Federal Council

(German, Bundesrat), the supreme federal executive body of Switzerland, the federal government. The Federal Council consists of seven members, who are elected by the parliament, the Federal Assembly, for four-year terms. Each member of the Federal Council heads one of the council’s administrative departments: interior, military affairs, foreign affairs, justice and police, finance and customs, public economy, transportation, communications, and energy. The Federal Assembly elects the president and vice-president of Switzerland for one-year terms from among the members of the Federal Council; no member of the council may serve two successive terms as president.