The cantonal executive bodies of Switzerland are the executive branches of government in each of the 26 Swiss cantons. These bodies are typically composed of 5 or 7 members and operate as collegial authorities.
The names of the executive bodies vary by language region: they are generally known as (Executive Council) in German-speaking Switzerland, (State Council) in French-speaking Switzerland, and Consiglio di Stato (Council of State) in Italian-speaking Switzerland.
Each canton also has its own legislative body. For comparison, the Swiss Federal Council serves as the executive branch of the federal government of Switzerland.
General structure Presidents of the executives The above mentioned collegial bodies are formally chaired by a president. However those presidents are primus inter pares, that is a first among equals in the council; other than presiding over meetings and the ability to cast tie-breaking votes, the president only holds ceremonial powers.
In the list below, unless otherwise noted, the official name of the office of president of the respective cantonal executive is Regierungsratspräsident (Government council president).
Elections The cantonal governments are directly elected every four years. In some cantons (e.g. Basel-Stadt), the voters can cast a presidential vote for a candidate they are already voting for as member of the government. The elected member who has also received the most votes for president takes that office for the entirety of their term on the council, i.e. 4 years. In other cantons the electorate only elects the council members, and the presidency rotates according to seniority among members (e.g. Zürich and also in the federal council).
The date of the elections is not the same as the date of the start of the tenure. For example, the elections in Aargau were held in 2020, but the tenure of the new Executive started on 1 January 2021.
List of cantonal executives Parties
Note: due to the multiple official languages of Switzerland, parties may have more than one abbreviation
BDP/PBD: Conservative Democratic Party (belonging to The Centre) CSP/PCS: Christian Social Party CSP OW: Christian Social Party of Obwalden Centre: The Centre CSPO: Christian Social People's Party of Upper Valais (belonging to The Centre) CVP/PDC/PPD/PCD : Christian Democratic People's Party (belonging to The Centre) EVP: Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland FDP/PLR: FDP.The Liberals GLP/PVL: Green Liberal Party Green: Green Party Ind: Independent LDP: Liberal Democratic Party of Basel-Stadt (belonging to the FDP) Lega: Ticino League LJS: Liberté et Justice sociale (Freedom and Social Justice) MCG: Geneva Citizens’ Movement SP/PS: Social Democratic Party SVP/UDC/PPS: Swiss People's Party
+List as of 2 July 2022CantonExecutiveOfficial name(s)MembersMember list(president first and in bold)Elections Prev Next AG Aargau Executive Council 5 (SP)
(FDP)
Martina Bircher (SVP)
(CVP)
(SVP)20242028 AR Appenzell Ausserrhoden Executive Council 5 (SPV)
(FDP)
(FDP)
(SP)
Alfred Stricker (Ind)20232027 AI Appenzell Innerrhoden State Commission 7 (Ind)
(Centre)
(SVP)
Hans Dörig (Ind)
Angela Koller (Centre)
Stefan Müller (Ind)
Jakob Signer (Ind) BL Basel-LandschaftExecutive Council 5 (Green)
(FDP)
(EVP)
(Centre)
(SP) 2023 2027 BS Basel-Stadt Executive Council 7 Conradin Cramer (LDP)
Mustafa Atici (SP)
(Centre)
(LDP)
(GLP)
(SP)
(SP)20242028 BE Bern Executive Council 7 (SVP)
Evi Allemann (SP)
(SP)
(Centre)
Christine Häsler (Green)
(FDP)
(SVP)20222026 FR Fribourg Council of State 7 (SP)
(Green)
(FDP)
(FDP)
(Centre)
(SVP)
(Centre) 2022 2026 GE Geneva Council of State 7 (SP)
(Centre)
(FDP)
(FDP)
Antonio Hodgers (Green)
(SP)
Pierre Maudet (LJS) 2023 2028 GL Glarus Executive Council 7 (Centre)
(SP)
(SVP)
Christian Marti (FDP)
Thomas Tschudi (SVP)20222026 GR Grisons Government 5 (Centre) (FDP)
(Centre)
Jon Domenic Parolini (Centre)
(SP)20232026 JU Jura Government 5 (Centre)
(SP)
Rosalie Beuret Siess (SP)
(CSP)
(Centre)20212025 LU Lucerne Executive Council 5 (Centre)
Ylfete Fanaj (SP)
(SVP)
(FDP)
(Centre)20232027 NE Neuchâtel Council of State 5 (FDP)
(FDP)
(SP)
(SP)
Céline Vara (Green)20252029 NW Nidwalden Executive Council 7 (SVP)
(SVP)
(FDP)
(Centre)
(Centre)
(Centre)
(GLP)20222026 OW Obwalden Executive Council 5 (CSP)
(CVP)
(Independent)
(CVP)
(SVP)20222026 SH Schaffhausen Executive Council 5 (FDP)
(SVP)
(FDP)
(SP)
(SVP)20242028 SZ Schwyz Executive Council 7 (Centre)
(SVP)
Damian Meier (FDP)
(Centre)
(SVP)
Xaver Schuler (SVP)
(FDP)20192023 SO Solothurn Executive Council 5 Remo Ankli (FDP)
Peter Hodel (FDP)
Sandra Kolly-Altermatt (Centre)
Susanne Schaffner (SP)
Brigit Wyss (Green)20172021 SG St. Gallen Government 7 Fredy Fässler (SP)
Laura Bucher (SP)
Bruno Damann (Centre)
Susanne Hartmann (Centre)
Stefan Kölliker (SVP)
Marc Mächler (FDP)
Beat Tinner (FDP)20202024 TG Thurgau Executive Council 5 Cornelia Komposch-Breuer (SP)
Dominik Diezi (Centre)
Monika Knill-Kradolfer (SVP)
Urs Martin (SVP)
Walter Schönholzer (FDP) TI Ticino Council of State 5 Claudio Zali (Lega)
Manuele Bertoli (SP)
Raffaele De Rosa (Centre)
Norman Gobbi (Lega)
Christian Vitta (FDP) UR Uri Executive Council 7 Urs Janett (FDP)
Christian Arnold (SVP)
Urban Camenzind (Centre)
Daniel Furrer (Centre)
Beat Jörg (Centre)
Dimitri Moretti (SP)
Roger Nager (FDP)20202024 VS Valais Council of State 5 Roberto Schmidt (CSPO)
Christophe Darbellay (Centre)
Frédéric Favre (FDP)
Mathias Reynard (SP)
Franz Ruppen (SVP) VD Vaud Council of State 7 Christelle Luisier (FDP)
Frédéric Borloz (FDP)
Valérie Dittli (Centre)
Nuria Gorrite (SP)
Isabelle Moret (FDP)
Rebecca Ruiz (SP)
Vassilis Venizelos (Green) ZG Zug Executive Council 7 Martin Pfister (Centre)
Andreas Hostettler (FDP)
Stephan Schleiss (SVP)
Heinz Tännler (SVP)
Silvia Thalmann-Gut (Centre)
Beat Villiger (Centre)
Florian Weber (FDP)20192023 ZH Zurich Executive Council 7 Jacqueline Fehr (SP)
Mario Fehr (independent)
Martin Neukom (Green)
Natalie Rickli (SVP)
Silvia Steiner (Centre)
Ernst Stocker (SVP)
Carmen Walker Späh (FDP)20192023 CH Confederation Federal Council 7 Alain Berset (SP) Viola Amherd (Centre)
Guy Parmelin (SVP)
Ignazio Cassis (FDP)
Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP)
Albert Rösti (SVP)
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (SP) 20192023
See also Cantonal legislatures of Switzerland Small Council Municipal executive in Switzerland
Notes and references Notes
References
External links