Federal Council (Switzerland)
The Swiss Federal Council (in German: Bundesrat, in French: Conseil fédéral, in Italian: Consiglio federale, in Romansh: Cussegl Federal) is the seven-member executive council which collectively assumes the office of head of state equivalent to that of a president or of a monarch in the government of Switzerland.
Each of the seven Federal Councillors heads a department. Following the elections of December 10, 2003, they are:
- Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (Micheline Calmy-Rey)
- Federal Department of Home Affairs (Pascal Couchepin)
- Federal Department of Justice and Police (Christoph Blocher)
- Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports (Samuel Schmid)
- Federal Department of Finance (Hans-Rudolf Merz)
- Federal Department of Economic Affairs (Joseph Deiss)
- Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (Moritz Leuenberger)
One of the seven is elected to be president of the Federal Council (President of the Confederation) for a term of one year: he or she has no power above and beyond the other six, but assumes special representative functions.
See also:
- List of members of the Swiss Federal Council (chronological)
- Category:Members of the Swiss Federal Council (alphabetical list)
- List of Presidents of the Swiss Confederation
External link
- Swiss Federal Council - Official site.