Ruth Dreifuss

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Ruth Dreifuss
Ruth Dreifuss
In office
1993 – 2002
Preceded by René Felber
Succeeded by Micheline Calmy-Rey
In office
1 January 1999 – 31 December 1999
Preceded by Flavio Cotti
Succeeded by Adolf Ogi
In office
1993 – 2002
Preceded by Flavio Cotti
Succeeded by Pascal Couchepin
Born January 9, 1940 (1940-01-09) (age 68)
St. Gallen
Residence Geneva

Ruth Dreifuss (born January 9, 1940 in St. Gallen) is a Swiss politician affiliated to the Social Democratic Party. She was a member of the Swiss Federal Council from 1993 to 2002, representing the Canton of Geneva).

She was elected to the Swiss Federal Council on March 10, 1993, as the second woman ever and the only Jew so far, and was President of the Confederation in 1999, the first woman to hold this position.

She is member of the World Knowledge Dialogue Scientific Board.

Contents

[edit] Biography

She obtained a Master of Economics of the University of Geneva and worked as a journalist at Coopération from 1961 to 1964. She was an assistant at the University of Geneva from 1970 to 1972, and then became scientific expert at the Federal Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation between 1972 and 1981. She was then the Secretary of the Swiss Trade Union until her election to the Swiss Federal Council in 1993.

She was a social-democratic member of the City of Berne's Legislative Assembly from 1989 to 1992. She missed out the election to the National Council of Switzerland in 1991.

[edit] Election to the Federal Council

After the resignation of René Felber from the Swiss Federal Council, a member of the Social Democratic Party was supposed to be elected, according to the unofficial "magic formula" used to determine the representation of the Swiss parties at the Federal Council. While Christiane Brunner was the Social Democratic Party's official candidate for the election on 3 March 1993, the right-wing parties decided to back another member of the Social Democratic Party, Francis Matthey, a member of the national parliament and a Minister of the Canton of Neuchâtel at that time who declined election, as his party did not support it.

A new election was organised on 10 March 1993, and the social Democratic Party presented both Ruth Dreifuss and Christiane Brunner as the two official candidates. It was the first time that two women were on the official "ticket" for election, and Ruth Dreifuss was elected on the 3rd round with 144 votes.

[edit] Political actions undertaken

Ruth Dreifuss held the Federal Department of Home Affairs until her resignation on 31 December 2002. She was the first woman ever to be elected President of the Confederation in 1999.

She won several referendums, including a revision of the Health Insurance Bill, the 10th revision of the social security system, a drug policy based on prevention, therapy, help and rehabilitation, and a new law regarding the film industry and its development.

She worked on a Maternity Insurance law but since the majority of the Federal Council rejected the proposal, she had to ask the people to reject her own text, as she had to respect collegiality.

[edit] Bibliography

  • Dreifuss ist unser Name (Dreifuss is our name), by Isabella Maria Fischli, Ed. Pendo, 2002, ISBN 3-85842-487-0.

[edit] External links


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Preceded by
René Felber		 Member of the Swiss Federal Council
1993–2002		 Succeeded by
Micheline Calmy-Rey
Preceded by
Flavio Cotti		 President of the Confederation
1999		 Succeeded by
Adolf Ogi