2003 Swiss Federal Council election

Elections to the Swiss Federal Council were held on 10 December 2003 to elect all seven of Switzerland's Federal Council. The 246 members of the United Federal Assembly elect the seven members individually by an absolute majority of votes, with the members serving for four years, beginning on 1 January 2004, or until resigning.

Swiss Confederation
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Switzerland
Constitution Human rights
Federal Council Members (by seniority) Ueli Maurer (President) Simonetta Sommaruga (Vice-President) Alain Berset Guy Parmelin Ignazio Cassis Viola Amherd Karin Keller-Sutter Federal Chancellor Walter Thurnherr Federal administration
Federal Assembly Council of States (members) National Council (members) Political parties
Elections Voting Recent elections Federal: 2007 2011 2015 2019 Referendums Mandatory Optional Popular initiative
Federal courts Federal Supreme Court Federal Criminal Court Federal Administrative Court Federal Patent Court
Foreign relations European Union
Administrative divisions Cantons Appenzell Ausserrhoden (AR) Appenzell Innerrhoden (AI) Aargau (AG) Basel-Landschaft (BL) Basel-Stadt (BS) Bern (BE) Fribourg (FR) Geneva (GE) Glarus (GL) Grisons (GR) Jura (JU) Lucerne (LU) Neuchâtel (NE) Nidwalden (NW) Obwalden (OW) Schaffhausen (SH) Schwyz (SZ) Solothurn (SO) St. Gallen (SG) Ticino (TI) Thurgau (TG) Uri (UR) Valais (VS) Vaud (VD) Zug (ZG) Zürich (ZH) Municipalities (Full list of Municipalities) Aargau Appenzell Innerrhoden Appenzell Ausserrhoden Basel-Landschaft Basel-Stadt Bern Fribourg Geneva Glarus Graubünden Jura Lucerne Neuchâtel Nidwalden Obwalden Schaffhausen Schwyz Solothurn St. Gallen Thurgau Ticino Uri Valais Vaud Zug Zürich
Switzerland portal Other countries

Six of the seven incumbents were running for re-election. Five were re-elected, but Ruth Metzler lost in her re-election bid: the first time an incumbent Federal Councillor had failed to be re-elected since 1872. In her place was elected Christoph Blocher of the Swiss People's Party (SVP). This ended the magic formula, by which the four largest parties had shared power on the Federal Council by a set formula since 1959; Metzler's Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP) was reduced from two seats to one, and Blocher's SVP increased from one to two.