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Ignazio Cassis

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Ignazio Cassis
Official portrait, 2024
President of Switzerland
In office
1 January 2022 – 31 December 2022
Vice PresidentAlain Berset
Preceded byGuy Parmelin
Succeeded byAlain Berset
Vice President of Switzerland
In office
1 January 2021 – 31 December 2021
PresidentGuy Parmelin
Preceded byGuy Parmelin
Succeeded byAlain Berset
Member of the Swiss Federal Council
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 November 2017
DepartmentForeign Affairs (2017–present)
Preceded byDidier Burkhalter
Personal details
Born
Ignazio Daniele Giovanni Cassis

(1961-04-13) 13 April 1961 (age 63)
Sessa, Ticino, Switzerland
Nationality
Political partyFDP.The Liberals
SpouseDr. Paola Rodoni
Residence(s)Montagnola, Ticino
Alma materUniversity of Zurich
University of Lausanne
Cassis speaking at the 2024 World Economic Forum

Ignazio Daniele Giovanni Cassis (Italian pronunciation: [iɲˈɲattsjo ˈkassis]; born 13 April 1961) is a Swiss physician and politician who has been a Member of the Swiss Federal Council since 1 November 2017. A member of FDP.The Liberals, Cassis was elected to the Federal Council on 20 September 2017 following the resignation of Didier Burkhalter. He has headed the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs since he took office. On 8 December 2021, Cassis was elected President of the Swiss Confederation for 2022.[1]

Early life and education

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Cassis was born 13 April 1961 at Malcantonese Hospital in Croglio (presently Sessa) in Ticino, to Gino Cassis and Mariarosa. He has three sisters.[2][3] He was born an Italian citizen and received Swiss citizenship by derivation when his parents naturalized in 1976. He held dual citizenship until his election in 2017.[4] Cassis studied Medicine at the University of Zurich and the University of Lausanne until 1987.

Career

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He subsequently specialised in internal medicine and public health; he received his master's degree in public health in 1996. Cassis was awarded a doctorate in medicine (Dr. med., MD) from the University of Lausanne in 1998. He was a cantonal doctor in Ticino from 1996 to 2008 and vice president of the Foederatio Medicorum Helveticorum (FMH, literally "Swiss Medical Association") from 2008 to 2012.[5]

Political career

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National Council

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Residing in the canton of Ticino, Cassis served in the National Council from 4 June 2007 to 30 October 2017 where he was affiliated with FDP.The Liberals.[6]

Federal Council

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Cassis (left) shakes hands with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington in February 2019
Cassis with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg in 2021
The 2022 Federal Council, the year Cassis was president
Cassis with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in 2022

When Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter announced his retirement in 2017, Cassis was one of the three candidates the FDP chose to replace him, the other two being Isabelle Moret (a National Councillor from Vaud) and Pierre Maudet (a cantonal official from Geneva and former Mayor of Geneva).[7] Cassis was considered the favourite to succeed Burkhalter.[7]

In the election, held on 20 September 2017, the Federal Assembly elected Cassis to the Federal Council in the second round by taking 125 of 244 valid votes, becoming the 117th Federal Councillor since 1848.[8][9][10][11] He was supported by the centre-right and right-wing parties in the Assembly.[11] Cassis became the first Federal Councillor from Ticino since 1999.[10][11] The Swiss press generally commented positively on Cassis's election.[12][13]

Cassis took office on 1 November 2017 as head of the Department of Foreign Affairs, succeeding Didier Burkhalter.[14][15][16] He caused some controversy shortly after his election when the media reported that he addressed and joined ProTell, a gun rights advocacy group, nine days before his election, something that might have made his relationship with the EU difficult as Foreign Minister due to discussions over joint gun policy.[17] Cassis ended his membership in ProTell and other gun rights organisations shortly afterward.[17]

A member of the Swiss Parliament's Israel Friendship Group, Ignazio Cassis defends positions perceived as pro-Israeli. In 2019, he ordered the suspension of Swiss aid to UNRWA, which he had criticized in several speeches.[18]

In 2021 Cassis served as Vice President of Switzerland. On 8 December 2021, he was elected President of Switzerland for the year 2022. He assumed the office on 1 January 2022 succeeding Guy Parmelin.

In 2022, as president of the Swiss confederation, Cassis took a leading role in redefining Swiss neutrality in light of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. In a delicate balance between a failed agreement towards the EU proposed framework accord and Swiss national interests, he has taken sides with the EU with regard to international sanctions during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[19] On 20 October, Cassis made an official visit to Ukraine, meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.[20]

Personal life

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Cassis is married to Dr. Paola Cassis and lives in Montagnola.[6][3]

References

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  1. ^ "Amtliches Bulletin". www.parlament.ch. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  2. ^ "In breve" (in Italian). ignaziocassis.ch. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  3. ^ a b Philipp Mäder (20 September 2017). "Die stolzen Schwestern von Bundesrat Cassis" (in German). Schweizer Illustrierte. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  4. ^ "Cassis gibt italienischen Pass zurück". Tages-Anzeiger (in German). 25 August 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  5. ^ SRF Tagesschau Hauptausgabe 20 September 2017
  6. ^ a b "Ignazio Cassis". parlament.ch. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  7. ^ a b Chandrasekhar, Anand (19 September 2017). "Who Will Become the Next Swiss Cabinet Minister?". Swissinfo. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  8. ^ "ELETTO IGNAZIO CASSIS" (in Italian). ticinonews.ch. 20 September 2017. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  9. ^ "FOKUS: Der Tessiner Ignazio Cassis ist neuer Bundesrat" (in German). 10vor10. 20 September 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Ignazio Cassis is Elected Switzerland's New Federal Councillor". The Local. 20 September 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  11. ^ a b c Geiser, Urs (20 September 2017). "Cassis Chosen as Switzerland's New Cabinet Minister". Swissinfo. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  12. ^ "Press Welcomes Cassis Election to Federal Council". The Local. 21 September 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  13. ^ Stephens, Thomas (21 September 2017). "Election of Cassis 'Positive' and 'Smart', Say Papers". Swissinfo. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  14. ^ Quiquerez, Florent (1 November 2017). "Ignazio Cassis au pied du mur européen". 24Heures (in French). ISSN 1424-4039. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  15. ^ "New Federal Councillor Cassis Inherits Foreign Ministry". The Local. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  16. ^ "Cassis to Take Over Foreign Ministry". Swissinfo. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  17. ^ a b "Future Swiss Foreign Minister Quits Gun Lobby Groups". Swissinfo. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  18. ^ "Palestine. Machinations against a Swiss diplomat from UNRWA". 11 January 2021.
  19. ^ "Switzerland calls for return of Crimea to Ukraine". swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  20. ^ "'Kyiv already feels cold', says Swiss president on visit". Swissinfo. 21 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
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Political offices
Preceded by Member of the Swiss Federal Council
2017–present 		Incumbent
Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs
2017–present
Preceded by Vice President of Switzerland
2021 		Succeeded by
President of Switzerland
2022
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