Ruth Dreifuss

Ruth Dreifuss ( born January 9, 1940 in St. Gallen; homeland justified in Endingen ) is a Swiss politician (SP) and former Federal Councillor.

Life

Ruth Dreifuss studied economics. From 1972 to 1991 she was responsible for the Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid ( DCA ) (now Agency for Development and Cooperation, SDC) operates then as a lecturer at the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions.

She was elected to the Federal Council on 10 March 1993. Your choice was the non-selection of the official candidate Christiane Brunner and a violent women's protest against the election of Francis Matthey ahead (see also Brunner effect). At the time of elected by the United Federal Assembly already for the Federal Francis Matthey not accepted the election. Matthey else could possibly threatened a party exclusion. Dreifuss stood in front of the Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs. In 1999, she was President of the Confederation. On 31 December 2002 Ruth Dreifuss resigned.

Ruth Dreifuss was after Elisabeth Kopp, the second woman and the first person with a Jewish background who was elected to the Federal Council. She was also the first woman to be elected President of the Confederation.