Switzerland’s President Guy Parmelin says he will quit government at end of year

Swiss President Guy Parmelin to Leave Federal Council at Year-End

Poinews.com – Swiss President Guy Parmelin has announced that he will step down from the country’s seven-member government on 31 December, bringing an end to more than a decade in ministerial office. The decision opens a new contest within the Swiss People’s Party, which will retain the seat under Switzerland’s long-standing power-sharing arrangement.

Parmelin, 67, told journalists in Bern on Friday that he had already informed his fellow Federal Council members of his decision. His departure will follow 11 years since his election to the body that collectively leads Switzerland.

“By then, it will have been 11 years since I was elected to this role, and the time has come for me to make way for new energy in these times of great uncertainty,” he said.

He acknowledged feeling “a certain weariness” after his lengthy period in government, but stressed that health concerns were not behind his choice to leave.

A rotating presidency within a collective government

Switzerland’s presidency differs from the executive presidencies found in many other countries. The president of the Swiss Confederation serves for one year and is considered first among equals within the Federal Council. The role includes chairing cabinet meetings and representing the country at prominent domestic and international events, while the seven councillors make major decisions collectively.

The annual office rotates among members of the Federal Council. Parmelin, the council’s longest-serving minister at the time of his presidency, is serving as president in 2026. He previously held the position in 2021, when Switzerland hosted a high-profile Geneva meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden.

Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis is set to assume the presidency in 2027. The rotating arrangement means that the handover of the ceremonial and representative role is separate from the search for Parmelin’s replacement on the Federal Council.

From defence to economic affairs

A winegrower by profession, Parmelin comes from Vaud, the French-speaking canton in western Switzerland. He entered the Federal Council in 2016, initially taking responsibility for the defence ministry. Since 2019, he has led the federal department responsible for economic affairs.

That portfolio placed him at the centre of one of Switzerland’s most consequential recent trade disputes. In August 2025, US President Donald Trump announced a 39% tariff on imports of Swiss products, one of the highest rates imposed during his broader tariff campaign.

Parmelin travelled to Washington three times as Switzerland sought to reduce the duties. The effort ultimately produced a declaration of intent between Switzerland and the United States that envisaged lowering the tariff rate to 15%. Switzerland also pledged $200 billion, or €178 billion, in investment in the United States.

The negotiations highlighted the importance of the economy ministry in a country closely connected to global trade. They also gave Parmelin a particularly visible international role during his final years in government. A pragmatic political figure, he appeared to establish more progress in dealings with Trump than his predecessor in the presidency, Karin Keller-Sutter.

What happens next

Parmelin belongs to the hard-right Swiss People’s Party, known by its French initials SVP. It is Switzerland’s largest political party, and it will nominate a successor for the Federal Council seat he is vacating.

The allocation is governed by the informal arrangement commonly called the “magic formula.” For decades, the four principal parties have divided the seven cabinet places in a 2-2-2-1 pattern. The system is designed to ensure that Switzerland’s main political forces are represented in government and that cabinet decisions are reached through compromise rather than a conventional governing-opposition divide.

Because the SVP holds Parmelin’s seat, the upcoming parliamentary election will determine which individual takes his place, rather than which party controls it. Potential candidates have until 23 October to put themselves forward. Parliament is scheduled to elect the next Federal Councillor on 9 December.

The selection will be watched closely because a Federal Council position carries significant influence over the department assigned to its holder and over collective decisions made by the cabinet. However, the successor’s eventual portfolio will be determined within the council, meaning the election itself will not automatically decide who takes charge of economic affairs.

An exit after 11 years in office

Parmelin’s announcement closes a long period of service at the highest level of Swiss government. His tenure spanned defence policy, economic policy, an earlier presidential year and a period of intensified trade engagement with Washington.

His departure also comes at a moment he described as one of “great uncertainty,” a reference to the wider environment facing governments and economies. By leaving at the end of the year, he gives his party and parliament a defined timetable for arranging a replacement while allowing the Federal Council’s established succession process to continue.

For Switzerland, the transition demonstrates the durability of its distinctive governing model: presidents change every year, cabinet members serve for longer periods, and vacancies are resolved through parliamentary elections within a multi-party system. Parmelin’s successor will inherit a place in that collective structure as the country prepares for a new chapter after his departure.