Martin Pfister | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Pfister in 2025 | |
| Swiss Federal Councillor | |
| Assumed office 1 April 2025 | |
| Department | Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport |
| Preceded by | Viola Amherd |
| Member of the Executive Council of Zug | |
| In office 17 January 2016 – 31 March 2025 | |
| Directorate | Health |
| Personal details | |
| Pronunciation | Swiss Standard German pronunciation:[ˈmartiːnˈpfɪstər] |
| Born | Martin Pfister (1963-07-31)31 July 1963 (age 62) Zug, Switzerland |
| Political party | The Centre |
| Spouse | Cacilda Giacometti Pfister |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Allenwinden |
| Education |
|
| Alma mater | University of Fribourg |
| Occupation |
|
| Website | Executive Council website Official website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Switzerland |
| Branch/service | Swiss Army |
| Rank | Oberst (Colonel) |
Martin Pfister (Swiss Standard German pronunciation:[ˈmartiːnˈpfɪstər]; born 31 July 1963) is a Swiss historian and politician ofthe Centre. He has served as aRegierungsrat (Cantonal Minister) ofZug since 2016, responsible for the health department. He is a trained teacher and anOberst in the Swiss Army, having served for eight years in disaster response.
Pfisterwas elected to succeedViola Amherd on theFederal Council on 12 March 2025 and two days later it was announced that he would also replace Amherd as head of theFederal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport.[1][2]
Pfister's political career began with his election into the Cantonal Council (Kantonsrat) ofZug in 2006, an office he held until 2016.[3] From 2009 until 2012, he held the role of party leader (Fraktionschef) of theCVP in Zug.[1][4] In the by-elections of 17 January 2016 for the Executive Council (Regierungsrat) of the Canton of Zug, Pfister was elected to fill the vacancy ofPeter Hegglin.[5] He led the health department of Zug from 2016 to 2025.[6] As the head of the Conference of Central Swiss Health Directors, Pfister had a prominent role in the response to theCOVID-19 pandemic. He won the most votes of any candidate in the 2022 Executive Council elections.[1]
In 2025, Pfister was elected into the Federal Council to replace Viola Amherd.[1] His taking over the leadership of theFederal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport was expected and officially confirmed in the redistribution of departments amongst Federal Councillors two days after the election.[7][8] Initially, Pfister's opponentMarkus Ritter was seen as the favorite, having far more influence in national politics. Pfister announced his candidacy at the last moment and spent several days in private afterwards, leading to him being described as an "alibi candidate". During his campaign, he focused on large geopolitical issues, often answering questions hesitantly or with "there I pull thejoker". In contrast to Ritter, who aggressively presented himself as a problem-solver, Pfister spoke slowly and calmly.[9]
Pfister was born 31 July 1963 in Zug and grew up there and inAllenwinden,[10][11] where he also currently resides with his family.[3]
As a young man, Pfister was active in thescouts (Pfadi) inBaar with thescout nameHecht, 'Pike'.[3] During his military service, he attended officer school inWangen an der Aare, where he was noted for his physical resilience, once even carrying two backpacks.[9] During his military training, Pfister worked as an assistant to ProfessorUrs Altermatt [de] at theUniversity of Fribourg.[9] He studied history and German studies,[12] in particular also the history of Swiss Federal Councillors and wrote his thesis aboutPhilipp Etter, an early Federal Councillor from Zug.[1][9] Despite the recommendation of his professor, Pfister chose not to pursue an academic career.[9]
Pfister is married to Cacilda Giacometti Pfister.[13] Together, they parent a patchwork family with four children.[13][14]
Pfister is against loosening the debt brake, instead preferring to increase revenue by raising thevalue added tax.[1] His positions were described in theNeue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) as "liberal in social and economic questions".[9]
Pfister's colleagues on the Executive Council in Zug have described him as "very collegial", with political opponents praising his openness to discussion. However, his readiness to compromise was also criticized as lacking decisiveness, a quality described by the NZZ as "an embodiment of The Centre like no other".[9]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2025 | Succeeded by – |
| Preceded by | Head of theDepartment of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport since 2025 | Succeeded by – |
| Current members |  | |
|---|---|---|
| About | ||
| Lists of members | ||
| Lists by department | ||
