Didier Burkhalter

Didier Burkhalter (born 17 April 1960 in Neuchâtel) is a former Swiss politician.

Didier Burkhalter
Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs
In office 1 January 2012 – 31 October 2017
Preceded by	Micheline Calmy-Rey
Succeeded by	Ignazio Cassis
President of Switzerland
In office 1 January 2014 – 31 December 2014
Vice President	Simonetta Sommaruga
Preceded by	Ueli Maurer
Succeeded by	Simonetta Sommaruga
Vice President of Switzerland
In office 1 January 2013 – 31 December 2013
President	Ueli Maurer
Preceded by	Ueli Maurer
Succeeded by	Simonetta Sommaruga
Head of the Department of Home Affairs
In office 1 November 2009 – 31 December 2011
Preceded by	Pascal Couchepin
Succeeded by	Alain Berset
Member of the Swiss Federal Council
In office 1 November 2009 – 31 October 2017
Preceded by	Pascal Couchepin
Succeeded by	Ignazio Cassis
Chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
In office 1 January 2014 – 31 December 2014
Preceded by	Leonid Kozhara
Succeeded by	Ivica Dačić
Personal details
Born	(1960-04-17) 17 April 1960 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Political party	FDP.The Liberals
Spouse(s)	Friedrun Sabine Burkhalter
Children	3
Alma mater	University of Neuchâtel

Burkhalter is a member of FDP.The Liberals. He was elected as a member of the Swiss Federal Council on 16 September 2009. He succeeded Pascal Couchepin on 1 November 2009 when he became head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (the Swiss interior minister). From 1 January 2012 to 31 October 2017, he served as head of the Department of Foreign Affairs.[1] In 2014 he was President of the Swiss Confederation. He served as Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2014. He left the Federal Council on 31 October 2017.[2]

Biography

A native of the Canton of Neuchâtel, Burkhalter served in the Parliament of the Canton of Neuchâtel from 1990 to 2001. From 1991 to 2005, he was a member of Neuchâtel's city government (Conseil communal), and was the mayor of the city several times (1994/1995, 1998/1998, 2001/2002). From 2003 to 2007, he was a member of the Swiss National Council.

On 11 November 2007, Burkhalter was elected to the Council of States, along with Social Democratic Party (SP) candidate, Gisèle Ory, who was re-elected for a second term. During the election campaign, he was backed by the Liberal Party (PLS) and the SVP/UDC.

On 4 December 2013, Burkhalter was elected as President of the Swiss Confederation for the 2014 term by taking 183 of the available 222 votes of the Federal Assembly.[3][4]

On 1 January 2014 Burkhalter assumed the office as President of the Swiss Confederation. As President of the Confederation, he presides over meetings of the Federal Council and carries 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). He is also the highest-ranking official in the Swiss order of precedence, and has the power to act on behalf of the whole Council in emergency situations. However, in most cases, the President is merely primus inter pares, with no powers over and above his six colleagues.

Burkhalter has a degree in Economics, is married to a native Austrian, and is the father of three children.[5]

On 14 June 2017 Burkhalter published a letter in which he announced that he will be resigning as Federal Councillor on 31 October 2017.[6] He was succeeded by Ignazio Cassis. In April 2018, Burkhalter stated he disagreed with his colleges on arms exports to war zones and equal pay for men and women, issues he described as "fundamental values."[7]

See also

• List of foreign ministers in 2017

References

1. "Burkhalter wird Aussen-, Berset Innenminister". Tages-Anzeiger (in German). 16 December 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
2. "Didier Burkhalter passe le témoin à Ignazio Cassis" (in French). 21 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
3. Burkhalter: «Ich werde andere Krawatten tragen als Maurer», article on the website of Swiss Radio & Television srf.ch from December 4, 2013 (in German). Retrieved 20-01-2014
4. Ungewohntes Rampenlicht für den Aussenminister, article in the Tagesanzeiger from December 25, 2013 (in German). Retrieved 20-01-2014
5. Didier Burkhalter - Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, at Federal Administration admin.ch (in English). Retrieved 20-01-2014
6. Besson, Sylvain (14 June 2017). "Didier Burkhalter démissionne de ses fonctions au 31 octobre". Le Temps (in French). Retrieved 14 June 2017.
7. "Ex-Foreign Minister Differed from Government on 'Fundamentals'". Swissinfo. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2018.

External links

• Profile of Didier Burkhalter with election results on the website of the Swiss Federal Council.
• Presidential year 2014 (English)
• Swiss OSCE Chairmanship 2014 (English)
• Curriculum Vitae of Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter (English)
• FDFA Homepage (English)
• Media related to Didier Burkhalter at Wikimedia Commons

Political offices
Preceded by Pascal Couchepin	Member of the Swiss Federal Council 2009–2017	Succeeded by Ignazio Cassis
	Head of the Department of Home Affairs 2009–2011	Succeeded by Alain Berset
Preceded by Micheline Calmy-Rey	Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs 2012–2017	Succeeded by Ignazio Cassis
Preceded by Ueli Maurer	Vice President of Switzerland 2013	Succeeded by Simonetta Sommaruga
	President of Switzerland 2014