Swiss President Parmelin to leave government on December 31 after 11 years

Swiss President Guy Parmelin announced on 2 October 2026 that he will leave the Federal Council on 31 December, ending 11 years of ministerial service. Parmelin, 66, told a press conference in Bern he had informed his colleagues of the decision that morning. He is the longest-serving member of the seven-person Federal Council and has served as defence and economy minister, and as president in 2021.straitstimes.com

The departure matters because it removes the longest-serving voice from Switzerland's collective executive at a moment Parmelin himself called one of 'great uncertainty'. The presidency rotates annually among the seven Federal Councillors, so his exit also cuts short his one-year presidential term. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will become president in 2027, and Parliament must choose Parmelin's replacement from the Swiss People's Party before the end of the year.swissinfo.ch

Why Parmelin says he is going

Parmelin gave his reasons in his own words at the Bern press conference. He said that by 31 December it will have been 11 years since he was elected, and 'the time has come for me to make way for new energy in these times of great uncertainty'. He admitted feeling 'a certain weariness' and ruled out any medical reasons for stepping down.

Parmelin informed his colleagues of the decision during the weekly Federal Council meeting on the morning of 2 October, according to his own account at the press conference. He has headed the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research since 2019, and joined the Federal Council in 2016 as defence minister, leading the defence, civil protection and sport department. A wine-grower by trade from the canton of Vaud, he belongs to the Swiss People's Party, the biggest party in the country.

Parmelin's economic record includes the tariff negotiation with the United States. President Donald Trump announced 39% duties on imports of Swiss goods in August 2025, among the highest rates in his global tariff push. As economy minister, Parmelin travelled to Washington three times to press for a lower rate. Switzerland and the United States eventually announced a declaration of intent to cut tariffs to 15%.

How the tariff fight was settled

The same negotiation produced a Swiss pledge to invest US$200 billion in the United States. That figure represents the commitment Switzerland made alongside the tariff cut, part of an effort to ease the burden of the 39% rate imposed in August 2025. Parmelin, a pragmatist, appeared to make more headway with Trump than his predecessor as president, Karin Keller-Sutter, who had held the role before him.

Parmelin was previously president in 2021, when Switzerland hosted a Geneva summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden. The presidency of the Swiss Confederation makes its holder first among equals on the Federal Council: the president chairs its meetings and typically represents the country in major domestic and international matters. The post follows a set order, going to whoever has served longest on the council without having been president.

The Federal Council's seven seats are shared 2-2-2-1 among four main parties under a decades-old tacit arrangement known as 'the magic formula': the Swiss People's Party, the Social Democratic Party, FDP (The Liberals) and The Centre. Ministers decide by consensus and must defend collective decisions even when they conflict with their own party's position. Parmelin's successor must come from the Swiss People's Party, which holds two of the seven seats.

Who replaces him and when

Candidates for Parmelin's seat have until 23 October to come forward, and Parliament will choose on 9 December 2026. The winner will take the seat on 31 December, the day Parmelin steps down. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis is set to become president in 2027 under the rotation. Before leaving, Parmelin will make a three-day state visit to India starting on 5 October.