Swiss president for 2014 is Burkhalter

Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter will be the country`s president next year, after parliament accepted his nomination.

Burkhalter received 183 votes out 222 ballots cast by the parliamentarians. The 53-year-old centre-right Radical from canton Neuchâtel will take over from Defence Minister Ueli Maurer on January 1.

The Swiss presidency is held by a different member of the seven-person cabinet every calendar year. The choice is based on seniority in the government, which means that a minister becomes president at least once every seven years.

Burkhalter was elected in the first round of voting with a good score, one of the best over the past decade. Maurer for example only received 148 votes last year.

While the presidential election is traditionally a foregone conclusion, some parliamentarians express their displeasure with a candidate by casting a protest vote, leading to less impressive results.


/AzerTAc/