelin (SVP-VD) was supported by all groups, as he had served the longest on the Federal Council since 2016 without being president.

Candidate Party Round 1 Guy Parmelin SVP168 Others 15 Valid votes 183 Absolute majority 92 Invalid votes 3 Blank votes 52 Votes cast 238

References