As expected, current vice-president Berset was selected from the seven-member executive body to start his second term as president from January 1. He previously held the post in 2018.
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Switzerland’s 19 living ex-presidents: a world record
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Nineteen former Swiss presidents are still alive. What does this record say about the country’s political stability and leadership?
The Swiss presidency changes hands every year and passes between government ministers, who also continue with their ministerial duties.
This year, for example, Ignazio Cassis is both president and foreign minister. The system is designed to ensure that no single person can concentrate too much individual power in their own hands.
Besides chairing government meetings and giving speeches on important occasions, such as the August 1 Swiss National Day, the president has an international diplomatic function.
The Swiss president also meets visiting foreign heads of state and dignitaries when they come to Switzerland on official business.
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Presidential duties
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The office of federal president rotates every year among the seven cabinet ministers.
Parliament was less certain about whom to choose as 2023 president than in previous years. Berset received 140 votes, well below the 190 parliamentarians who endorsed him for the role in 2018.
Earlier on Wednesday parliament voted in two new ministers to the Federal Council from the start of 2023. They will replace the outgoing Ueli Maurer and Simonetta Sommaruga.
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New Swiss government ministers elected to office
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Switzerland’s parliament has appointed two new government ministers to serve in the country’s seven-member executive body.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
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Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
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TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
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The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
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The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
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China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
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A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
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The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
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New Swiss government ministers elected to office
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Switzerland's parliament has appointed two new government ministers to serve in the country’s seven-member executive body.
Switzerland’s 19 living ex-presidents: a world record
This content was published on
Nineteen former Swiss presidents are still alive. What does this record say about the country’s political stability and leadership?
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.