The Swiss Federal Council (in German: Bundesrat, in French: Conseil fédéral, in Italian: Consiglio federale) is the seven-member executive council which collectively assumes the office of head of state equivalent to that of a president or of a monarch in the government of Switzerland.

Each of the seven Federal Councillors heads a department. Following the elections of 10 December 2003, they are:

• Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (Micheline Calmy-Rey)
• Federal Department of Home Affairs (Pascal Couchepin)
• Federal Department of Justice and Police (Christoph Blocher)
• Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports (Samuel Schmid)
• Federal Department of Finance (Hans-Rudolf Merz)
• Federal Department of Economic Affairs (Joseph Deiss)
• Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (Moritz Leuenberger)

One of the seven is elected to be president of the Federal Council (President of the Confederation) for a term of one year: he or she has no power above and beyond the other six, but assumes special representative functions.

See also:

• List of members of the Swiss Federal Council (1848-present)
• List of Presidents of the Swiss Confederation

External link

• Swiss Federal Council - Official site.