Switzerland gets female face at economic helm
Doris Leuthard, the fifth woman ever to hold a cabinet post in Switzerland, was Friday appointed Economics Minister.
Leuthard was nominated by lawmakers on Wednesday to replace retiring Joseph Deiss, who has held the economics portfolio for three years and spent a total of seven years in government.
The cabinet decided against a reshuffle at a meeting Friday and Leuthard will formally take over from Deiss on July 31.
Leuthard is currently the leader of the centre-right Christian Democrats, of which Deiss is also a member.
Her election this week came as no surprise: Switzerland's seven-strong collegial government, the Federal Council, is effectively a near-permanent coalition of the four largest political parties.
Leuthard, 43, is the fifth woman in Swiss history to be elected to the government.
She joins Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, a Socialist, who was elected in 2002.
Swiss women first received the vote at national level in 1972, but the government stayed in male-only hands until 1984, with the election of Elisabeth Kopp.
Switzerland does not have a prime minister and ministers rotate the ceremonial presidency on an annual basis.
The government includes one Christian Democrat, two Radicals, two Socialists and two ministers from the right-wing Swiss People's Party.
AFP
