| Federal Chancellor of Switzerland | |
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| Federal Chancellery of Switzerland | |
| Residence | Federal Palace |
| Term length | Four years, renewable |
| Inaugural holder | Jean-Marc Mousson |
| Formation | 1803; 223 years ago (1803) |
| Website | www.bk.admin.ch |
Thefederal chancellor is the head of theFederal Chancellery of Switzerland, the oldest Swiss federal institution, established at the initiative ofNapoleon in 1803. The officeholder acts as the general staff of the seven-memberFederal Council. The chancellor is not a member of the government and the office is not at all comparable to that of thechancellor of Germany or thechancellor of Austria, or to the United Kingdom'schancellor of the exchequer.[1]
The current chancellor,Viktor Rossi, a member of theGreen Liberal Party fromBern, was elected on 13 December 2023. He began his term on 1 January 2024.
The federal chancellor is elected for a four-year term by both chambers of theFederal Assembly, assembled together, at the same time (and by the same process) as it elects the Federal Council.[2] The election is conducted bysecret ballot using anexhaustive ballot in which each member of the Assembly can vote for any eligible person in the first two rounds, but only remaining candidates in subsequent rounds.[3] If no candidate receives anabsolute majority, the candidate(s) with the fewest votes is eliminated.[3]
One or two vice-chancellors are also appointed. In contrast to the chancellor, they are appointed directly by the Federal Council. Prior to 1852, the position was called the state secretary of the Confederation. Currently,Rachel Salzmann is the vice-chancellor in charge of the Federal Council's agenda.
In May 2024, following the sudden death of Vice-ChancellorAndré Simonazzi, the Federal Council appointedUrsula Eggenbergerad interim while searching for a permanent successor.Andrea Arcidiacono took over the post of Vice-Chancellor and spokesperson of the Federal Council in October 2024, but resigned shortly after and left his post on March 31, 2025, with Ursula Eggenberger reprising the rolead interim for a second time.[4][5][6]
The position is a political appointment and has only atechnocratic 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's position is often referred to as that of an "eighth federal councillor". The chancellery is also responsible for the publication of all federal laws.[7]
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