Who is the longest-serving Leader of Switzerland?

Wilhelm Matthias Naeff, with 9,906 days in office.

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🇨🇭 Switzerland

Federal republic, directorial systemLiberal democracy

Tenure records

Longest-serving

Wilhelm Matthias Naeff

9,906 days

Shortest-serving

Rudolf Friedrich

682 days

Average tenure

3,741 days

Recent leaders by days in office

Is a leader's tenure getting longer or shorter in Switzerland?

Across 80 completed terms, the average leader of Switzerland has served 3,741 days (about 10.2 years). That has stayed fairly steady: the last five completed terms averaged 3,402 days.

One completed term Average tenure per decade

All leaders of Switzerland

#	Name	Took office	Left office	Days
87	Martin Pfister	Apr 1, 2025	Incumbent	517
86	Beat Jans	Jan 1, 2024	Incumbent	973
85	Albert Rösti	Jan 1, 2023	Incumbent	1,338
84	Elisabeth Baume-Schneider	Jan 1, 2023	Incumbent	1,338
83	Viola Amherd	Jan 1, 2019	Mar 31, 2025	2,281
82	Karin Keller-Sutter	Jan 1, 2019	Incumbent	2,799
81	Ignazio Cassis	Nov 1, 2017	Incumbent	3,225
80	Guy Parmelin	Jan 1, 2016	Incumbent	3,895
79	Alain Berset	Jan 1, 2012	Dec 31, 2023	4,382
78	Johann Schneider-Ammann	Nov 1, 2010	Dec 31, 2018	2,982
77	Simonetta Sommaruga	Nov 1, 2010	Dec 31, 2022	4,443
76	Didier Burkhalter	Nov 1, 2009	Nov 1, 2017	2,922
75	Ueli Maurer	Jan 1, 2009	Dec 31, 2022	5,112
74	Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf	Jan 1, 2008	Dec 31, 2015	2,921
73	Doris Leuthard	Aug 1, 2006	Dec 31, 2018	4,535
72	Hans-Rudolf Merz	Jan 1, 2004	Oct 31, 2010	2,495
71	Christoph Blocher	Jan 1, 2004	Dec 31, 2007	1,460
70	Hans-Rudolf Merz	Dec 10, 2003	Oct 31, 2010	2,517
69	Christoph Blocher	Dec 10, 2003	Dec 31, 2007	1,482
68	Micheline Calmy-Rey	Jan 1, 2003	Dec 31, 2011	3,286
67	Samuel Schmid	Jan 1, 2001	Dec 31, 2008	2,921
66	Ruth Metzler	Apr 1, 1999	Dec 31, 2003	1,735
65	Joseph Deiss	Apr 1, 1999	Jul 31, 2006	2,678
64	Pascal Couchepin	Apr 1, 1998	Oct 31, 2009	4,231
63	Moritz Leuenberger	Oct 1, 1995	Oct 31, 2010	5,509
62	Ruth Dreifuss	Apr 1, 1993	Dec 31, 2002	3,561
61	Kaspar Villiger	Feb 1, 1989	Dec 31, 2003	5,446
60	Adolf Ogi	Jan 1, 1988	Dec 31, 2000	4,748
59	Flavio Cotti	Jan 1, 1987	Apr 30, 1999	4,502
58	René Felber	Jan 1, 1987	Jan 1, 1993	2,192
57	Elisabeth Kopp	Oct 2, 1984	Jan 12, 1989	1,563
56	Jean-Pascal Delamuraz	Dec 7, 1983	Mar 31, 1998	5,228
55	Alphons Egli	Dec 8, 1982	Dec 31, 1986	1,484
54	Rudolf Friedrich	Dec 8, 1982	Oct 20, 1984	682
53	Leon Schlumpf	Dec 5, 1979	Dec 31, 1987	2,948
52	Pierre Aubert	Dec 7, 1977	Dec 31, 1987	3,676
51	Hans Hürlimann	Jan 1, 1974	Jan 1, 1982	2,922
50	Willi Ritschard	Dec 5, 1973	Oct 16, 1983	3,602
49	Georges-André Chevallaz	Jan 1, 1973	Jan 1, 1983	3,652
48	Kurt Furgler	Dec 8, 1971	Dec 31, 1986	5,502
47	Pierre Graber	Dec 10, 1969	Jan 31, 1978	2,974
46	Rudolf Gnägi	Dec 8, 1965	Dec 31, 1979	5,136
45	Jean Bourgknecht	Jan 1, 1960	Sep 30, 1962	1,003
44	Hans-Peter Tschudi	Dec 17, 1959	Dec 31, 1973	5,128
43	Willy Spühler	Dec 17, 1959	Jan 31, 1970	3,698
42	Friedrich Traugott Wahlen	Dec 11, 1958	Dec 31, 1965	2,577
41	Hans Streuli	Jan 1, 1954	Dec 31, 1959	2,190
40	Markus Feldmann	Dec 13, 1951	Nov 3, 1958	2,517
39	Josef Escher	Sep 14, 1950	Dec 9, 1954	1,547
38	Ernst Nobs	Jan 1, 1944	Jan 1, 1951	2,557
37	Karl Kobelt	Dec 10, 1940	Dec 31, 1954	5,134
36	Walther Stampfli	Aug 1, 1940	Dec 31, 1947	2,708
35	Johannes Baumann	Jan 1, 1934	Jan 1, 1940	2,191
34	Philipp Etter	Jan 1, 1934	Jan 1, 1959	9,131
33	Albert Meyer	Jan 1, 1930	Dec 31, 1938	3,286
32	Rudolf Minger	Dec 12, 1929	Dec 31, 1940	4,037
31	Marcel Pilet-Golaz	Dec 13, 1928	Dec 31, 1944	5,862
30	Heinrich Häberlin	Feb 12, 1920	Apr 30, 1934	5,191
29	Karl Scheurer	Jan 1, 1920	Nov 14, 1929	3,605
28	Ernest Chuard	Dec 11, 1919	Dec 31, 1928	3,308
27	Gustave Ador	Jun 26, 1917	Dec 31, 1919	918
26	Felix Calonder	Jan 1, 1913	Jan 1, 1920	2,556
25	Edmund Schulthess	Jul 18, 1912	Apr 15, 1935	8,306
24	Josef Anton Schobinger	Jan 1, 1908	Jan 1, 1911	1,096
23	Marc-Emile Ruchet	Dec 14, 1899	Jul 9, 1912	4,590
22	Eduard Müller	Aug 16, 1895	Nov 9, 1919	8,850
21	Adrien Lachenal	Jan 1, 1892	Jan 1, 1899	2,557
20	Emil Frey	Jan 1, 1891	Mar 31, 1897	2,281
19	Walter Hauser	Jan 1, 1888	Jan 1, 1902	5,113
18	Wilhelm Hertenstein	Mar 21, 1879	Nov 27, 1888	3,539
17	Simeon Bavier	Dec 10, 1878	Jan 5, 1883	1,487
16	Bernhard Hammer	Jan 1, 1876	Dec 31, 1890	5,478
15	Louis Ruchonnet	Dec 10, 1875	Sep 14, 1893	6,488
14	Joachim Heer	Jan 1, 1875	Jan 1, 1878	1,096
13	Johann Jakob Scherer	Jul 13, 1872	Dec 23, 1878	2,354
12	Paul Cérésole	Feb 2, 1870	Dec 31, 1875	2,158
11	Emil Welti	Jan 1, 1867	Jan 1, 1891	8,766
10	Jakob Dubs	Jul 30, 1861	May 28, 1872	3,955
9	Josef Martin Knüsel	Jul 14, 1855	Dec 31, 1875	7,475
8	Constant Fornerod	Jul 12, 1855	Dec 31, 1867	4,555
7	Jakob Stämpfli	Dec 6, 1854	Dec 31, 1863	3,312
6	Josef Munzinger	Nov 16, 1848	Feb 6, 1855	2,273
5	Ulrich Ochsenbein	Nov 16, 1848	Dec 31, 1854	2,236
4	Wilhelm Matthias Naeff	Nov 16, 1848	Dec 31, 1875	9,906
3	Stefano Franscini	Nov 16, 1848	Jul 19, 1857	3,167
2	Friedrich Frey-Herosé	Nov 16, 1848	Dec 31, 1866	6,619
1	Jonas Furrer	Jan 1, 1848	Jan 1, 1861	4,749

Officeholder history via Wikidata. Multiple rows for one person indicate separate terms.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the longest-serving Leader of Switzerland?: Wilhelm Matthias Naeff, with 9,906 days in office.
Are leaders serving longer or shorter terms in Switzerland?: Across 80 completed terms, the average leader of Switzerland has served 3,741 days (about 10.2 years). That has stayed fairly steady: the last five completed terms averaged 3,402 days.