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Elected with 168 votes: Karin Keller-Sutter becomes Federal President
She is already considered the most influential politician in the country – now Karin Keller-Sutter is officially moving into the center of the government. Parliament has elected the St. Gallen FDP Federal Councilor as Federal President for next year.
Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP).
Bild: Keystone
Switzerland is proud of not having an actual head of state. But it doesn’t work without it. Someone has to lead the Federal Council meetings and represent the government externally, for example at summit meetings abroad. And even if the Federal President is officially defined as “first among equals”, it is still clear: there is no higher office in Swiss politics, at least not in the executive branch.
Seen in this way, Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP) has now reached the top after six years in the Federal Council. Parliament elected the St. Gallen resident as Federal President for the coming year on Wednesday afternoon with 168 votes. A total of 203 valid votes were received. Keller-Sutter has thus exceeded the results of her predecessors of the last three years – Ignazio Cassis, Alain Berset and Viola Amherd.
Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP) on Wednesday after her election as Federal President in 2025, with the new Vice President Guy Parmelin (SVP).
Bild: Keystone
The 60-year-old is currently the most influential Federal Councilor. She has also made an impression abroad, for example due to her role as finance minister in the Credit Suisse rescue: The Financial Times named Keller-Sutter one of the 25 most influential women in the world.
The crowning achievement of a long political career
After her election to the Federal Council in 2018, Keller-Sutter was initially Minister of Justice, and in 2023 she took over the Finance Department. She is the seventh woman in the history of Switzerland to be elected Federal President. The last St.Gallen resident to hold the office was Kurt Furgler (CVP) in 1985.
Keller-Sutter looks back on a long political career; she was a local councilor, cantonal councilor, government councilor and councilor of states. As a qualified conference interpreter, she communicates effortlessly across language boundaries. Keller-Sutter is married and lives in Wil.
Parmelin becomes vice president
Following the election of Keller-Sutter as the new Federal President, the United Federal Assembly moved to elect the Vice President of the Federal Council for the next year. SVP Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin, head of the Economics, Education and Research Department (WBF), takes over the vice-presidency as scheduled. He was elected with 196 out of 219 valid votes. Assuming he does not resign beforehand, Parmelin is likely to be elected Federal President for the second time in 2027 after 2021. (by/cbe)
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