Switzerland’s President Guy Parmelin will leave the government at the end of the year, bringing an unexpected end to more than a decade of service on the country’s seven-member Federal Council.
Parmelin announced his decision on Friday at a press conference in Bern, saying he had told his fellow ministers that he would step down on 31 December. He has served on the Federal Council since 2016 and is currently its longest-serving member.
“By then, it will have been 11 years since I was elected to this role, and the time has come for me to make way for new energy in these times of great uncertainty,” Parmelin said. He also acknowledged feeling “a certain weariness” but stressed that his decision was not related to medical reasons.
His departure comes as Switzerland continues to deal with difficult economic and international challenges, including its tense trade relationship with the United States under President Donald Trump.
As economy minister, Parmelin travelled to Washington three times in an effort to persuade the US administration to reduce tariffs on Swiss products. Trump had shocked Switzerland in August 2025 by announcing a 39% tariff on imports of Swiss goods, placing the country among those facing the highest rates under his worldwide tariff measures.
Parmelin appeared to have made progress where his predecessor, Karin Keller-Sutter, had struggled. Switzerland and the United States eventually issued a declaration of intent to reduce the tariff rate to 15%. As part of the proposed agreement, Switzerland committed to investing $200 billion, or about 178 billion euros, in the United States.
Parmelin’s political career has combined his roots in rural western Switzerland with a prominent role in national government. A winegrower by profession, he comes from the French-speaking canton of Vaud and represents the Swiss People’s Party, known by its German initials SVP. The party is the largest political force in Switzerland and occupies two of the seven seats on the Federal Council.
Parmelin first joined the Federal Council in 2016 as defence minister before taking responsibility for economic affairs in 2019. He previously served as Swiss president in 2021, when Switzerland hosted a high-profile summit in Geneva between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden.
Switzerland’s presidency works differently from that of many other countries. The president of the Swiss Confederation is not a head of government with greater executive power than the other ministers. Instead, the president is considered first among equals on the Federal Council, chairs its meetings and represents Switzerland at important domestic and international events.
The presidency rotates annually among the seven members of the Federal Council. The position normally goes to the council member who has served the longest without previously holding the presidency. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis is due to become president in 2027.
Parmelin’s resignation will open one of the Federal Council’s seven seats for a new SVP representative. Switzerland’s four main political parties divide the seven government seats under a long-standing informal arrangement known as the “magic formula”, with the current balance standing at two seats each for three parties and one for another.
Because Parmelin represents the SVP, his replacement will also come from the party. Candidates have until 23 October to put themselves forward, while the Swiss parliament is scheduled to elect his successor on 9 December.
Parmelin’s decision means Switzerland will enter the final months of the year preparing for a change in its government at a time when trade policy, relations with major powers and economic uncertainty remain central issues for the country.
