2025 Swiss Federal Council election
| ||||||||||||||||
1 of the 7 Federal Councillors 123 votes to win | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||||||||||||||
Amherd's seat | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
.jpg){kind=link}
_(cropped_3x4).jpg){kind=link}
After the resignation of federal councillor and defence minister Viola Amherd, Martin Pfister was elected to the Swiss Federal Council on 12 March 2025.
As per an informal agreement between the major political parties known as the magic formula, the only candidates were from Amherd's party, The Centre. Her successor will take over the leadership of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS).
The two candidates were national councillor from St. Gallen Markus Ritter and cantonal minister Martin Pfister of Zug. Several prominent members of The Centre Party declined to run, amongst them Gerhard Pfister, the outgoing leader of The Centre, who had been speculated to be a strong favourite to succeed Amherd.