Swiss order of precedence

The Swiss order of precedence is a hierarchy of important positions within the government of Switzerland. It has no legal standing but is used by ceremonial protocol.

The order of precedence is determined by the Protocol Reglement and the Table of Precedence of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The upper part of the list reads as follows:

1. President of the Confederation (2014: Didier Burkhalter)
2. Vice-President of the Federal Council (2014: Simonetta Sommaruga)
3. Federal Councillors in the order of their election by the Federal Assembly (2014: Doris Leuthard, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, Ueli Maurer, Johann Schneider-Ammann, Alain Berset);
   The General (elected only in case of war, last time on 30 August 1939)
4. President of the National Council (2013/2014: Ruedi Lustenberger)
5. President of the Council of States (2013/2014: Hannes Germann)
6. Chancellor of the Confederation (since 2008: Corina Casanova)
7. President of the Federal Supreme Court (since 2012: Gilbert Kolly)
8. Former Federal Councillors in order of election (as of 2014: Pierre Aubert, Alphons Egli, Elisabeth Kopp, Flavio Cotti, Arnold Koller, Adolf Ogi, René Felber, Kaspar Villiger, Ruth Dreifuss, Moritz Leuenberger, Pascal Couchepin, Ruth Metzler, Joseph Deiss, Samuel Schmid, Christoph Blocher, Hans-Rudolf Merz)
9. Presidents of the cantonal governments in the order given in the Constitution.
   Cardinals, Members of the Council of the Swiss Union of Evangelical Churches, and Grand Rabbis
10. First and Second Vice Presidents of the National Council (2013/2014: Stéphane Rossini, Christa Markwalder)
11. First and Second Vice Presidents of the Council of States (2013/2014: Claude Hêche, Raphaël Comte)
12. Vice President of the Federal Supreme Court,
    Bishops
13. Chief of the Armed Forces (since 2009: André Blattmann),
    Secretaries of State
14. Members of the National Council in order of election
15. Members of the Council of States in order of election
16. Judges of the Federal Supreme Court
17. ..