Swiss name new president and cabinet members

Federal Councillors Viola Amherd, Guy Parmelin, Ignazio Cassis, Karin Keller-Sutter, Albert Roesti, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, Beat Jans and Chancellor Viktor Rossi swear after the ministerial elections at the Swiss Parliament in Bern, Switzerland, December 13, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse reuters_tickers

ZURICH (Reuters) – Switzerland named a new president on Wednesday and the make up of the country’s government for the next four years.

Current defence minister Viola Amherd will take on the position of president from January, replacing Alain Berset in the honorary role that rotates between members of the country’s cabinet on an annual basis.

The country’s parliament also voted to elect Beat Jans to the seven-member cabinet as the successor to Berset who decided to step down at the end of the year.

Other members of the cross-party cabinet were re-elected for another four-year term.

The balance of the Swiss government will not change following the rightward shift in an October general election, as Jans comes from the same centre-left Social Democrat party as Berset.

Also re-elected to the Federal Council from the Social Democrat party was Justice Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider.

Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis and Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter, both from the centre-right Free Liberals, also remain in their roles.

Transport Minister Albert Roesti and Economic Minister Guy Parmelin, from the Swiss People’s Party, were also re-elected.

Incoming president Amherd represents the Centre party in the coalition, which rules by consensus.

(Reporting by Noele Illien; Editing by Alex Richardson)