Alain Berset

President - Swiss Confederation

Alain Berset is currently President of the Swiss Confederation and Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs (Health, Social and Retirement Insurances, Food Safety and Veterinary Office and Cultural Affairs).

In 2003, Alain Berset was elected to the Council of States for the canton of Fribourg and was its president in 2008/2009. From 2005 until his election to the Federal Council he was vice president of the Social Democratic group. He was a member of numerous parliamentary committees, including the Finance Committee, the Committee for Economic Affairs and Taxation, the Legal Affairs Committee and the Finance Delegation. He chaired the Council Office, the Political Institutions Committee and the Delegation to the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie. Before his election to the Council of States he was president of the Social Democratic group in the Constitutional Council of canton Fribourg. Between 2001 and 2003 he was a member of the local parliament of his commune of residence, Belfaux.

In addition to his political appointments Alain Berset was president of the Swiss Tenants’ Association – Western Switzerland Section, the Swiss Association for the promotion of AOC/IGP and Les Buissonnets, a foundation for children and adults with disabilities.

He was elected to the Federal Council by the United Federal Assembly on 14 December 2011. He has been head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs since 1 January 2012. On 6 December 2017 he was elected president of the Swiss Confederation for 2018. And on 7 December 2022, he was once again elected president of the Swiss Confederation for 2023.