The 2015 Federal Council photograph

The traditional photograph of the complete Federal Council caused a degree of astonishment this year as the government was not photographed standing as usual but instead sitting grouped around a table. (from left to right): Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter, Federal Councillor Johann N. Schneider-Ammann (Vice-President), Federal Councillor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard, Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer, President of the Swiss Confederation Simonetta Sommaruga, Federal Councillor Alain Berset and Federal Chancellor Corina Casanova

Press comments on the 2015 Federal Council photograph:

Basler Zeitung, Basel: “Da Vinci style” – the national government has clearly decided not to take a stand on issues in future but instead to sit them out.

Tages-Anzeiger, Zurich: The interpretations ranged from the religious (a copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”) to the banal (regulars’ table in the bar) and the offensive (mafia family).

NZZ, Zurich: The Federal Council should first of all sit down together at the start of the year.

Die Südostschweiz, Chur: The Federal Chancellery describes the photo as “concordance in practice”. The question now is how many of them will be left at the end of the 2015 election year and whether a traitor will emerge like at the Last Supper.

Tribune de Genève, Geneva: It does not get any more egalitarian than that. This is the clear message to Parliament which will vote on a law in favour of female quotas in corporate management in 2015.