Swiss order of precedence

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Orders of precedence

Flag of Argentina Argentina

Flag of Australia Australia

Flag of Brazil Brazil

Flag of Canada Canada

Flag of the People's Republic of China People's Republic of China

Flag of Denmark Denmark

Flag of France France

Flag of Germany Germany

Flag of Hong Kong Hong Kong, China

Flag of India India

Flag of the Isle of Man Isle of Man

Flag of Israel Israel

Flag of Italy Italy

Flag of Jamaica Jamaica

Flag of New Zealand New Zealand

Flag of Norway Norway

Flag of Poland Poland

Flag of Romania Romania

Flag of Spain Spain

Flag of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

Flag of Switzerland Switzerland

Flag of Turkey Turkey

Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom

Flag of the United States United States

The Swiss order of precedence is a hierarchy of important positions within the government of Switzerland. It has no legal standing but is used by ceremonial protocol.

The order of precedence is determined by the Protocol Reglement[1][2] and the Table of Precedence[3] of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The upper part of the list reads as follows:

[edit] Swiss Order of Precedence

  1. President of the Confederation (2008: Pascal Couchepin)
  2. Vice-President of the Federal Council (2008: Hans-Rudolf Merz)
  3. Federal Councillors in the order of their election by the Federal Assembly (2008: Moritz Leuenberger, Samuel Schmid, Micheline Calmy-Rey, Doris Leuthard, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf)
  4. The General (elected only in case of war)
  5. President of the National Council (2007/2008: André Bugnon)
  6. President of the Council of States (2007/2008: Christoffel Brändli)
  7. Chancellor of the Confederation (Since 2008: Corina Casanova)
  8. President of the Federal Supreme Court (2007/2008: Arthur Aeschlimann)
  9. Former Federal Councillors in order of election (as of 2008: Kurt Furgler, Pierre Aubert, Leon Schlumpf, Rudolf Friedrich, Alphons Egli, Otto Stich, Elisabeth Kopp, Flavio Cotti, Arnold Koller, Adolf Ogi, René Felber, Kaspar Villiger, Ruth Dreifuss, Ruth Metzler, Joseph Deiss, Christoph Blocher)
  10. Presidents of the cantonal governments in the order given in the Constitution, Cardinals, Members of the Council of the Swiss Union of Evangelical Churches, and Grand Rabbis
  11. First and Second Vice Presidents of the National Council (2007/2008: Chiara Simoneschi-Cortesi, Pascale Bruderer)
  12. First and Second Vice Presidents of the Council of States (2007/2008: Alain Berset, Erika Forster)
  13. Vice President of the Federal Supreme Court (2007: Susanne Leuzinger-Naef)
  14. Bishops
  15. Secretaries of State
  16. Members of the National Council in order of election
  17. Members of the Council of States in order of election
  18. Judges of the Federal Supreme Court

[edit] References

  1. ^ (French) Le règlement protocolaire de la Confédération
  2. ^ Protocol Regulations for the Swiss Confederation, unofficial translation.
  3. ^ (French) Préséance en Suisse, table of precedence.

This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding German Wikipedia article as of 13 February 2008.

Languages