Bern: The Swiss Economics Minister Guy Parmelin has been elected as the President of the Swiss Confederation for 2026 after securing 203 votes out of 228. This marks the highest result recorded since the start of the current century.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the election took place in a session held in Bern where the Swiss Parliament elected Parmelin to succeed the current President Karin Keller-Sutter. Parmelin is currently serving as the Swiss Federal Councillor and head of the Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research. He is a member of the Swiss People’s Party (UDC), a right-wing party. This upcoming mandate will be his second term as head of state, following his first presidency in 2021. Parmelin has also previously served as the Minister of Defense.
This year, Parmelin played a key role in reaching an agreement with the United States, resulting in Washington reducing customs duties on certain Swiss products.