Doris Leuthard
Doris Leuthard | |
---|---|
Vice President of Switzerland | |
Assumed office 1 January 2016 | |
President | Johann Schneider-Ammann |
Preceded by | Johann Schneider-Ammann |
In office 1 January 2009 – 31 December 2009 | |
President | Hans-Rudolf Merz |
Preceded by | Hans-Rudolf Merz |
Succeeded by | Moritz Leuenberger |
Head of the Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications | |
Assumed office 1 November 2010 | |
Preceded by | Moritz Leuenberger |
President of Switzerland | |
In office 1 January 2010 – 31 December 2010 | |
Vice President |
Moritz Leuenberger Micheline Calmy-Rey |
Preceded by | Hans-Rudolf Merz |
Succeeded by | Micheline Calmy-Rey |
Head of the Department of Economic Affairs | |
In office 1 August 2006 – 31 October 2010 | |
Preceded by | Joseph Deiss |
Succeeded by | Johann Schneider-Ammann |
Member of the Swiss Federal Council | |
Assumed office 1 August 2006 | |
Preceded by | Joseph Deiss |
Personal details | |
Born |
Merenschwand, Switzerland | 10 April 1963
Political party | Christian Democratic People's Party |
Spouse(s) | Roland Hausin |
Alma mater | University of Zurich |
Religion | Roman Catholic |
Doris Leuthard (born 10 April 1963) is a Swiss politician and lawyer. Since 1 August 2006, she has been a member of the Swiss Federal Council. From 1 August 2006 till 31 October 2010 she was head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs (the Swiss commerce minister). Since 1 November 2010 she is head of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications. She was elected President of the Confederation for 2010.[1]
Leuthard was a member of the Swiss National Council from 1999 to 2006 and President of the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC) (2004–2006).
Following the resignation of Joseph Deiss from the Swiss Federal Council, Leuthard was elected as his successor on 14 June 2006. She received 133 out of 234 valid votes, and became the 109th member (and fifth woman) of the Federal Council. Her election represented a departure from a long precedent of replacing a member of the Federal Council with someone from the same language group. While Deiss was a French speaker, Leuthard is a German speaker.
For the calendar year 2009, Leuthard was elected Vice President of the Swiss Confederation, virtually assuring her election as president for the calendar year 2010. Due to a large amount of turnover on the Council in recent years, she was the longest-serving councilor not to have served as president. She was the third woman to hold the post, after Ruth Dreifuss (1999) and Micheline Calmy-Rey (2007).[2]
As President of the Confederation, Leuthard presided over meetings of the Federal Council and carried out representative functions that would normally be handled by a head of state in other democracies (though in Switzerland, the Federal Council as a whole is regarded as the head of state). She was also the highest-ranking official in the Swiss order of precedence, and had the power to act on behalf of the whole Council in emergency situations. However, in most cases, Leuthard was merely primus inter pares, with no power above and beyond her six colleagues. She was succeeded by Calmy-Rey in 2011, the first time two women had held the office in succession.
Following a reshuffle of portfolios after the by-election of two new councilors in 2010, Leuthard replaced outgoing Moritz Leuenberger at the head of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications.[3]
The project SAFFA 2020 is under the patronage of the three federal councillors (Bundesrat) Doris Leuthard, Simonetta Sommaruga and Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf as well as by the former councillor (aBR) Micheline Calmy-Rey.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ "Doris Leuthard neue Bundespräsidentin". Retrieved 2009-12-02.
- ↑ Skard, Torild (2014) "Ruth Dreifuss, Micheline Calmy-Rey and Doris Leuthard" in Women of power - half a century of female presidents and prime ministers worldwide, Bristol: Policy Press ISBN 978-1-44731-578-0, pp. 404-7
- ↑ "Leuthard au DETEC, Widmer-Schlumpf aux finances". TSR Télévision Suisse Romande. SRG SSR. 27 September 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
- ↑ "Patronat" (in German). 2020.ch. Retrieved 2014-12-02.
External links
Media related to Doris Leuthard at Wikimedia Commons
- Profile of Doris Leuthard with election results on the website of the Swiss Federal Council.
- Biography of Doris Leuthard on the website of the Swiss Parliament. (German)
- Address by Doris Leuthard (as President of Switzerland) at the General Debate of the 65th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, 23 September 2010: video (in French); written translation of the statement into English
- Andreas Steigmeier: Doris Leuthard in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 2006-09-26.
Political offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Joseph Deiss |
Member of the Swiss Federal Council 2006–present |
Incumbent |
Head of the Department of Economic Affairs 2006–2010 |
Succeeded by Johann Schneider-Ammann | |
Preceded by Hans-Rudolf Merz |
Vice President of Switzerland 2009 |
Succeeded by Moritz Leuenberger |
President of Switzerland 2010 |
Succeeded by Micheline Calmy-Rey | |
Preceded by Moritz Leuenberger |
Head of the Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications 2010–present |
Incumbent |
Preceded by Johann Schneider-Ammann |
Vice President of Switzerland 2016–present |