List of Presidents of the Swiss Confederation

The List of Presidents of the Swiss Confederation (1848-present) presents the presiding member of the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerland's seven-member executive. Elected by the Federal Assembly for one year, the President of the Confederation chairs the meetings of the Federal Council and undertakes special representational duties. Primus inter pares, he or she has no powers above the other Councillors and continues to head his or her department (see President of the Swiss Confederation for full details).

Traditionally, the duty rotates among the members in order of seniority and the previous year's Vice President becomes President. See list of members of the Swiss Federal Council for all seven.

1848–1874

Jonas Furrer, the first President of the Confederation (1848–1849)

• 1848 – Jonas Furrer (1805–1861)
• 1849 – Jonas Furrer (1805–1861)
• 1850 – Henri Druey (1799–1855)
• 1851 – Josef Munzinger (1791–1855)
• 1852 – Jonas Furrer (1805–1861)
• 1853 – Wilhelm Matthias Naeff (1802–1881)
• 1854 – Friedrich Frey-Herosé (1801–1873)
• 1855 – Jonas Furrer (1805–1861)
• 1856 – Jakob Stämpfli (1820–1879)
• 1857 – Constant Fornerod (1819–1899)
• 1858 – Jonas Furrer (1805–1861)
• 1859 – Jakob Stämpfli (1820–1879)
• 1860 – Friedrich Frey-Herosé (1801–1873)
• 1861 – Melchior Josef Martin Knüsel (1813–1889)
• 1862 – Jakob Stämpfli (1820–1879)
• 1863 – Constant Fornerod (1819–1899)
• 1864 – Jakob Dubs (1822–1879)
• 1865 – Karl Schenk (1823–1895)
• 1866 – Melchior Josef Martin Knüsel (1813–1889)
• 1867 – Constant Fornerod (1819–1899)
• 1868 – Jakob Dubs (1822–1879)
• 1869 – Emil Welti (1825–1899)

Karl Schenk, as the longest-serving member of the Federal Council, was President of the Confederation six times, a number only equaled by Emil Welti.

• 1870 – Jakob Dubs (1822–1879)
• 1871 – Karl Schenk (1823–1895)
• 1872 – Emil Welti (1825–1899)
• 1873 – Paul Cérésole (1832–1905)
• 1874 – Karl Schenk (1823–1895)

1875–1899

• 1875 – Johann Jakob Scherer (1825–1878)
• 1876 – Emil Welti (1825–1899)
• 1877 – Joachim Heer (1825–1879)
• 1878 – Karl Schenk (1823–1895)
• 1879 – Bernhard Hammer (1822–1907)
• 1880 – Emil Welti (1825–1899)
• 1881 – Numa Droz (1844–1899)
• 1882 – Simeon Bavier (1825–1896)
• 1883 – Louis Ruchonnet (1834–1893)
• 1884 – Emil Welti (1825–1899)
• 1885 – Karl Schenk (1823–1895)
• 1886 – Adolf Deucher (1831–1912)
• 1887 – Numa Droz (1844–1899)
• 1888 (to November 27) – Wilhelm Hertenstein (1825–1888)
  

  

  Wilhelm Hertenstein died during his term, on 27 November 1888. As of 2009, he is the only President not to complete his term.
• 1888 (from November 27) – Bernhard Hammer (1822–1907) (acting)
• 1889 – Bernhard Hammer (1822–1907)
• 1890 – Louis Ruchonnet (1834–1893)
• 1891 – Emil Welti (1825–1899)
• 1892 – Walter Hauser (1837–1902)
• 1893 – Karl Schenk (1823–1895)
• 1894 – Emil Frey (1838–1922)
• 1895 – Josef Zemp (1834–1908)
• 1896 – Adrien Lachenal (1849–1918)
• 1897 – Adolf Deucher (1831–1912)
• 1898 – Eugène Ruffy (1854–1919)
• 1899 – Eduard Müller (1848–1919)

1900–1924

• 1900 – Walter Hauser (1837–1902)
• 1901 – Ernst Brenner (1856–1911)
• 1902 – Josef Zemp (1834–1908)
• 1903 – Adolf Deucher (1831–1912)
• 1904 – Robert Comtesse (1847–1922)
• 1905 – Marc-Emile Ruchet (1853–1912)
• 1906 – Ludwig Forrer (1845–1921)
• 1907 – Eduard Müller (1848–1919)
• 1908 – Ernst Brenner (1856–1911)
• 1909 – Adolf Deucher (1831–1912)
• 1910 – Robert Comtesse (1847–1922)

Gustave Ador, President of the Confederation in 1919, was also President of the ICRC

• 1911 – Marc-Emile Ruchet (1853–1912)
• 1912 – Ludwig Forrer (1845–1921)
• 1913 – Eduard Müller (1848–1919)
• 1914 – Arthur Hoffmann (1857–1927)
• 1915 – Giuseppe Motta (1871–1940)
• 1916 – Camille Decoppet (1862–1925)
• 1917 – Edmund Schulthess (1868–1944)
• 1918 – Felix Calonder (1863–1952)
• 1919 – Gustave Ador (1845–1928)
• 1920 – Giuseppe Motta (1871–1940)
• 1921 – Edmund Schulthess (1868–1944)
• 1922 – Robert Haab (1865–1939)
• 1923 – Karl Scheurer (1872–1929)
• 1924 – Ernst Chuard (1857–1942)

1925–1949

• 1925 – Jean-Marie Musy (1876–1952)
• 1926 – Heinrich Häberlin (1868–1947)
• 1927 – Giuseppe Motta (1871–1940)
• 1928 – Edmund Schulthess (1868–1944)
• 1929 – Robert Haab (1865–1939)
• 1930 – Jean-Marie Musy (1876–1952)
• 1931 – Heinrich Häberlin (1868–1947)
• 1932 – Giuseppe Motta (1871–1940)
• 1933 – Edmund Schulthess (1868–1944)
• 1934 – Marcel Pilet-Golaz (1889–1958)
• 1935 – Rudolf Minger (1881–1955)
• 1936 – Albert Meyer (1870–1953)
• 1937 – Giuseppe Motta (1871–1940)
• 1938 – Johannes Baumann (1874–1953)
• 1939 – Philipp Etter (1891–1977)
• 1940 – Marcel Pilet-Golaz (1889–1958)
• 1941 – Ernst Wetter (1877–1963)
• 1942 – Philipp Etter (1891–1977)
• 1943 – Enrico Celio (1889–1980)
• 1944 – Walther Stampfli (1884–1965)
• 1945 – Eduard von Steiger (1881–1962)
• 1946 – Karl Kobelt (1891–1968)
• 1947 – Philipp Etter (1891–1977)
• 1948 – Enrico Celio (1889–1980)
• 1949 – Ernst Nobs (1886–1957)

1950–1974

• 1950 – Max Petitpierre (1899–1994)
• 1951 – Eduard von Steiger (1881–1962)
• 1952 – Karl Kobelt (1891–1968)
• 1953 – Philipp Etter (1891–1977)
• 1954 – Rodolphe Rubattel (1896–1961)
• 1955 – Max Petitpierre (1899–1994)
• 1956 – Markus Feldmann (1897–1958)
• 1957 – Hans Streuli (1892–1970)
• 1958 – Thomas Holenstein (1896–1962)
• 1959 – Paul Chaudet (1904–1977)
• 1960 – Max Petitpierre (1899–1994)
• 1961 – Friedrich Traugott Wahlen (1899–1985)
• 1962 – Paul Chaudet (1904–1977)
• 1963 – Willy Spühler (1902–1990)
• 1964 – Ludwig von Moos (1910–1990)
• 1965 – Hans-Peter Tschudi (1913–2002)
• 1966 – Hans Schaffner (1908–2004)
• 1967 – Roger Bonvin (1907–1982)
• 1968 – Willy Spühler (1902–1990)
• 1969 – Ludwig von Moos (1910–1990)
• 1970 – Hans-Peter Tschudi (1913–2002)
• 1971 – Rudolf Gnägi (1917–1985)
• 1972 – Nello Celio (1914–1995)
• 1973 – Roger Bonvin (1907–1982)
• 1974 – Ernst Brugger (1914–1998)

1975–1999

• 1975 – Pierre Graber (1908–2003)
• 1976 – Rudolf Gnägi (1917–1985)
• 1977 – Kurt Furgler (1924–2008)
• 1978 – Willy Ritschard (1918–1983)
• 1979 – Hans Hürlimann (1918–1994)
• 1980 – Georges-André Chevallaz (1915–2002)
• 1981 – Kurt Furgler (1924–2008)
• 1982 – Fritz Honegger (1917–1999)
• 1983 – Pierre Aubert (born 1927)
• 1984 – Leon Schlumpf (born 1925)
• 1985 – Kurt Furgler (1924–2008)
• 1986 – Alphons Egli (born 1924)
• 1987 – Pierre Aubert (born 1927)
• 1988 – Otto Stich (born 1927)
• 1989 – Jean-Pascal Delamuraz (1936–1998)
• 1990 – Arnold Koller (born 1933)
• 1991 – Flavio Cotti (born 1939)
• 1992 – René Felber (born 1933)
• 1993 – Adolf Ogi (born 1942)
• 1994 – Otto Stich (born 1927)
• 1995 – Kaspar Villiger (born 1941)
• 1996 – Jean-Pascal Delamuraz (1936–1998)
• 1997 – Arnold Koller (born 1933)
• 1998 – Flavio Cotti (born 1939)
• 1999 – Ruth Dreifuss (born 1940)

2000–present

Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, the current President (2012)

• 2000 – Adolf Ogi (born 1942)
• 2001 – Moritz Leuenberger (born 1946)
• 2002 – Kaspar Villiger (born 1941)
• 2003 – Pascal Couchepin (born 1942)
• 2004 – Joseph Deiss (born 1946)
• 2005 – Samuel Schmid (born 1947)
• 2006 – Moritz Leuenberger (born 1946)
• 2007 – Micheline Calmy-Rey (born 1945)
• 2008 – Pascal Couchepin (born 1942)
• 2009 – Hans-Rudolf Merz (born 1942)
• 2010 – Doris Leuthard (born 1963)
• 2011 – Micheline Calmy-Rey (born 1945)
• 2012 – Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf (born 1956).

See also

• Presidents of the National Council of Switzerland
• Presidents of the Swiss Diet (before 1848)