List of Presidents of the Swiss Confederation

The list of Presidents of the Swiss Confederation (1848-present) presents the presiding member of the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerland's seven-member executive. Elected for one year, the President of the Confederation chairs the meetings the Council and undertakes special representational duties. Primus inter pares, he has no powers above the others and continues to head his department. Traditionally the duty rotates among the members in order of seniority and the previous year's Vice President becomes President. See list of members of the Swiss Federal Council for all seven.

For presidents before this see: Presidents of the Swiss Diet.

Table of contents

1 1848-1874
2 1875-1899
3 1900-1924
4 1925-1949
5 1950-1974
6 1975-1999
7 2000-present

1848-1874

1848 - Jonas Furrer (1805-1861)
1849 - Jonas Furrer (1805-1861)
1850 - Henri Druey (1799-1855)
1851 - Josef Munzinger (1791-1855)
1852 - Jonas Furrer (1805-1861)
1853 - Wilhelm Matthias Näff (1802-1881)
1854 - Friedrich Frey-Herosé (1801-1873)
1855 - Jonas Furrer (1805-1861)
1856 - Jakob Stämpfli (1820-1879)
1857 - Constant Fornerod (1819-1899)
1858 - Jonas Furrer (1805-1861)
1859 - Jakob Stämpfli (1820-1879)
1860 - Friedrich Frey-Herosé (1801-1873)
1861 - Melchior Josef Martin Knüsel (1813-1889)
1862 - Jakob Stämpfli (1820-1879)
1863 - Constant Fornerod (1819-1899)
1864 - Jakob Dubs (1822-1879)
1865 - Karl Schenk (1823-1895)
1866 - Melchior Josef Martin Knüsel (1813-1889)
1867 - Constant Fornerod (1819-1899)
1868 - Jakob Dubs (1822-1879)
1869 - Emil Welti (1825-1899)
1870 - Jakob Dubs (1822-1879)
1871 - Karl Schenk (1823-1895)
1872 - Emil Welti (1825-1899)
1873 - Paul Cérésole (1832-1905)
1874 - Karl Schenk (1823-1895)

1875-1899

1875 - Johann Jakob Scherer (1825-1878)
1876 - Emil Welti (1825-1899)
1877 - Joachim Heer (1825-1879)
1878 - Karl Schenk (1823-1895)
1879 - Bernhard Hammer (1822-1907)
1880 - Emil Welti (1825-1899)
1881 - Numa Droz (1844-1899)
1882 - Simeon Bavier (1825-1896)
1883 - Louis Ruchonnet (1791-1855)
1884 - Emil Welti (1825-1899)
1885 - Karl Schenk (1823-1895)
1886 - Adolf Deucher (1831-1912)
1887 - Numa Droz (1844-1899)
1888 - Wilhelm Hertenstein (1825-1888)
1888 - Bernhard Hammer (1822-1907)
1889 - Bernhard Hammer (1822-1907)
1890 - Louis Ruchonnet (1834-1893)
1891 - Emil Welti (1825-1899)
1892 - Walter Hauser (1837-1902)
1893 - Karl Schenk (1823-1895)
1894 - Emil Frey (1838-1922)
1895 - Josef Zemp (1834-1908)
1896 - Adrien Lachenal (1849-1918)
1897 - Adolf Deucher (1831-1912)
1898 - Eugène Ruffy (1854-1919)
1899 - Eduard Müller (1848-1919)

1900-1924

1900 - Walter Hauser (1837-1902)
1901 - Ernst Brenner (1856-1911)
1902 - Josef Zemp (1834-1908)
1903 - Adolf Deucher (1831-1912)
1904 - Robert Comtesse (1847-1922)
1905 - Marc-Emile Ruchet (1853-1912)
1906 - Ludwig Forrer (1845-1921)
1907 - Eduard Müller (1848-1919)
1908 - Ernst Brenner (1856-1911)
1909 - Adolf Deucher (1831-1912)
1910 - Robert Comtesse (1847-1922)
1911 - Marc-Emile Ruchet (1853-1912)
1912 - Ludwig Forrer (1845-1921)
1913 - Eduard Müller (1848-1919)
1914 - Arthur Hoffmann (1857-1927)
1915 - Giuseppe Motta (1871-1940)
1916 - Camille Decoppet (1862-1925)
1917 - Edmund Schulthess (1868-1944)
1918 - Felix Calonder (1863-1952)
1919 - Gustave Ador (1845-1928)
1920 - Giuseppe Motta (1871-1940)
1921 - Edmund Schulthess (1868-1944)
1922 - Robert Haab (1865-1939)
1923 - Karl Scheurer (1872-1929)
1924 - Ernst Chuard (1857-1942)

1925-1949

1925 - Jean-Marie Musy (1876-1952)
1926 - Heinrich Häberlin (1868-1947)
1927 - Giuseppe Motta (1871-1940)
1928 - Edmund Schulthess (1868-1944)
1929 - Robert Haab (1865-1939)
1930 - Jean-Marie Musy (1876-1952)
1931 - Heinrich Häberlin (1868-1947)
1932 - Giuseppe Motta (1871-1940)
1933 - Edmund Schulthess (1868-1944)
1934 - Marcel Pilet-Golaz (1889-1958)
1935 - Rudolf Minger (1881-1955)
1936 - Albert Meyer (1870-1953)
1937 - Giuseppe Motta (1871-1940)
1938 - Johannes Baumann (1874-1953)
1939 - Philipp Etter (1891-1977)
1940 - Marcel Pilet-Golaz (1889-1958)
1941 - Ernst Wetter (1877-1963)
1942 - Philipp Etter (1891-1977)
1943 - Enrico Celio (1889-1980)
1944 - Walter Stampfli (1884-1965)
1945 - Eduard von Steiger (1881-1962)
1946 - Karl Kobelt (1891-1968)
1947 - Philipp Etter (1891-1977)
1948 - Enrico Celio (1889-1980)
1949 - Ernst Nobs (1886-1957)

1950-1974

1950 - Max Petitpierre (1899-1994)
1951 - Eduard von Steiger (1881-1962)
1952 - Karl Kobelt (1891-1968)
1953 - Philipp Etter (1891-1977)
1954 - Rodolphe Rubattel (1896-1961)
1955 - Max Petitpierre (1899-1994)
1956 - Markus Feldmann (1897-1958)
1957 - Hans Streuli (1892-1970)
1958 - Thomas Holenstein (1896-1962)
1959 - Paul Chaudet (1904-1977)
1960 - Max Petitpierre (1899-1994)
1961 - Friedrich Traugott Wahlen (1899-1985)
1962 - Paul Chaudet (1904-1977)
1963 - Willy Spühler (1902-1990)
1964 - Ludwig von Moos (1910-1990)
1965 - Hans-Peter Tschudi (1913-2002)
1966 - Hans Schaffner (born 1908)
1967 - Roger Bonvin (1907-1982)
1968 - Willy Spühler (1902-1990)
1969 - Ludwig von Moos (1910-1990)
1970 - Hans-Peter Tschudi (1913-2002)
1971 - Rudolf Gnägi (1917-1985)
1972 - Nello Celio (1914-1995)
1973 - Roger Bonvin (1907-1982)
1974 - Ernst Brugger (1914-1998)

1975-1999

1975 - Pierre Graber (1908-2003)
1976 - Rudolf Gnägi (1917-1985)
1977 - Kurt Furgler (born 1924)
1978 - Willy Ritschard (1918-1983)
1979 - Hans Hürlimann (1918-1994)
1980 - Georges-André Chevallaz (1915-2002)
1981 - Kurt Furgler (born 1924)
1982 - Fritz Honegger (1917-1999)
1983 - Pierre Aubert (born 1927)
1984 - Leon Schlumpf (born 1925)
1985 - Kurt Furgler (born 1924)
1986 - Alphons Egli (born 1924)
1987 - Pierre Aubert (born 1927)
1988 - Otto Stich (born 1927)
1989 - Jean-Pascal Delamuraz (1936-1998)
1990 - Arnold Koller (born 1933)
1991 - Flavio Cotti (born 1939)
1992 - René Felber (born 1933)
1993 - Adolf Ogi (born 1942)
1994 - Otto Stich (born 1927)
1995 - Kaspar Villiger (born 1941)
1996 - Jean-Pascal Delamuraz (1936-1998)
1997 - Arnold Koller (born 1933)
1998 - Flavio Cotti (born 1939)
1999 - Ruth Dreifuss (born 1940)

2000-present

2000 - Adolf Ogi (born 1942)
2001 - Moritz Leuenberger (born 1946)
2002 - Kaspar Villiger (born 1941)
2003 - Pascal Couchepin (born 1942)
2004 - Joseph Deiss (born 1946)
2005 - Not yet known*, likely to be Samuel Schmid (born 1947), Vice President in 2004

*Elections in December 2004