An operating mechanism for a power switching device for mutually shifting said power switching device between an interrupted condition and closed condition by reciprocating drive of a movable contact thereof, said operating mechanism comprising: a first row of permanent magnets constituted by arranging annular or arcuate permanent magnets adjacently so that magnetic poles of said permanent magnets are rotated by a maximum of 90° in each case in a cross-sectional plane including their central axes; a second row of permanent magnets constituted by arranging annular or arcuate permanent magnets adjacently so that magnetic poles of said magnets are rotated by a maximum of 90° in each case in a cross-sectional plane including their central axes; a double cylinder that is fixed so that two rows maintain a fixed distance, with said first row of permanent magnets and said second row of permanent magnets, whose magnetization vector radial components are in the same direction, facing each other; a floating output ring arranged with a 3-phase coil constituted by a conductor wound thereon, between said first row of permanent magnets and said second row of permanent magnets; and an exciting means for generating current for exciting said 3-phase coil, characterized in that: the floating output ring has no mechanical restraining relationship with other members, apart from being directly or indirectly linked with said movable contact; and the exciting means comprises: a 3-phase/2-phase converter; a supporting force control means for keeping central axes of said double cylinder and said floating output ring coincident by generating supporting force for said floating output ring by magnetism, by controlling d axis current component of said exciting current, wherein the d axis current component is the current component that contributes to the magnetic field for the supporting force of the 3-phase coil; a thrust control means for generating an axial thrust between said double cylinder and said floating output ring by controlling q axis current component of said exciting current, wherein the q axis current component is the current component that contributes to the thrust of the 3-phase coil; and a 2-phase/3-phase converter. a first row of permanent magnets constituted by arranging annular or arcuate permanent magnets adjacently so that magnetic poles of said permanent magnets are rotated by a maximum of 90° in each case in a cross-sectional plane including their central axes; a second row of permanent magnets constituted by arranging annular or arcuate permanent magnets adjacently so that magnetic poles of said magnets are rotated by a maximum of 90° in each case in a cross-sectional plane including their central axes; a double cylinder that is fixed so that two rows maintain a fixed distance, with said first row of permanent magnets and said second row of permanent magnets, whose magnetization vector radial components are in the same direction, facing each other; a floating output ring arranged with a 3-phase coil constituted by a conductor wound thereon, between said first row of permanent magnets and said second row of permanent magnets; and an exciting means for generating current for exciting said 3-phase coil, the floating output ring has no mechanical restraining relationship with other members, apart from being directly or indirectly linked with said movable contact; and the exciting means comprises: a 3-phase/2-phase converter; a supporting force control means for keeping central axes of said double cylinder and said floating output ring coincident by generating supporting force for said floating output ring by magnetism, by controlling d axis current component of said exciting current, wherein the d axis current component is the current component that contributes to the magnetic field for the supporting force of the 3-phase coil; a thrust control means for generating an axial thrust between said double cylinder and said floating output ring by controlling q axis current component of said exciting current, wherein the q axis current component is the current component that contributes to the thrust of the 3-phase coil; and a 2-phase/3-phase converter. a 3-phase/2-phase converter; a supporting force control means for keeping central axes of said double cylinder and said floating output ring coincident by generating supporting force for said floating output ring by magnetism, by controlling d axis current component of said exciting current, wherein the d axis current component is the current component that contributes to the magnetic field for the supporting force of the 3-phase coil; a thrust control means for generating an axial thrust between said double cylinder and said floating output ring by controlling q axis current component of said exciting current, wherein the q axis current component is the current component that contributes to the thrust of the 3-phase coil; and a 2-phase/3-phase converter.