Tags: Election.
A by-election to the Swiss Federal Council was held in Switzerland on 16 September 2009 after incumbent Federal Councillor Pascal Couchepin (Free Democratic Party FDP/PLR) announced his intention to retire on 31 October 2009.Some saw the election as an important decision regarding whom the fourth seat in the Federal Council belonged to (the FDP or the CVP) and as an indirect political decision regarding whether the SP or the SVP would have more influence in the future.Didier Burkhalter (FDP/PLR) was elected to succeed Couchepin in the fourth ballot.
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