Candidate carousel Zuger wants to become Federal Councillor - three other candidates cancel
Markus Ritter (l.) wants to become a Federal Councillor. He announced this on January 28.
Image: Dominik Müller
Zug cantonal councillor Martin Pfister (center) wants to become a Federal Councillor.
Image: sda
Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter is currently considering a candidacy.
Image: Keystone
National Councillor Philipp Kutter has withdrawn.
Image: KEYSTONE
Valais State Councillor Christophe Darbellay has canceled his candidacy.
Image: sda
Andrea Gmür-Schönenberger, a member of the Lucerne Center Party, has decided not to run for the Federal Council.
Image: KEYSTONE
The President of the Center Party of Switzerland, Gerhard Pfister, is stepping down in the summer. He has now announced that he will not be taking over from Viola Amherd.
Image: sda
Benedikt Würth has been a member of the Council of States since 2019. He was considered the top favorite - but on 17 January he withdrew.
Image: sda
Heidi Zgraggen was considered a promising candidate - but she doesn't want to.
Image: KEYSTONE
Isabelle Chassot has been a member of the Council of States since 2021. She was previously Director of the Federal Office of Culture from 2012 to 2021. In her political work, she is particularly committed to cultural policy, education and social integration. She has since announced that she will not be standing as a candidate.
Image: sda
Martin Candinas also has no intention of running for the Federal Council.
Image: sda
Pirmin Bischof has been a member of the Council of States since 2011. However, he does not want to join the Federal Council.
Image: KEYSTONE
Philipp Matthias Bregy has announced that he is currently not interested in running for the Federal Council, but is interested in the party presidency.
Image: Keystone
Markus Ritter (l.) wants to become a Federal Councillor. He announced this on January 28.
Image: Dominik Müller
Zug cantonal councillor Martin Pfister (center) wants to become a Federal Councillor.
Image: sda
Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter is currently considering a candidacy.
Image: Keystone
National Councillor Philipp Kutter has withdrawn.
Image: KEYSTONE
Valais State Councillor Christophe Darbellay has canceled his candidacy.
Image: sda
Andrea Gmür-Schönenberger, a member of the Lucerne Center Party, has decided not to run for the Federal Council.
Image: KEYSTONE
The President of the Center Party of Switzerland, Gerhard Pfister, is stepping down in the summer. He has now announced that he will not be taking over from Viola Amherd.
Image: sda
Benedikt Würth has been a member of the Council of States since 2019. He was considered the top favorite - but on 17 January he withdrew.
Image: sda
Heidi Zgraggen was considered a promising candidate - but she doesn't want to.
Image: KEYSTONE
Isabelle Chassot has been a member of the Council of States since 2021. She was previously Director of the Federal Office of Culture from 2012 to 2021. In her political work, she is particularly committed to cultural policy, education and social integration. She has since announced that she will not be standing as a candidate.
Image: sda
Martin Candinas also has no intention of running for the Federal Council.
Image: sda
Pirmin Bischof has been a member of the Council of States since 2011. However, he does not want to join the Federal Council.
Image: KEYSTONE
Philipp Matthias Bregy has announced that he is currently not interested in running for the Federal Council, but is interested in the party presidency.
Image: Keystone
Following Viola Amherd's announcement of her resignation, the carousel of candidates is spinning. These politicians could take over her office.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Viola Amherd has announced her resignation from the Federal Council at the end of March 2025.
- Now the question arises: who could succeed her?
Viola Amherd has surprisingly announced her resignation. The centrist Federal Councillor will leave office at the end of March 2025. Who could be her successor?
Candidate: Markus Ritter
Markus Ritter is running to succeed Viola Amherd. "Ever since I've been in politics, my motivation has been to take on responsibility," says Ritter. Strong leadership is needed. Until a few days ago, he could not have imagined working outside the Farmers' Union.
Today, the farmers' association is in an excellent position. He therefore sees himself in a position to take on responsibility in the DDPS as well. "Anyone who knows me knows that I enjoy taking on difficult tasks and have always been up to them," says Ritter.
Candidate: Martin Pfister
Zug cantonal councillor Martin Pfister (center) wants to become a Federal Councillor. He announced his candidacy on Monday morning, as announced by his cantonal party.
Pfister is 61 years old and has been a member of the Zug cantonal government since 2016. He is a qualified teacher, studied German and history and has worked for associations. He lives in Baar ZG.
It has been over 50 years since a person from the canton of Zug was last elected to the Federal Council. It was Hans Hürlimann, who held the office from 1974 to 1982.
Canceled: Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter
Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter, a member of the National Council from the center of Basel, will not be running to succeed Federal Councillor Viola Amherd. The continuation of her work in parliament is her priority, Schneider-Schneiter announced on X on Monday.
National Councillor Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter from Basel had already stood as a candidate to succeed Doris Leuthard (61) in 2018, but was not supported by the parliamentary group. The experienced foreign policy expert has been active in the Swiss parliament since 2010.
Canceled: Peter Hegglin
Peter Hegglin, member of the Council of States from Zug, has decided not to run for the Federal Council following the resignation of Federal Councillor Viola Amherd (center). This was announced by the Zug cantonal party at the request of Keystone-SDA on Monday.
Canceled: Nicole Barandun
Nicole Barandun, a member of the National Council from the center of Zurich, will not run for the vacant Federal Council seat. She is withdrawing for professional reasons, as the 56-year-old announced on Monday.
Barandun has been a member of the National Council since 2023. She is a lawyer and president of the city's trade association. According to the Tages Anzeiger newspaper, she will take over the chairmanship of a bank in a month's time.
Canceled: Christophe Darbellay
Valais State Councillor Christophe Darbellay does not want to become a Federal Councillor. The former National Councillor justified his refusal in particular with the upcoming state council elections in the canton of Valais.
The 53-year-old said at a media conference of the Lower Valais center on Sunday evening in Charrat VS that he would give priority to the election for the cantonal government over a candidacy to succeed Viola Amherd. "It is not possible to have two hearts in my chest, but my heart beats strongest here in Valais," said Darbellay.
The Valais Director of Economic Affairs is seeking a third term in the cantonal government.
Canceled: Gerhard Pfister
Gerhard Pfister announced his resignation as leader of the Center Party at the beginning of the year. It is an open secret that he has ambitions for a seat on the Federal Council. On Saturday, however, he announced that he would not be running to succeed Federal Councillor Viola Amherd.
In an interview, he said that he had naturally wondered whether he would be able to run for the office. "And with all modesty: I would trust myself to do the job." But he also asked himself whether the office suited him. And he came to the conclusion: no.
Canceled: Matthias Bregy
The Valais National Councillor and leader of the Center Party, Philipp Matthias Bregy, has also decided against running for office. In an interview with the "NZZ am Sonntag" newspaper, however, the Valais native expressed his interest in the party presidency.
Canceled: Andrea Gmür-Schönenberger
Andrea Gmür-Schönenberger, a member of the Lucerne Council of States, has decided not to run for the Federal Council following the resignation of Federal Councillor Viola Amherd. Gmür announced on X that she would continue to devote all her energy to her role as a member of the Council of States.
Gmür-Schönenberger is 60 years old and a qualified secondary school teacher.
Canceled: Benedikt Würth
Benedikt Würth has also canceled. The St. Gallen Councillor of States (56) was considered one of the top favorites. He was said to have great ambitions. Würth withdrew from the race on January 17. "Becoming a Federal Councillor is no longer in my life plans," he told the Keystone-SDA news agency when asked.
"The subject is off the table for me. I feel extremely comfortable in my current political and professional duties and will continue to pursue them with great commitment. I will therefore not be standing for the vacant seat on the Federal Council."
He has decided that running for the Federal Council is "not an option for him at the moment", says Bregy. He will only experience the first years of his eight and three-year-old children's lives once.
Canceled: Martin Candinas
Martin Candinas was at the forefront of the race for the office of Federal Councillor following the withdrawal of his colleagues. But the Graubünden National Councillor wants nothing to do with it. The father of three wrote in a statement that he needs the freedom to focus on his work and, in particular, his family.
He wants to devote himself to his current tasks. He remains committed to his family and the people who elected him to the National Council and his various mandates.
Canceled: Heidi Z'graggen
Heidi Z'graggen has also decided not to run for the Federal Council. "My commitment and my full energy are dedicated to the concerns of the canton of Uri, the mountain regions and Switzerland as a whole," she wrote in a press release. She is happy in her position as a member of the Council of States and is looking forward to "continuing to work for our country with conviction and commitment in the future."
Z'graggen wanted to become a member of the Federal Council six years ago, but lost out to Viola Amherd.
Canceled: Philipp Kutter
Zurich National Councillor Philipp Kutter (center) will not run for the Federal Council. He said this on Wednesday at the request of Keystone-SDA. The reason is his family. He has school-age children and wants to be present as a father.
Canceled: Marcus Caduff
Marcus Caduff, a member of Graubünden's central government, explained that he had come to the conclusion that the time was not yet ripe for him to run for office. The 51-year-old was quoted in a statement from his party as saying that he currently lacked the experience as a national parliamentarian and thus the knowledge of the interaction between the Federal Council and the bicameral parliament.
