Switzerland's President Guy Parmelin gives a press conference following a vote in the country on a divisive anti-immigration proposal to cap the country's population and another referendum on restricting access to conscientious objection to military service in Bern, on June 14, 2026. Photo by STEFAN WERMUTH / AFP
Geneva: Swiss President Guy Parmelin announced Friday that he will quit the government at the end of the year, in a sudden move after more than a decade of ministerial service.
Switzerland's presidency rotates annually among the seven members of the government, called the Federal Council, of which Parmelin, 66, was the longest-serving minister.
Parmelin told a press conference in Bern that he had informed ministerial colleagues of his decision to step down on December 31.
"By then, it will have been 11 years since I was elected to this role, and the time has come for me to make way for new energy in these times of great uncertainty," he said, admitting to feeling "a certain weariness", while insisting he was not stepping down for medical reasons.
Tariff tussle with Trump
A pragmatist, Parmelin seemed to make more headway with US President Donald Trump than his predecessor Karin Keller-Sutter.
Trump shocked Switzerland in August 2025 when he announced 39-percent duties on imports of Swiss goods, among the highest in his global tariff blitz.
Parmelin, the economy minister, went to Washington three times in a bid to reduce the rate.
Eventually, Switzerland and the United States announced a declaration of intent to cut tariffs to 15 percent, with the Swiss vowing to invest $200 billion in the United States.
Parmelin will visit India for a three-day state visit from Monday.
