# 2015 Swiss Federal Council election

An election for all seven members of the Federal Council, the Government of Switzerland, was held on 9 December 2015, following the federal election on 19 October 2015, for the 2016–2020 term.
Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, a member of the Conservative Democratic Party (BDP/PBD), announced she would not run for reelection after the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) won a record 29.4% of the vote, whilst her own party received 4.1% of the vote. The SVP/UDC was widely expected to fill her seat in the election; it chose Thomas Aeschi (Zug), Guy Parmelin (Vaud) and Norman Gobbi (Ticino) as candidates for the seat, with Aeschi being the favourite at the time.
Guy Parmelin, of the SVP/UDC, was ultimately elected by the Federal Assembly on 9 December 2015. Parmelin, a farmer and winegrower from Bursins in the canton of Vaud, became the first Federal Councillor of the Swiss People's Party from the French-speaking part of Switzerland.
There was a minor cabinet reshuffle after the election, as newly elected Federal Councillor Parmelin was selected to become head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports, replacing fellow SVP/UDC member Ueli Maurer, who became head of the Federal Department of Finance. The SVP/UDC regained its second seat on the Federal Council, which it had lost in 2008, when the newly created BDP/PBD split from the SVP/UDC.

## Incumbents

Incumbents, in descending order of seniority, including political party affiliation and department at the time of the election:
* Doris Leuthard (CVP/PDC), from Aargau, head of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications,
* Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf (BDP/PBD), from Grisons, head of the Federal Department of Finance (did not run for reelection),
* Ueli Maurer (SVP/UDC), from Zürich, head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports,
* Didier Burkhalter (FDP.The Liberals), from Neuchâtel, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs,
* Simonetta Sommaruga (SPS/PSS), from Bern, head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police,
* Johann Schneider-Ammann (FDP.The Liberals), from Bern, head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research,
* Alain Berset (SPS/PSS), from Fribourg, head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs.

## Results

Source showing only the final tallies in favour of the winner of each seat:

### Seat held by Doris Leuthard

Doris Leuthard (CVP/PDC) was reelected in the first round of voting.
| | Round 1 |
| Doris Leuthard | 215 |
| Votes received by other persons | 19 |
| Votes cast | 245 |
| Invalid votes | 3 |
| Blank votes | 8 |
| Valid votes | 234 |
| Absolute majority | 118 |

### Seat held by Ueli Maurer

Ueli Maurer (SVP/UDC) was reelected in the first round of voting.
| | Round 1 |
| Ueli Maurer | 173 |
| Thomas Hurter | 10 |
| Votes received by other persons | 27 |
| Votes cast | 245 |
| Invalid votes | 3 |
| Blank votes | 32 |
| Valid votes | 210 |
| Absolute majority | 106 |

### Seat held by Didier Burkhalter

Didier Burkhalter (FDP.The Liberals) was reelected in the first round of voting.
| | Round 1 |
| Didier Burkhalter | 217 |
| Votes received by other persons | 14 |
| Votes cast | 244 |
| Invalid votes | 0 |
| Blank votes | 13 |
| Valid votes | 231 |
| Absolute majority | 116 |

### Seat held by Simonetta Sommaruga

Simonetta Sommaruga (SPS/PSS) was reelected in the first round of voting.
| | Round 1 |
| Simonetta Sommaruga | 182 |
| Daniel Jositsch | 11 |
| Votes received by other persons | 28 |
| Votes cast | 245 |
| Invalid votes | 5 |
| Blank votes | 19 |
| Valid votes | 221 |
| Absolute majority | 111 |

### Seat held by Johann Schneider-Ammann

Johann Schneider-Ammann (FDP.The Liberals) was reelected in the first round of voting.
| | Round 1 |
| Johann Schneider-Ammann | 191 |
| Votes received by other persons | 28 |
| Votes cast | 244 |
| Invalid votes | 2 |
| Blank votes | 23 |
| Valid votes | 219 |
| Absolute majority | 110 |

### Seat held by Alain Berset

Alain Berset (SPS/PSS) was reelected in the first round of voting.
| | Round 1 |
| Alain Berset | 210 |
| Votes received by other persons | 23 |
| Votes cast | 243 |
| Invalid votes | 2 |
| Blank votes | 8 |
| Valid votes | 233 |
| Absolute majority | 117 |

### Vacant seat

Guy Parmelin (SVP/UDC) was elected to the Federal Council after three rounds of voting.
| | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
| Guy Parmelin | 90 | 117 | 138 |
| Thomas Aeschi | 61 | 78 | 88 |
| Norman Gobbi | 50 | 30 | 11 |
| Thomas Hurter | 22 | - | - |
| Viola Amherd | 16 | - | - |
| Votes received by other persons | 4 | 14 | - |
| Votes cast | 245 | 244 | 243 |
| Invalid votes | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blank votes | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Valid votes | 243 | 239 | 237 |
| Absolute majority | 122 | 120 | 119 |