2010 Swiss Federal Council election

none May 2021 2010 Swiss Federal Council election Switzerland presidential no 2009 Swiss Federal Council election 2009 2011 Swiss Federal Council election 2011 22 September 2010 100px Simonetta Sommaruga Social Democratic Party of Switzerland 159 100px Jean-François Rime Swiss People's Party 81 Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger Social Democratic Party of Switzerland Simonetta Sommaruga Social Democratic Party of Switzerland 2010 Swiss Federal Council election Switzerland presidential no 2009 Swiss Federal Council election 2009 2011 Swiss Federal Council election 2011 22 September 2010 100px Johann Schneider-Ammann FDP.The Liberals 144 100px Jean-François Rime Swiss People's Party 93 Federal Councillor Hans-Rudolf Merz FDP.The Liberals Johann Schneider-Ammann FDP.The Liberals Two by-elections to the Swiss Federal Council were held in Switzerland on 22 September 2010,Ein heisser Herbst steht bevor. 20 Minuten Online. de after federal councillors Moritz Leuenberger (SP) and Hans-Rudolf Merz (FDP.The Liberals) announced they would step down from the Federal Council towards the end of the year. The by-elections resulted in the elections of Simonetta Sommaruga from the SP and Johann Schneider-Ammann from the FDP, resulting in no change in the partisan composition of the council. It also resulted in the first (and, to date, most recent) majority of women on the Federal Council in its history, with Sommaruga joining Micheline Calmy-Rey, Doris Leuthard and Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf.Council The Federal Women in the Federal Council https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/bundesrat/geschichte-des-bundesrats/frauen-im-bundesrat.html 2026-03-09 www.admin.ch en Background In Switzerland, the 7-seat executive Federal Council is traditionally apportioned between the parties following the unwritten agreement known as the Magic formula (since 2003: SVP 2 seats, SP 2 seats, FDP 2 seats, and CVP 1 seat. The formula was followed from 1959 until 2008 when both SVP councillors were expelled and formed the BDP; the SVP regained one seat in 2009 with Ueli Maurer's election but continued seeking ways to regain its claimed second seat. The Greens also now claimed one seat to the council due to their gains in the 2007 federal election. Federal councillors are traditionally re-elected until they step down, only four ever lost re-election. Councillors more often stand down during their term as it allows their party to get more visibility at a moment other than shortly after a general election.Longchamp Claude 2018-12-20 L'élection du Conseil fédéral a-t-elle été vraiment normale? French Has the Federal Council election really been normal? Swissinfo.ch https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/democratiedirecte/un-petit-regard-en-arri%C3%A8re_l-%C3%A9lection-du-conseil-f%C3%A9d%C3%A9ral-a-t-elle-%C3%A9t%C3%A9-vraiment-normale-/44632806 Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger (SP) announced in July 2010 he would leave the Federal Council effective 31 December 2010,http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/Specials/Cabinet_Election/News/Long-serving_Swiss_cabinet_minister_resigns_.html?cid=16370158 Long-serving Swiss cabinet minister resigns Swissinfo 9 July 2010 10 August 2010 22 May 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110522142840/http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/Specials/Cabinet_Election/News/Long-serving_Swiss_cabinet_minister_resigns_.html?cid=16370158 dead later followed by Federal Councillor Hans-Rudolf Merz (FDP.The Liberals) who on 6 August 2010 announced his intention to retire effective late October 2010.«Das wäre ein Spiel mit dem Feuer». NZZ Online. de Leuenberger advanced the date of his effective resignation to coincide in a single voting session. Electoral system The seat is elected using an absolute majority with an exhaustive ballot, each seat being filled independently. In the first two rounds members of the Federal Assembly can vote for anyone eligible, but only those receiving at least ten votes are announced in the results; from the third round onwards only candidates who received at least ten votes in one of the first two rounds are eligible, the last-placed candidate is eliminated until someone reaches an overall majority.Talos Christine 2018-12-03 Élection au Conseil fédéral: le mode d'emploi French Election to the Federal Council: the manual Lematin.ch https://www.lematin.ch/story/election-au-conseil-federal-le-mode-d-emploi-529076221450 2022-09-10 Candidates Merz's seat Both the Green Party and the Swiss People's Party laid claim to the FDP's seat. The election was complicated by the fact that Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger (Social Democratic Party, SP/PS), having previously announced his intention to retire from the council effective late December 2010, predated his resignation so that only one electoral session would have to be held (the election to his seat was initially to be held on 8 December 2010).http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/kandidatenkarussell_kommt_in_schwung_1.7116875.html Kandidatenkarussell kommt in Schwung (Schweiz, NZZ Online) 7 August 2010 8 August 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100808030710/http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/kandidatenkarussell_kommt_in_schwung_1.7116875.html dead Possible candidates by the FDP for Merz's seat included Karin Keller-Sutter, Gabi Huber, Johann Schneider-Ammann, Philipp Müller, Felix Gutzwiller, Ruedi Noser, Christa Markwalder, Fulvio Pelli, Laura Sadis, Ignazio Cassis and Peter Malama.20 Minuten Online Bildstrecke – Wer erbt den Sitz von Merz?. 20min.ch. Retrieved on 2012-05-20. Malama officially announced his candidacy on 20 August 2010,Auch Peter Malama kandidiert für die Merz-Nachfolge. NZZ Online. de and Schneider-Ammann was nominated on 2 September 2010.Berner Freisinnige nominieren Schneider-Ammann. NZZ Online. de Noser, Keller-Sutter and Cassis were also nominated. The following were nominated as official candidates for Merz's seat: Karin Keller-SutterDie Freisinnigen setzen auf ihre Favoriten. NZZ Online. de (FDP-SG), member of the Government of St. Gallen (2000–2012) Johann Schneider-Ammann (FDP-BE), National Councillor for Bern (1999–) Jean-François Rime (SVP-FR), National Councillor for Fribourg (2003–) Brigit Wyss (GPS-SO), National Councillor for Solothurn (2007–) center packed 200 File:Karin Keller-Sutter, 2013 (cropped).jpg Government MinisterKarin Keller-Sutterof St. Gallen File:Johann Niklaus Schneider-Ammann (2007).jpg National CouncillorJohann Schneider-Ammannfrom Bern File:Jean-François Rime (2007).jpg National CouncillorJean-François Rimefrom Friburg File:Brigit Wyss.jpg National CouncillorBrigit Wyssfrom Solothurn Leuenberger's seat The Green Party and FDP.The Liberals have announced they will support the SP's candidate for Leuenberger's seat, while the Swiss People's Party has announced it will put up its own candidate, likely either Jean-François Rime or Adrian Amstutz (Caspar Baader was mooted as a candidate, but declined).Die FDP könnte von einer Doppelvakanz profitieren. NZZ Online. deRime steht abrufbereit. NZZ Online. de Rime was selected as their nominee on 3 September 2010. The Christian Democratic People's Party stated it would keep its options open, but then did not nominate any candidates. The CVP later stated it would support the SP and FDP.Liberals holding their seats.«Wir dürfen SVP-Kandidat Rime nicht wählen». NZZ Online. de The SP's favoured candidates appeared to be Simonetta Sommaruga and Jacqueline Fehr, with Pascale Bruderer and Claude Janiak also considered possible candidates.Rauer Wind gegen Favoritin Sommaruga. NZZ Online. de Bruderer declined to seek the seatBruderer will nicht Bundesrätin werden. NZZ Online. de and Sommaruga officially announced her candidacy on 11 August 2010.Eine Brückenbauerin für den Bundesrat. NZZ Online. de Eva Herzog also announced her intention to stand,Eine Basler Kandidatur für den Bundesrat. NZZ Online. de as did Hildegard Fässler.Hildegard Fässler für Leuenberger-Nachfolge nominiert. NZZ Online. de Fehr was also a candidate, which meant the SP nominated two of four women for the seat on 3 September 2010. There was speculation that the SP would support the Greens for the other seat,Die SP taktiert selbstbewusst. NZZ Online. de and it did not contest that seat. The Green Party contested the seat of Merz, having had with three possible candidates: Geri Müller, Marlies Bänziger and Brigit Wyss.Grüne Einladung Richtung CVP mit Seitenhieb. NZZ Online. de Wyss ultimately became the Green candidate for the seat. The following were nominated as official candidates for Leuenberger's seat: Simonetta SommarugaDie SP nominiert zwei Brückenbauerinnen. NZZ Online. de (SP-BE), States Councillor for Bern (2003–) Jacqueline Fehr (SP-ZH), National Councillor for Zürich (2008–) Jean-François Rime (SVP-FR), National Councillor for Fribourg (2003–) center packed 200 File:Simonetta Sommaruga (2007).jpg States CouncillorSimonetta Sommarugaof Bern File:Jacqueline Fehr (2007).jpg National CouncillorJacqueline Fehrfrom Zhürich File:Jean-François Rime (2007).jpg National CouncillorJean-François Rimefrom Friburg Results November 2016 Seat vacated by Moritz Leuenberger Candidate Party Canton Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Simonetta Sommaruga SP Bern 86 96 98 159Council The Federal Simonetta Sommaruga https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/bundesrat/mitglieder-des-bundesrates/simonetta-sommaruga.html 2026-03-09 www.admin.ch en Jean-François Rime SVP Fribourg 80 78 77 81 Jacqueline Fehr SP Zurich 61 64 70 – Hildegard Fässler SP St. Gallen 10 0 – – Votes received by other persons 7 7 – – Votes cast 245 245 245 245 Invalid votes 1 0 0 2 Blank votes 0 0 0 3 Valid votes 244 245 245 240 Absolute majority 123 123 123 121 Seat vacated by Hans-Rudolf Merz Candidate Party Canton Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Johann Schneider-Ammann FDP Bern 52 75 78 84 144Council The Federal Johann N. Schneider-Ammann https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/bundesrat/mitglieder-des-bundesrates/johann-n--schneider-ammann.html 2026-03-09 www.admin.ch en Jean-François Rime SVP Fribourg 72 72 72 76 93 Karin Keller-Sutter FDP St. Gallen 44 55 66 74 – Brigit Wyss Green Solothurn 57 40 28 – – Ignazio Cassis FDP Ticino 12 0 – – – Votes received by other persons 7 7 – – – Votes cast 245 245 245 243 245 Invalid votes 0 0 1 5 2 Blank votes 1 0 0 4 6 Valid votes 244 245 244 234 237 Absolute majority 123 123 123 118 119 References External links Politics Switzerland Federal Council election 2010 Federal Council election Category:September 2010 elections Category:September 2010 in Europe