Who is the president?

By rotation, the president is for one year one of the 5 members of the presidential council.

Relevant Constitution Article

Article 39 : President – Decisions, Article 41 : Election of President of the Federation – Term of office, Article 42 : Federal President’s Oath of office, Article 43 : Vacancy, and Article 44 : Unanimity

1. The Federal Government shall appoint the eldest of the prime ministers as its President for one year.
2. The President shall convene the Federal Government. He shall be obliged to do so at the request of at least one (1) of the four (4) members.
3. Decisions of the Federal Government shall require a unanimous vote.
4. Its meetings shall be open to the public. The public may be excluded.
5. Other members or representatives of canton governments may serve on committees of the Federal Government.

1. The Federal President shall be selected from the four (4) members of the Federal Government.
2. The term of office of the Federal President shall be one (1) year.
3. Of the four members of the Federal Government, the eldest shall be the first President for term of one (1) year. After the eldest term, the second eldest shall be President for a term of one (1) year and so forth.
4. The Federal Government shall choose its secretaries/ministers in numbers and for functions to be determined in due course by specific laws to be issued by the Federal Parliament or as per the needs identified by the federal government.

The Federal President shall take the following oath before the assembled Members of the Federal Parliament and the Federal Government: “I swear that I will work to uphold and defend the Basic Law and the laws of the Federation, perform my duties conscientiously, and do justice to all. So help me God.” The oath may also be taken without religious affirmation.

If the Federal President is unable to perform his duties, or if his office falls prematurely vacant, the member of the Federal Government who is next in line to become President shall take his position until the end of the current mandate. The next in line will then continue his own term.

Orders and directions of the Federal President shall require for their validity the countersignature of the other three (3) members of the Federal Government, except that such number can differ as in instances provided for in article 32.