Ignazio Cassis

Born in 1961 in Sessa, in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland (Canton of Ticino), Ignazio Cassis is a Federal Councillor of the Swiss Confederation.

Before entering politics, he worked as a medical doctor - active also in various health-sector associations and in the fields of public health and prevention. While serving as the cantonal physician, he was elected in 2007 to the National Council, the lower chamber of the Swiss Federal Parliament, as a member of FDP-The Liberals. In 2017, Ignazio Cassis was elected to the Federal Council, the Swiss executive, and since then has headed the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), serving as Switzerland’s foreign minister. In accordance with the seniority principle of the Federal Council, he became President of the Swiss Confederation in 2022. In 2026, in addition to serving as Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE - Switzerland’s third OSCE Presidency - he will also hold the position of Vice-President of the Confederation.

Ignazio Cassis speaks Italian, German, French and English. Throughout his career, he has been a strong advocate of multilingualism in Switzerland and of the coexistence of its four national languages and cultures, while also underscoring the importance of peaceful coexistence among diverse cultures at the international level.

He is married and lives between Bern, the capital of Switzerland, and his hometown in Ticino.