Chancellor of Switzerland
| Federal Chancellor of Switzerland | |
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| Template:De icon Bundeskanzler(in) Template:Fr icon Chancelier(-ière) fédéral(e) Template:It icon Cancelliere(-a) della Confederazione Template:Rm icon Chancelier(a) federal(a) | |
 Federal logo of the Swiss Confederation | |
| Residence | Federal Palace |
| Term length | Four years, renewable |
| Inaugural holder | Jean-Marc Mousson |
| Formation | 1803 |
| Website | www.bk.admin.ch |
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The Federal Chancellor (German: Bundeskanzler(in); French: Chancelier(-ière) fédéral(e); Italian: Cancelliere(-a) della Confederazione; Romansh: Chancelier(a) federal(a)) is the head of the Federal Chancellery of Switzerland, which acts as the general staff of the seven-member Federal Council. The Swiss Chancellor is not a member of the government, and the office of Chancellor is not at all comparable to that of the Chancellors of Germany or the Chancellor of Austria.
The Federal Chancellor is elected for a four-year term by the Federal Assembly, assembled together as the United Federal Assembly, at the same time as it elects the Federal Council. The current Chancellor, Walter Thurnherr, a member of the Christian Democratic People's Party from Aargau, was elected on 9 December 2015 and began his term on 1 January 2016.
Vice-Chancellors
One or two vice-chancellors (before 1852, the position was called the State Secretary of the Confederation) are also appointed. In contrast to the chancellor, they are appointmented directly by the Federal Council.
Role
The position is a political appointment and has only a technocratic role.
The Chancellor attends meetings of the Federal Council but does not have a vote. The Chancellor also prepares the Federal Council's reports to the Federal Assembly on its policy and activities. Still, the Chancellor is often referred to as that of an 'eighth Federal Councillor'. The chancellery is also responsible for the publication of all federal laws.
List of Federal Chancellors
See also
- Politics of Switzerland
- List of Presidents of the Swiss Confederation
- List of members of the Swiss Federal Council
- Lists of office-holders
Sources
- Chancellor of Switzerland in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- Hans-Urs Willi. "The Chancellor: a few historical highlights on the development of their person and the office from ancient times to the Middle Ages and the Zenden Republic of Valais". In Klaus, Michel (editor): Quelle chance pour nos institutions? Mélanges offerts à Monsieur François Couchepin, chancelier de la Confédération à l'occasion de son 60e anniversaire / Festschrift für Bundeskanzler François Couchepin zum 60. Geburtstag. Schlieren 1995. Translated by Paul Suffrin and Elsbeth Hagan.
External links
- Official website
- A Walk through the History of the Federal Chancellery, in German, French and Italian, on the web site of the Federal Chancellery
- Federal Chancellor in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
