This article lists the cantonal executives of Switzerland. Each canton of Switzerland has its own executive body, as well as legislative body. The Federal Council is the executive of the Swiss federal government, and is included for purposes of comparison.
The cantonal executives are collegial bodies, each with 5 or 7 members. They are generally called German: Regierungsrat (Executive Council) in German-speaking cantons and French: Conseil d'État (State Council) in French-speaking cantons.
The above mentioned collegial bodies are formally chaired by a president. However those presidents are primus inter pares, that is a first among equals in the council; other than presiding over meetings and the ability to cast tie-breaking votes, the president only holds ceremonial powers.
In the list below, unless otherwise noted, the official name of the office of president of the respective cantonal executive is Regierungsratspräsident (Government council president).
The cantonal governments are directly elected every four years. In some cantons (e.g. Basel-Stadt), the voters can cast a presidential vote for a candidate they are already voting for as member of the government. The elected member who has also received the most votes for president takes that office for the entirety of their term on the council, i.e. 4 years. In other cantons the electorate only elects the council members, and the presidency rotates according to seniority among members (e.g. Zürich and also in the federal council).
The date of the elections is not the same as the date of the start of the tenure. For example, the elections in Aargau were held in 2020, but the tenure of the new Executive started on 1 January 2021.
Parties
Note: due to the multiple official languages of Switzerland, parties may have more than one abbreviation
List as of July 2, 2022:
| Canton | Executive Official name(s) | Members | Member list(president first and in bold) | Elections | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prev | Next | |||||||
| AG | Aargau | Executive Council | 5[1] | Stephan Attiger[2] (FDP) Markus Dieth (CVP) Dexter Egli (SP) Alex Hürzeler (SVP) Jean-Pierre Gallati (SVP) | 2020 | 2024 | ||
| AR | Appenzell Ausserrhoden | Executive Council | 5[3] | Dölf Biasotto (FDP) Yves Noël Balmer (SP) Hansueli Reutegger (SVP) Paul Signer (FDP) Alfred Stricker (Ind) | 2019 | 2023 | ||
| AI | Appenzell Innerrhoden | State Commission | 7[4] | Roland Dähler (Ind) Monika Rüegg Bless (Centre) Ruedi Eberle (SVP) Roland Inauen (Ind) Stefan Müller (Ind) Ruedi Ulmann (centre) Jakob Signer (Ind) | ||||
| BL | Basel-Landschaft | Executive Council | 5[5] | Monica Gwind (FDP) Anton Lauber (Centre) Isaac Reber (Green) Kathrin Schweizer (SP) Thomas Weber (SVP) | 2019 | |||
| BS | Basel-Stadt | Executive Council | 7[6] | Beat Jans[7] (SP) Conradin Cramer (LDP) Lukas Engelberger (Centre) Stephanie Eymann (LDP) Esther Keller (GLP) Tanja Soland (SP) Kaspar Sutter (SP) | 2020 | 2024 | ||
| BE | Bern | Executive Council | 7[8] | Christine Häsler (Greens) Evi Allemann (SP) Astrid Bärtschi (Centre) Christoph Ammann (SP) Philippe Müller (FDP) Christoph Neuhaus (SVP) Pierre Alain Schnegg (SVP) | 2018 | 2022 | ||
| FR | Fribourg | Council of State | 7[9] | Olivier Curty (Centre) Sylvie Bonvin-Sansonnens (Green) Didier Castella (FDP) Romain Collaud (FDP) Philippe Demierre (SVP) Jean-Pierre Siggen (Centre) Jean-François Steiert (SP) | 2017 | 2021 | ||
| GE | Geneva | Council of State | 7[10] | Mauro Poggia (MCG) Antonio Hodgers (Green) Thierry Apothéloz (SP) Serge Dal Busco (Center) Anne Emery-Torracinta (SP) Fabienne Fischer (Green) Nathalie Fontanet (FDP) | ||||
| GL | Glarus | Executive Council | 7[11] | Benjamin Mühlemann (FDP) Kaspar Becker (Centre) Andrea Bettiga (FDP) Markus Heer (SP) Marianne Lienhard (SVP) | 2018 | 2022 | ||
| GR | Grisons | Executive Council | 5[12] | Marcus Caduff (Centre) Mario Cavigelli (Centre) Jon Domenic Parolini (Centre) Peter Peyer (SP) Christian Rathgeb (FDP) | 2018 | 2022 | ||
| JU | Jura | Government | 5[13] | David Eray (CSP) Nathalie Barthoulot (SP) Rosalie Beuret Siess (SP) Martial Courtet (CVP) Jacques Gerber (FDP) | 2020 | 2024 | ||
| LU | Lucerne | Executive Council | 5[14] | Guido Graf (centre) Fabian Peter (FDP) Marcel Schwerzmann (Ind) Paul Winiker (SVP) Reto Wyss (Centre) | ||||
| NE | Neuchâtel | Council of State | 5[15] | Laurent Kurth (SP) Laurent Favre (FDP) Crystel Graf (FDP) Alain Ribaux (FDP) Florence Nater (SP) | 2017 | 2021 | ||
| NW | Nidwalden | Executive Council | 7[16] | Joe Christen (FDP) Michèle Blöchliger (SVP) Othmar Filliger (Centre) Karin Kayser-Frutschi (Centre) Therese Rotzer-Mathyer (Centre) Res Schmid (SVP) Peter Truttmann (GLP) | 2018 | 2022 | ||
| OW | Obwalden | Executive Council | 5[17] | Christoph Amstad (CVP) Josef Hess (independent) Cornelia Kaufmann-Hurschler(CVP) Christian Schäli (CSP OW) Daniel Wyler (SVP) | 2018 | 2022 | ||
| SH | Schaffhausen | Executive Council | 5[18] | Cornelia Stamm Hurter (SVP) Martin Kessler (FDP) Patrick Strasser (SP) Dino Tamagni (SVP) Walter Vogelsanger (SP) | 2018 | 2022 | ||
| SZ | Schwyz | Executive Council | 7[19] | Andreas Barraud (SVP) Herbert Huwiler (SVP) Kaspar Michel (FDP) Sandro Patierno (Centre) Michael Stähli (Centre) Petra Steimen-Rickenbacher (FDP) | 2019 | 2023 | ||
| SO | Solothurn | Executive Council | 5[20] | Remo Ankli (FDP) Peter Hodel (FDP) Sandra Kolly-Altermatt (Centre) Susanne Schaffner (SP) Brigit Wyss (Green) | 2017 | 2021 | ||
| SG | St. Gallen | Government | 7[21] | Fredy Fässler (SP) Laura Bucher (SP) Bruno Damann (Centre) Susanne Hartmann (Centre) Stefan Kölliker (SVP) Marc Mächler (FDP) Beat Tinner (FDP) | 2020 | 2024 | ||
| TG | Thurgau | Executive Council | 5[22] | Cornelia Komposch-Breuer (SP) Dominik Diezi (Centre) Monika Knill-Kradolfer (SVP) Urs Martin (SVP) Walter Schönholzer (FDP) | ||||
| TI | Ticino | Council of State | 5[23] | Claudio Zali (Lega) Manuele Bertoli (SP) Raffaele De Rosa (Centre) Norman Gobbi (Lega) Christian Vitta (FDP) | ||||
| UR | Uri | Executive Council | 7[24] | Urs Janett (FDP) Christian Arnold (SVP) Urban Camenzind (Centre) Daniel Furrer (Centre) Beat Jörg (Centre) Dimitri Moretti (SP) Roger Nager (FDP) | 2020 | 2024 | ||
| VS | Valais | Council of State | 5[25] | Roberto Schmidt (CSPO) Christophe Darbellay (Centre) Frédéric Favre (FDP) Mathias Reynard (SP) Franz Ruppen (SVP) | ||||
| VD | Vaud | Council of State | 7 | Christelle Luisier (FDP) Frédéric Borloz (FDP) Valérie Dittli (centre) Nuria Gorrite (SP) Isabelle Moret (FDP) Rebecca Ruiz (SP) Vassilis Venizelos (Green) | ||||
| ZG | Zug | Executive Council | 7[26] | Martin Pfister (Centre) Andreas Hostettler (FDP) Stephan Schleiss (SVP) Heinz Tännler (SVP) Silvia Thalmann-Gut (Centre) Beat Villiger (Centre) Florian Weber (FDP) | 2019 | 2023 | ||
| ZH | Zürich | Executive Council | 7[27] | Jacqueline Fehr[28] (SP) Mario Fehr (independent) Martin Neukom (Green) Natalie Rickli (SVP) Silvia Steiner (Centre) Ernst Stocker (SVP) Carmen Walker Späh (FDP) | 2019 | 2023 | ||
| CH | Confederation | Federal Council | 7[29] | Alain Berset (SP) Viola Amherd (Centre) Guy Parmelin (SVP) Ignazio Cassis (FDP) Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP) Albert Rösti (SVP) | 2019 | 2023 | ||