Swiss president Guy Parmelin to quit government

• Swiss President Guy Parmelin announced he will quit the government at the end of 2026 after 11 years of service, citing weariness and the need for new energy.
• Parmelin played a key role in negotiating a tariff reduction with the US, lowering duties on Swiss goods from 39% to 15% and securing a US$200 billion Swiss investment pledge.
• He has served as defence and economy minister, was president in 2021, and his successor from the Swiss People’s Party will be chosen by Parliament in December 2026.

GENEVA – Swiss President Guy Parmelin announced on Oct 2 that he will quit the government at the end of 2026, in a sudden move after more than a decade of ministerial service.

Switzerland’s presidency rotates annually among the seven members of the government, called the Federal Council, of which Parmelin, 66, was the longest-serving minister.

Parmelin told a press conference in Bern that he had informed ministerial colleagues of his decision to step down on Dec 31.

“By then, it will have been 11 years since I was elected to this role, and the time has come for me to make way for new energy in these times of great uncertainty,” he said, admitting to feeling “a certain weariness”, while insisting he was not stepping down for medical reasons.

Tariff tussle with Trump

A pragmatist, Parmelin seemed to make more headway with US President Donald Trump than his predecessor Karin Keller-Sutter.

Trump shocked Switzerland in Aug 2025 when he announced 39% duties on imports of Swiss goods, among the highest in his global tariff blitz.

Parmelin, the economy minister, went to Washington three times in a bid to reduce the rate.

Eventually, Switzerland and the United States announced a declaration of intent to cut tariffs to 15%, with the Swiss vowing to invest US$200 billion (S$256 billion) in the United States.

A wine-grower by trade, Parmelin is from the French-speaking western canton of Vaud. He is from the hard-right Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which is the biggest in the country.

Parmelin was previously president in 2021 and took centre stage as Switzerland hosted a summit in Geneva between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden.

The president of the Swiss Confederation is first among equals on the Federal Council, chairs its meetings and typically represents the country in major domestic and international matters.

The position goes to whoever has had the longest run on the council without being president.

Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will become president in 2027.

Parmelin joined the Federal Council in 2016 as defence minister and has held the economy brief since 2019.

The Federal Council seven seats are shared 2-2-2-1 among the four main political parties under a decades-old tacit agreement known as “the magic formula”.

Parmelin’s successor will come from the SVP. Candidates have until Oct 23 to come forward, and Parliament will choose on Dec 9.

Parmelin will visit India for a three-day state visit from Oct 5. AFP