Pascal Couchepin

Pascal Couchepin
President of Switzerland
In office 1 January 2008 – 31 December 2008
Vice President	Hans-Rudolf Merz
Preceded by	Micheline Calmy-Rey
Succeeded by	Hans-Rudolf Merz
In office 1 January 2003 – 31 December 2003
Vice President	Ruth Metzler-Arnold
Preceded by	Kaspar Villiger
Succeeded by	Joseph Deiss
Vice President of Switzerland
In office 1 January 2007 – 31 December 2007
President	Micheline Calmy-Rey
Preceded by	Micheline Calmy-Rey
Succeeded by	Hans-Rudolf Merz
In office 1 January 2002 – 31 December 2002
President	Kaspar Villiger
Preceded by	Kaspar Villiger
Succeeded by	Ruth Metzler
Head of the Department of Home Affairs
In office 1 January 2003 – 1 November 2009
Preceded by	Ruth Dreifuss
Succeeded by	Didier Burkhalter
Head of the Department of Economic Affairs
In office 1 January 1998 – 31 December 2002
Preceded by	Jean-Pascal Delamuraz
Succeeded by	Joseph Deiss
Member of the Swiss Federal Council
In office 1 January 1998 – 1 November 2009
Preceded by	Jean-Pascal Delamuraz
Succeeded by	Didier Burkhalter
Personal details
Born	(1942-04-05) 5 April 1942 (age 82) Martigny, Switzerland
Political party	Free Democratic Party
Spouse	Brigitte Rendu
Children	3
Alma mater	University of Lausanne
Profession	Lawyer

Pascal Couchepin (born 5 April 1942) is a Swiss politician who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 1998 to 2009. A member of the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD), he was President of the Swiss Confederation twice, in 2003 and 2008. Couchepin headed the Federal Department of Economic Affairs from 1998 to 2002 and Federal Department of Home Affairs from 2003 until 2009.