Simonetta Sommaruga | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2022 | |
| President of Switzerland | |
| In office 1 January 2020 – 31 December 2020 | |
| Vice President | Guy Parmelin |
| Preceded by | Ueli Maurer |
| Succeeded by | Guy Parmelin |
| In office 1 January 2015 – 31 December 2015 | |
| Vice President | Johann Schneider-Ammann |
| Preceded by | Didier Burkhalter |
| Succeeded by | Johann Schneider-Ammann |
| Vice President of Switzerland | |
| In office 1 January 2019 – 31 December 2019 | |
| President | Ueli Maurer |
| Preceded by | Ueli Maurer |
| Succeeded by | Guy Parmelin |
| In office 1 January 2014 – 31 December 2014 | |
| President | Didier Burkhalter |
| Preceded by | Didier Burkhalter |
| Succeeded by | Johann Schneider-Ammann |
| Head of theDepartment of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications | |
| In office 1 January 2019 – 31 December 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Doris Leuthard |
| Succeeded by | Albert Rösti |
| Head of theDepartment of Justice and Police | |
| In office 1 November 2010 – 31 December 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf |
| Succeeded by | Karin Keller-Sutter |
| Member of the Swiss Federal Council | |
| In office 1 November 2010 – 31 December 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Moritz Leuenberger |
| Succeeded by | Élisabeth Baume-Schneider |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Simonetta Myriam Sommaruga (1960-05-14)14 May 1960 (age 65) |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party |
| Spouse | |
| Alma mater | Lucerne University (without obtaining the degree)[1] |
| Signature |  |
Simonetta Myriam Sommaruga (born 14 May 1960)[2] is a Swiss politician who served as aMember of the Swiss Federal Council from 2010 to 2022. A member of theSocial Democratic Party (SP/PS), she wasPresident of the Swiss Confederation in 2015 and 2020.
A former director of the Consumer Protection Foundation, which merged into theSwiss Alliance of Consumer Organisations in 2010, Sommaruga has headed theFederal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications since 2019, previously heading theFederal Department of Justice and Police (2010–2018).[3] She served as Vice President of Switzerland for 2014 and 2019. Sommaruga assumed the role ofPresident of the Swiss Confederation in 2015, before returning to the position in 2020. She resides in thecanton of Bern.
Sommaruga was born 14 May 1960 inZug, Switzerland, a daughter of Marco[4] and Marie-Therese[5] (née Keel) Sommaruga.[6] She is a maternal great-great-granddaughter ofJohann Joseph Keel, who served as National Councilor as well as Governing Councilor. Sommaruga grew up with two brothers and a sister inSins,Aargau. She attended thegymnasium atImmensee,Schwyz and trained as apianist at theLucerne School of Music ofLucerne University. From 1988 to 1991, she attendedEnglish andRomance studies at theUniversity of Fribourg, but did not graduate.[7]
Sommaruga held the directorship of the Consumer Protection Foundation (German: Stiftung für Konsumentenschutz) from 1993 to 1999, which earned her public recognition in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, where it was active. She held the presidency of that foundation from 2000 to 2010, as well as that of the aid organisation Swissaid from 2003 to 2008. She was also patron ofSAFFA 2020, alongside then-Federal CouncillorsDoris Leuthard andEveline Widmer-Schlumpf, as well as former Federal CouncillorMicheline Calmy-Rey.[8]
Sommaruga's political career began as a member of theGrand Council of Bern from 1981 to 1990. She served in the municipal government ofKöniz from 1997 to 2005.[9] In1999, she was elected to theNational Council; in2003 she became a member of the Federal Assembly's upper house, theCouncil of States, representing thecanton of Bern.[9]
On 11 August 2010, she announced her candidacy to succeed fellow party memberMoritz Leuenberger, who had announced his resignation, in theupcoming election to theFederal Council.[10] Sommaruga was elected by theFederal Assembly on 22 September 2010.[9] She was eventually elected for a full four-year term in2011, before successfully seeking reelection in2015 and2019.
On 4 December 2013, Sommaruga was elected as Vice President of Switzerland by the Federal Assembly for 2014, alongsideDidier Burkhalter, who was electedPresident of the Swiss Confederation. On 3 December 2014, she was elected to the presidency for 2015, alongsideJohann Schneider-Ammann as Vice President of Switzerland. Her first international presidential trip was toParis, where she joined theRepublican marches of 11 January 2015, organised to defend freedom of speech following theCharlie Hebdo shooting perpetrated by Islamic terrorists. She served as President of the Confederation until 31 December 2015, when Schneider-Ammann succeeded her.
On 1 January 2019, she returned to the vice presidency under PresidentUeli Maurer. Sommaruga became President of the Swiss Confederation again in 2020, a year marked by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[11] She opened the2020 Winter Youth Olympics inLausanne during the opening ceremony. She was succeeded byGuy Parmelin on 1 January 2021.
On 2 November 2022, she announced her upcoming resignation from the Federal Council. She stated the decision had come abruptly following a stroke suffered by her husband.[12]
Sommaruga, who is married to writerLukas Hartmann, lives in Spiegel nearBern.[2] She is a distant relative ofCornelio Sommaruga and fellow politician of the Social Democratic Party of SwitzerlandCarlo Sommaruga.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Media related toSimonetta Sommaruga at Wikimedia Commons
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the Swiss Federal Council 2010–2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Head of theDepartment of Justice and Police 2010–2018 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Vice President of Switzerland 2014 | Succeeded by |
| President of Switzerland 2015 | ||
| Preceded by | Vice President of Switzerland 2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Head of theDepartment of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications 2019–2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of Switzerland 2020 | Succeeded by |
| 1848–1874 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| 1875–1899 | ||
| 1900–1924 | ||
| 1925–1949 | ||
| 1950–1974 | ||
| 1975–1999 | ||
| 2000–present | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
