List of Federal Chancellors of Switzerland

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The Federal Chancellor (Bundeskanzler, in German; Chancelier fédéral in French; Cancelliere della Confederazione in Italian) is the head of the Federal Chancellery, which acts as the general staff of the seven-member Federal Council (the federal government). The Swiss Chancellor is not a formal member of the Swiss Government (Federal Council) and is not comparable to the German Chancellery.

Before the establishment of the federal state in 1848, the chancellery was one of the few permanent offices of the Swiss Confederation.

Contents 1 Appointment mechanism 2 The chancellor's role 3 List of Federal Chancellors 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] Appointment mechanism

Although the chancellor only has a technocratic role, the position is a political appointment made by a vote of the Federal Assembly (the federal parliament).

One or two Vice-Chancellors are also appointed; before 1862 this position was called the State Secretary of the Confederation.

[edit] The chancellor's role

The chancellor attends meetings of the Federal Council (although he or she does not have a vote), and prepares the Federal Council's reports to the Federal Assembly on its policy and activities. The chancellery is also responsible for the publication of all federal laws.

[edit] List of Federal Chancellors

From-To		Born-Died	Canton
1803-1830	Jean Marc Samuel Isaac Mousson	?-?	Vaud
1830-1847	Karl Nikolaus von Flüe AmRhyn	1776-1861	Lucerne

From-To	Federal Chancellor	Born-Died	Party	Canton
1848-1881	Johann Ulrich Schiess	1813-1883		Appenzell Outer-Rhodes
1882-1909	Gottlieb Ringier	1837-1929		Aargau
1910-1918	Hans Schatzmann	1848-1923	FDP/PRD	Aargau
1919-1925	Adolf von Steiger	1859-1925	FDP/PRD	Berne
1925-1934	Robert Käslin	1871-1934	FDP/PRD	Nidwalden
1934-1943	George Bovet	1874-1946	FDP/PRD	Neuchâtel
1944-1951	Oskar Leimgruber	1886-1976	Konservative Volkspartei	Fribourg
1951-1967	Charles Oser	1902-1994	FDP/PRD	Basel-City
1968-1981	Karl Huber	1915-2002	CVP/PDC	St. Gallen
1981-1991	Walter Buser	1926-	SPS/PSS	Basel-Country
1991-1999	François Couchepin	1935-	FDP/PRD	Valais
2000-	Annemarie Huber-Hotz	1948-	FDP/PRD	Zug

[edit] See also

• Politics of Switzerland
• List of Presidents of the Swiss Confederation
• List of members of the Swiss Federal Council
• Lists of office-holders

[edit] External links

• Official site of the Federal Chancellery
• (German) A Walk through the History of the Federal Chancellery
• (French) A Walk through the History of the Federal Chancellery
• (Italian) A Walk through the History of the Federal Chancellery