Walter Thurnherr Energy and Communications in 2011 as her chief of staff. He stood for election to succeed Corina Casanova as Federal Chancellor of Switzerland on 9 December 2015, as the first unopposed candidate in ninety years, and was elected by the Swiss Federal Assembly with 230 votes (out of 234 possible). He assumed office on 1 January 2016. Walter Thurnherr Walter Thurnherr (born 11 July 1963) is the Federal Chancellor of Switzerland since 1 January 2016. Born in Muri, Thurnherr graduated as a physicist at the ETH Zürich. In 1989, he joined the ranks of Switzerland's diplomatic corps. In 2002, he
Demographics of the Swiss Federal Council Demographics of the Swiss Federal Council The tables below show information and statistics about the members of the Swiss Federal Council ("in German:" Bundesrat, "in French:" conseil fédéral, "in Italian:" consiglio federale), or Federal Councilors ("in German:" Bundesräte, "in French:" conseillers fédéraux, "in Italian:" consiglieri federali). The Swiss Federal Council (, , , ) is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the government as well as the head of state of Switzerland. Each of the seven Federal Councillors heads a department of the Swiss federal government. The members of the Federal Council are elected for a term of four years