Swiss order of precedence

The Swiss order of precedence is a hierarchy of important positions within the government of Switzerland. It has no legal standing but is used by ceremonial protocol.

The order of precedence is determined by the Protocol Reglement [fr icon [http://www.eda.admin.ch/etc/medialib/downloads/edazen/topics/dipl/cerpro.Par.0001.File.tmp/Reglement%20Protokoll_fr.pdf Le règlement protocolaire de la Confédération] ] [ [http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/e/home/foreign/protcl/cervis/regpro.html Protocol Regulations for the Swiss Confederation] , unofficial translation.] and the Table of Precedence [fr icon [http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/g/home/foreign/protcl/cervis/regpro.ContentPar.0023.UpFile.tmp/lt_031024_preseancCH_f.pdf Préséance en Suisse] , table of precedence.] of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The upper part of the list reads as follows:

wiss Order of Precedence

#President of the Confederation (2008: Pascal Couchepin)
#Vice-President of the Federal Council (2008: Hans-Rudolf Merz)
#Federal Councillors in the order of their election by the Federal Assembly (2008: Moritz Leuenberger, Samuel Schmid, Micheline Calmy-Rey, Doris Leuthard, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf)
#The General (elected only in case of war)
#President of the National Council (2007/2008: André Bugnon)
#President of the Council of States (2007/2008: Christoffel Brändli)
#Chancellor of the Confederation (Since 2008: Corina Casanova)
#President of the Federal Supreme Court (2007/2008: Arthur Aeschlimann)
#Former Federal Councillors in order of election (as of 2008: Pierre Aubert, Leon Schlumpf, Rudolf Friedrich, Alphons Egli, Otto Stich, Elisabeth Kopp, Flavio Cotti, Arnold Koller, Adolf Ogi, René Felber, Kaspar Villiger, Ruth Dreifuss, Ruth Metzler, Joseph Deiss, Christoph Blocher)
#Presidents of the cantonal governments in the order given in the Constitution.
#Cardinals, Members of the Council of the Swiss Union of Evangelical Churches, and Grand Rabbis
#First and Second Vice Presidents of the National Council (2007/2008: Chiara Simoneschi-Cortesi, Pascale Bruderer)
#First and Second Vice Presidents of the Council of States (2007/2008: Alain Berset, Erika Forster)
#Vice President of the Federal Supreme Court (2007: Susanne Leuzinger-Naef)
#Bishops
#Secretaries of State
#Members of the National Council in order of election
#Members of the Council of States in order of election
#Judges of the Federal Supreme Court

References