Christoph Blocher

Christoph Blocher
Head of the Department of Justice and Police
In office 1 January 2004 – 31 December 2007
Preceded by	Ruth Metzler
Succeeded by	Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf
Member of the Swiss Federal Council
In office 1 January 2004 – 31 December 2007
Preceded by	Ruth Metzler
Succeeded by	Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf
Member of the Swiss National Council
In office 5 December 2011 – 31 May 2014
Constituency	Canton of Zürich
In office 26 November 1979 – 10 December 2003
Constituency	Canton of Zürich
Personal details
Born	Christoph Wolfram Blocher (1940-10-11) 11 October 1940 (age 83) Schaffhausen, Schaffhausen, Switzerland
Political party	Swiss People's Party
Spouse	Silvia Kaiser ​ ​ (m. 1968)​
Children	4, including Magdalena and Markus
Residences	Herrliberg Rhäzüns Castle
Alma mater	University of Zurich (Licentiate) University of Zurich (JD)
Occupation	Industrialist art collector politician
Signature
Website	Official website Parliament website
Military service
Allegiance	Switzerland
Branch/service	Swiss Armed Forces
Rank	Colonel

Christoph Wolfram Blocher (German pronunciation: [ˈkrɪ⁠stɔ⁠f ˈblɔ⁠⁠xər]; born 11 October 1940) is a Swiss industrialist and politician who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2004 to 2007. A member of the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC), he headed the Federal Department of Justice and Police. As an industrialist, he became wealthy as CEO and majority shareholder in the EMS-Chemie corporation, now run by his daughter, Magdalena Martullo-Blocher.^[1]

A controversial figure,^[2] Blocher is known for his role in transforming Swiss politics,^[2][3] shifting it to the right, as well as the Swiss People's Party, which has become "the dominant force in national politics".^[3] As he "developed a eurosceptic and anti-immigration agenda that has shaken up the cozy post-war consensual system prevailing in neutral Switzerland",^[3] Blocher served as the de facto leader of the SVP and a symbol of the party, holding its vice presidency from 2008 until 2018.^[4]