Ignazio Cassis | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2024 | |
| President of Switzerland | |
| In office 1 January 2022 – 31 December 2022 | |
| Vice President | Alain Berset |
| Preceded by | Guy Parmelin |
| Succeeded by | Alain Berset |
| Vice President of Switzerland | |
| In office 1 January 2021 – 31 December 2021 | |
| President | Guy Parmelin |
| Preceded by | Guy Parmelin |
| Succeeded by | Alain Berset |
| Member of the Swiss Federal Council | |
| Assumed office 1 November 2017 | |
| Department | Foreign Affairs (2017–present) |
| Preceded by | Didier Burkhalter |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ignazio Daniele Giovanni Cassis (1961-04-13)13 April 1961 (age 64) |
| Nationality |
|
| Political party | FDP.The Liberals |
| Spouse | Dr. Paola Rodoni |
| Residence(s) | Montagnola,Ticino |
| Alma mater | University of Zurich University of Lausanne |
Ignazio Daniele Giovanni Cassis (Italian pronunciation:[iɲˈɲattsjoˈkassis]; born 13 April 1961) is a Swiss physician and politician who has been aMember of the Swiss Federal Council since 1 November 2017. A member ofFDP.The Liberals, Cassis was elected to theFederal Council on 20 September 2017 following the resignation ofDidier Burkhalter. He has headed theFederal Department of Foreign Affairs since he took office. On 8 December 2021, Cassis was elected President of theSwiss Confederation for 2022.[1]
Cassis was born 13 April 1961 at Malcantonese Hospital inCroglio (presentlySessa) inTicino, to Gino Cassis and Mariarosa. He has three sisters.[2][3] He was born an Italian citizen and receivedSwiss citizenship by derivation when his parents naturalized in 1976. He held dual citizenship until his election in 2017.[4] Cassis studied Medicine at theUniversity of Zurich and theUniversity of Lausanne until 1987.
He subsequently specialised ininternal medicine andpublic health; he received his master's degree in public health in 1996. Cassis was awarded a doctorate in medicine (Dr. med., MD) from theUniversity of Lausanne in 1998. He was acantonal doctor inTicino from 1996 to 2008 and vice president of the Foederatio Medicorum Helveticorum (FMH, literally "Swiss Medical Association") from 2008 to 2012.[5]
Residing in thecanton of Ticino, Cassis served in theNational Council from 4 June 2007 to 30 October 2017 where he was affiliated withFDP.The Liberals.[6]
When Federal CouncillorDidier Burkhalter announced his retirement in 2017, Cassis was one of the three candidates the FDP chose to replace him, the other two beingIsabelle Moret (a National Councillor fromVaud) andPierre Maudet (a cantonal official from Geneva and former Mayor of Geneva).[7] Cassis was considered the favourite to succeed Burkhalter.[7]
In the election, held on 20 September 2017, theFederal Assembly elected Cassis to theFederal Council in the second round by taking 125 of 244 valid votes, becoming the 117thFederal Councillor since 1848.[8][9][10][11] He was supported by the centre-right and right-wing parties in the Assembly.[11] Cassis became the first Federal Councillor from Ticino since 1999, and the first Italian-speaking Federal Councillor since then.[10][11] The Swiss press generally commented positively on Cassis's election.[12][13]
Cassis took office on 1 November 2017 as head of theDepartment of Foreign Affairs, succeedingDidier Burkhalter.[14][15][16] He caused some controversy shortly after his election when the media reported that he addressed and joinedProTell, agun rights advocacy group, nine days before his election, something that might have made hisrelationship with the EU difficult as Foreign Minister due to discussions over joint gun policy.[17] Cassis ended his membership in ProTell and other gun rights organisations shortly afterward.[17]
A member of the Swiss Parliament's Israel Friendship Group, Ignazio Cassis defends positions perceived as pro-Israeli. In 2019, he ordered the suspension of Swiss aid toUNRWA, which he had criticized in several speeches.[18]
In 2021 Cassis served as Vice President of Switzerland. On 8 December 2021, he was elected President of Switzerland for the year 2022. He assumed the office on 1 January 2022 succeedingGuy Parmelin.
In 2022, as president of the Swiss confederation, Cassis took a leading role in redefiningSwiss neutrality in light of theRussian invasion of Ukraine. In a delicate balance between a failed agreement towards theEU proposed framework accord and Swiss national interests, he has taken sides with the EU with regards tointernational sanctions against Russia.[19] On 20 October, Cassis made an official visit to Ukraine, meeting PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime MinisterDenys Shmyhal and Foreign MinisterDmytro Kuleba.[20]
Cassis is married to Dr. Paola Cassis and lives inMontagnola.[6][3]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the Swiss Federal Council 2017–present | Incumbent |
| Head of theDepartment of Foreign Affairs 2017–present | ||
| Preceded by | Vice President of Switzerland 2021 | Succeeded by |
| President of Switzerland 2022 | ||
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