Switzerland appointed new president and government composition
In the Swiss Parliament, a new president and composition of the Cabinet were elected (Getty Images)
The Swiss Parliament elected a new president and reshuffled the government for the next four years on December 13. The newly appointed officials will assume their positions next month, according to Swissinfo.ch.
Viola Amherd, the current Minister of Defense, will assume the role of President of the Swiss Confederation, succeeding Alain Berset.
The Parliament also voted to appoint Beate Jansa to the seven-member Cabinet as Berset's successor, who has decided to step down at the end of the year.
Other members of the cross-party Cabinet were re-elected for another four-year term.
Following the voting results, Karin Keller-Sutter, the head of the Ministry of Finance and representative of the center-right Free Liberal Party, will become the Vice President. With a majority of 176 votes, she was reaffirmed as a Cabinet Minister.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ignazio Cassis, was also confidently reconfirmed, securing 167 votes.
Remaining in the position of Minister of Media and Environment is Albert Rösti, a representative of the Swiss People's Party, who received 189 votes.
The Minister of Migration, Elisabeth Bum-Schnyder, managed to garner 151 votes.
The Minister of Economy, Guy Parmelin, from the Swiss People's Party, was also reaffirmed in his position, securing 215 votes.
Also, from the Social Democratic Party, the Minister of Justice, Elisabeth Bum-Schnyder, was re-elected to the Federal Council.
The renewal of power in Sweden
Presidential and vice-presidential elections are considered formalities, but they are often utilized by lawmakers to express approval or disapproval of the past performance of various government officials.
The new president, Amherd, represents the Centrist Party in a coalition that governs based on consensus.
As political observers note, following the general elections held in October, the balance in the Swiss government is not expected to undergo significant changes.
The position of Switzerland regarding the war of Russia against Ukraine
Since 1815, Switzerland has adhered to a policy of neutrality. Bern does not provide its military for warfare, refrains from offering military assistance, and prohibits the re-export of its weaponry to third countries. This policy extends to the conflict in Ukraine.
Until February of the previous year, Switzerland had provided Ukraine with only financial and humanitarian aid.
In May 2023, Bern took a step towards supplying arms to Ukraine. However, amendments to the law on military equipment were blocked in the lower house of parliament.
In November, Swiss President Alain Berset announced that the Confederation would allocate over 100 million euros in aid to Ukraine. The funds will be used for demining and food products.
