2025 Swiss Federal Council election

The announcement overshadowed the main topic of her press conference on January 15, 2025: the reorganisation of compulsory service in the army and civil protection.

[1] Per an informal agreement between the political parties known as the magic formula, only Centre candidates are expected to stand for Amherd's seat, ensuring the partisan balance would be retained.

So far only national councillor Markus Ritter [de] has announced his candidacy[3] after several prominent members of The Center Party declined to run,[4] amongst them the outgoing leader of The Center Party Gerhard Pfister who had been speculated to be a strong favourite to succeed Amherd.

Swiss media outlets, including Blick, Neue Zürcher Zeitung and Watson, had reported on a possible resignation in the weeks around the turn of the year.

In connection with Pfister's resignation, his ambitions for the Federal Council office were publicly discussed.

[4] Outgoing The Center party leader Gerhard Pfister and National Councillor Martin Candinas who had generally been viewed as the favorites both declined to run.