Swiss order of precedence

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 and the Table of Precedence of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The upper part of the list reads as follows:

1. President of the Confederation (2013: Ueli Maurer)
2. Vice-President of the Federal Council (2013: Didier Burkhalter)
3. Federal Councillors in the order of their election by the Federal Assembly (2012: Doris Leuthard, Didier Burkhalter, Simonetta Sommaruga, Johann Schneider-Ammann, Alain Berset)
4. The General (elected only in case of war)
5. President of the National Council (2011/12: Hansjörg Walter)
6. President of the Council of States (2011/12: Hans Altherr)
7. Chancellor of the Confederation (since 2008: Corina Casanova)
8. President of the Federal Supreme Court (since 2009: Lorenz Meyer)
9. Former Federal Councillors in order of election (as of 2012: Pierre Aubert, Rudolf Friedrich, Alphons Egli, Elisabeth Kopp, Flavio Cotti, Arnold Koller, Adolf Ogi, René Felber, Kaspar Villiger, Ruth Dreifuss, Moritz Leuenberger, Pascal Couchepin, Ruth Metzler, Joseph Deiss, Samuel Schmid, Christoph Blocher, Hans-Rudolf Merz)
10. Presidents of the cantonal governments in the order given in the Constitution.
11. Cardinals, Members of the Council of the Swiss Union of Evangelical Churches, and Grand Rabbis
12. First and Second Vice Presidents of the National Council
13. First and Second Vice Presidents of the Council of States
14. Vice President of the Federal Supreme Court
15. Bishops
16. Secretaries of State
17. Members of the National Council in order of election
18. Members of the Council of States in order of election
19. Judges of the Federal Supreme Court

References

This article incorporates information from the revision as of 13 February 2008 of the equivalent article on the German Wikipedia.