2003 Swiss Federal Council election

none Elections to the Swiss Federal Council were held on 10 December 2003 to elect all seven of Switzerland's Federal Council. The 246 members of the United Federal Assembly elect the seven members individually by an absolute majority of votes, with the members serving for four years, beginning on 1 January 2004, or until resigning. Six of the seven incumbents were running for re-election. Five were re-elected, but Ruth Metzler lost in her re-election bid: the first time an incumbent Federal Councillor had failed to be re-elected since 1872. In her place was elected Christoph Blocher of the Swiss People's Party (SVP). This modified the magic formula, by which the four largest parties have shared power on the Federal Council by a set formula since 1959; Metzler's Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP) was reduced from two seats to one, and Blocher's SVP increased from one to two. Results Dead link in external links, and that is the only source. November 2016 Seat held by Moritz Leuenberger Candidate Party Canton Round 1 Moritz Leuenberger SP Zürich 211 Others 23 Ballot papers distributed 246 Ballot papers returned 246 Invalid votes (of which spoiled) 12 (1) Valid votes 234 Seat held by Pascal Couchepin Candidate Party Canton Round 1 Pascal Couchepin FDP Valais 178 Fulvio Pelli FDP Ticino 17 Fernand Cuche Greens Neuchâtel 10 Others 25 Ballot papers distributed 246 Ballot papers returned 246 Invalid votes (of which spoiled) 16 (3) Valid votes 230 Seat held by Ruth Metzler Candidate Party Canton Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Christoph Blocher SVP Zürich 116 119 121 Ruth Metzler CVP Appenzell Innerrhoden 116 117 116 Others 8 5 0 Ballot papers distributed 246 246 246 Ballot papers returned 246 246 246 Invalid votes (of which spoiled) 6 (2) 5 (3) 9 (4) Valid votes 240 241 237 Seat held by Joseph Deiss Candidate Party Canton Round 1 Joseph Deiss CVP Fribourg 138 Ruth Metzler CVP Appenzell Innerrhoden 96 Others 7 Ballot papers distributed 245 Ballot papers returned 245 Invalid votes (of which spoiled) 4 (0) Valid votes 241 Seat held by Samuel Schmid Candidate Party Canton Round 1 Samuel Schmid SVP Bern 167 Ruth Genner Greens Zürich 13 Others 24 Ballot papers distributed 244 Ballot papers returned 244 Invalid votes (of which spoiled) 40 (1) Valid votes 204 Seat held by Micheline Calmy-Rey Candidate Party Canton Round 1 Micheline Calmy-Rey SP Geneva 206 Others 20 Ballot papers distributed 244 Ballot papers returned 244 Invalid votes (of which spoiled) 18 (1) Valid votes 226 Vacant seat Candidate Party Canton Round 1 Round 2 Hans-Rudolf Merz FDP Aargau 115 127 Christine Beerli FDP Bern 83 96 Franz Steinegger FDP Uri 16 N/A Fulvio Pelli FDP Ticino 11 N/A Others 16 16 Ballot papers distributed 246 244 Ballot papers returned 246 244 Invalid votes (of which spoiled) 5 (0) 5 (0) Valid votes 241 239 Footnotes External links fr Federal Assembly webpage on 2003 Federal Council election Politics Switzerland Federal Council 2003